Easter Sunday Evening

Today’s gospel reading from Luke portrays the encounter between two disciples and Jesus as they walked on the road to Emmaus.  We have all traveled the road to Emmaus.  In one way or another at some time we have all had our hopes dashed.  Christ joined us on the road and opened up the scriptures to us so that we could see our cross or our dashed hopes taken up in the plan of God.

We asked Christ to spend the evening with us and then we recognized him in the breaking of bread.  Now we too say, “The Lord has truly been raised.”  We know Christ is present with us.  Christ is not just present but transforms us, renews us, recreates us just as he restored hope and joy once again in the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

The Paschal Candle lighting here reminds us that this happens once again this evening when we experience Christ in a special way during this Easter Mass.  We see the dashed hopes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the five grains of incense on the candle representing the five wounds of Christ.  But around those five grains of incense we also see that Christ is the alpha and omega, the first and last.  Suffering and dashed hopes and crosses are not the last word.  The resurrection of Christ has the last word, omega.  The light on the top of the candle, the light of Christ brightening our lives, is that last word of Christ.

What a difference the presence of Christ made in the lives of those two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Before meeting Christ on the road they were going away from Jerusalem, their eyes were downcast, they had been hoping for the redemption of Israel, they stopped their journey because day was almost over. 

But after meeting Christ they returned to Jerusalem which they had just left, their eyes were no longer downcast but opened, instead of dashed hopes for the redemption of Israel their hearts burned within them, and even though they had stopped the journey when nightfall approached they now set out at once to return to Jerusalem.

That is the difference that the presence of Christ makes.  That is the difference the presence of Christ makes in our lives when we focus on Christ instead of on the negative and the difficulties.

We encounter Christ every time we celebrate the Eucharist just as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  The scriptures are proclaimed and explained in the light of Christ.  Our eyes are opened to a new way of looking at reality by the Word of God.  We recognize Christ in the breaking of bread, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. 

We have all travelled the road to Emmaus at some time as we had our hopes dashed.  But what a difference the presence of Christ makes in our lives.  Our eyes are opened to a new way of looking at reality by the Word of God.  We recognize the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Christ is not just present but transforms us, renews us, recreates us just as he restored hope and joy once again in the disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor