Father Jean Paul Hernandez SJ: his commentary on the Gospel of April 23, 2023
Summary
They recognized him in the breaking of bread.
From the Gospel according to Luke Luke 24:13-35
And behold, on that same day [the first of the week] two of the [disciples] were on their way to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all that had happened. As they talked and discussed together, Jesus himself approached and walked with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
And he said to them, "What are you talking to each other along the way?" They stopped, with sad faces; one of them, named Clèopa, answered him: «Only you are a stranger in Jerusalem! Don't you know what has happened to you these days?». He asked them: "What?" They answered him, “What concerns Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word, before God e a tutto il popolo; come i capi dei sacerdoti e le nostre autorità lo hanno consegnato per farlo condannare a morte e lo hanno crocifisso.
We hoped that he was the one who would deliver Israel; with all that, it's been three days since these things happened. But some women, of ours, upset us; they went to the tomb in the morning and, not having found his body, they came to tell us that they had also had a vision of angels, who affirm that he is alive. Some of our people went to the grave and found what the women said, but they didn't see him.'
He said to them, "Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said! It was not necessary that the Christ suffered these sufferings to enter into his glory?”. And, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures what referred to him.
As they approached the village to which they were going, he made as if he were going to go further. But they insisted: "Stay with us, because it is getting dark and the day is now at sunset". He entered to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. But he disappeared from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he conversed with us on the road, as he explained the Scriptures to us?"
They left without delay and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven gathered together and the others who were with them, who said: "Truly the Lord has risen and appeared to Simon!". And they narrated what had happened along the way and how they had recognized it in the breaking of the bread.
Word of the Lord.
Commentary on the Gospel of April 23, 2023 2
Video
FatherJean-Paul Hernandez commenta il Vangelo della III Domenica di Pasqua che racconta l’episodio dei discepoli in cammino verso il villaggio di Emmaus e illustra il tema delle cene e dei convivi nelle rappresentazioni artistiche religiose.
"While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus in persona si avvicinò e camminava con loro. Ma i loro occhi erano impediti a riconoscerlo.» «Quando fu a tavola con loro, prese il pane, recitò la benedizione, lo spezzò e lo diede loro.
Allora si aprirono loro gli occhi e lo riconobbero». «Non ardeva forse in noi il nostro cuore mentre egli conversava con noi lungo la via, quando ci spiegava le Scritture?». La fuga da Gerusalemme verso Emmaus è l’immagine delle nostre fughe e dei nostri fallimenti.
Luke's Gospel tries to explain to us what cannot be explained, that is, the encounter with God and in particular how to meet the Risen Lord. The Eucharistic liturgy follows a first part dedicated to the liturgy of the Word, that is, listening to the word of God. And in every liturgy of the Eucharist the resurrection of is repeated Jesus.
