In today’s Gospel we hear how the Risen Christ literally turns around the life of 2 disciples who are escaping from Jerusalem after the crucifixion. They are so shocked by Jesus’s brutal death that they are broken, dejected and in despair - they had believed that Jesus could be the promised Messiah but how could that be possible when it seems that all has ended so tragically… It is in their despair that the risen Jesus joins them as they walk along the road to Emmaus – a spa town about seven miles away from Jerusalem – although they do not recognise him at first.

Jesus firstly simply listens to them, with all their gloom & doom, and talk of hope lost and buried. Then he begins his patient healing by explaining how all they experienced in Jerusalem had been predicted in Scripture and how he is indeed the fulfilment of the ancient prophecies of the Messiah, including in his rejection and execution at the hands of his own people. Finally, when the disciples ask him to stay with them for a meal when they reach Emmaus they finally recognise him when he breaks the bread – a distinctive gesture of his which they would have seen so many times during their time with Jesus. Now, renewed in hope, with eyes & heart opened, they run back to Jerusalem to share their joy with the disciples. Filled with Easter joy, they run to tell the Good News!

There is a lot for us to learn from all this. Easter is a time when we are asked to reflect on the journey of our own lives. Am I heading in the right direction? Is Jesus the one who leads and guides my life or do I allow my fears and insecurities to lead me astray? And how do I respond to those who seem to be walking in the wrong direction in their lives? Do I rush in to judge and tell them to change, or, like Jesus, do I simply walk with them, listen to them and, when the time is right, encourage them to walk with the Lord, perhaps guiding them back to the Church? What can I learn from Jesus’ journey with the 2 disciples for the journey of my life?


With blessings & prayers from Fr Richard, Fr Ephrem & all the parish team
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