Places of encounter (Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna)

    Brother Lawrence discovered that holiness does not depend on extraordinary circumstances, spiritual achievements or moral perfection. Instead, it flows from a simple, loving awareness of God’s presence in every moment. 

    Whether he was praying in the chapel or working in the kitchen, he sought to remain in quiet conversation with God—not through many words, but through attentive love. 

    This insight reminds us that God is not found only in ideal conditions, but also in the real circumstances of our lives: in moments of joy and pain, clarity and uncertainty, belonging and struggle. This means that our lived experiences—including our questions, wounds and hopes—are not obstacles to God, but places of encounter. 

    Living in God’s presence does not require us to resolve every tension at once. It asks only that we turn our hearts toward God with honesty and trust. A simple intention—“God, I am here with you”—can transform even the most ordinary moment into sacred ground. 

--Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna 

Image source: Still shot, Of Gods and Men (2010), trailer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQzn2gVGjQ
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God's self-emptying love (Bishop Robert Barron)

    Jesus enlightens the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Have you ever tried to solve a puzzle and then were surprised when the various pieces suddenly fell into place? Well, this is what happens to these disciples as Jesus begins to speak: “How slow of heart [you are] to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” The whole of Christianity is hanging here in the balance. 

    The disciples didn’t get it at first. They didn’t get the secret, the mystery, the key, the pattern. And what was that? God’s self-emptying love, even unto death. God’s act of taking upon himself the sins of the world in order to take them away, the mystery of redemption through suffering. 

   Jesus explains this first by reference to the prophets; but then, he makes it as vividly present to them as he can: “He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” And that’s when the pieces fell into place—that’s when the puzzle was solved. The Eucharist made present this love unto death, this love that is more powerful than sin and death. The Eucharist is the key. 

--Bishop Robert Barron 

Image source: Pierre Loy, Emmaus, Eglise St Luc, Valais, Switzerland, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1785622648381496
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Jesus accepts their hospitality (Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe)

     When the disciples flee to Emmaus, they are filled with anger and disappointment… The disciples are running away from the community of the Church, like so many people today. Jesus does not block their way or condemn them. He asks ‘What are you talking about?’ What are the hopes and disappointments that stir in your hearts? The disciples are speaking angrily. The Greek means literally, ‘What are these words that you are hurling at each other?’ So Jesus invites them to share their anger. They had hoped that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, but they were wrong. He failed. So, he walks with them and opens himself to their anger and fear. 

    Notice that Jesus does not attempt to control the conversation. He asks what they are talking about; he goes where they go, not where he wishes to go; he accepts their hospitality. A real conversation cannot be controlled. One surrenders oneself to its direction. We cannot anticipate where it will take us, to Emmaus or Jerusalem. 

    When they reach Emmaus, the flight from Jerusalem stops. Jesus looks as if he wishes to go further but, with glorious irony they invite the Lord of the Sabbath to rest with them. ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is nearly over.’ (Luke 24:29). Jesus accepts their hospitality as the three strangers in Genesis 18 accepted the hospitality of Abraham. God is our guest. We too must have the humility to be guests. [We] must leave ‘the comfortable position of those who give hospitality to allow ourselves to be welcomed into the existence of those who are our companions on the journey of humanity’. 

    When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised him and he vanished from their sight.’ (Luke 24:29). Their eyes were opened. The previous time that we heard that phrase was when Adam and Eve took the fruit from the Tree of Life, and their eyes were open and they knew that they were naked. This is why some ancient commentators saw the disciples as Cleopas and his wife, a married couple, a new Adam and Eve. Now they eat the bread of life. 

    One last small thought: When Jesus vanishes from their sight they say, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked to us on the road.’ (Luke 24:32) It is as if it is only afterwards that they become aware of the joy they had as they walked with the Lord. St John Henry Newman said that it is only as we look backwards at our lives that we become aware of how God was always with us. I pray that this will be our experience too. 

--Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe 

Image source: Sadao Watanabe, Jesus at Emmaus (1969), https://collections.artsmia.org/art/135693/jesus-at-emmaus-watanabe-sadao
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Living with our eyes and hearts open (Fr. James Martin)

     Seeing God means being ready to see him in unexpected people, places and ways. It means living with our eyes and our hearts open. Because wherever you are, there is your Emmaus. 

--Fr. James Martin S.J. 

Image source: Georges Rouault, Road to Emmaus (1936), https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/road-emmaus-20079813
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The One who walks beside us (Fr. Patrick van der Vorst)

   In this lithograph, Maurice Denis offers a contemporary interpretation of the Supper at Emmaus. We see Christ seated at the table, blessing the bread. Opposite him sits the artist himself, portrayed as the disciple who has just recognised the true identity of his extraordinary table companion. Denis’s wife, Marthe, enters the room carrying a dish, while a friend follows with two small jugs; one for water, the other for wine, a clear Eucharistic reference. The print, based on Denis’s original painting now housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, reimagines the scene from today’s Gospel in a modern setting. Notice, too, the two candelabra on the table: their flames seem to merge into one. It is a beautiful image: our own light drawn into Christ’s, shining all the more brightly together. 

    This morning’s reading offers real help for our life of prayer. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus are clearly discouraged, weighed down by sorrow. Many of us have found ourselves in that place, living under the shadow of a cross. 

    What does Jesus do? He simply draws alongside them and gently asks why they are downcast. He invites them to speak freely, to share what is on their minds and in their hearts. This is what Jesus invites us to do each time we come to him in prayer: to pour out our hearts, to speak of our joys and our struggles, our hopes and our hurts. 

    And once the disciples have shared all that is within them, the Gospel tells us that Jesus then begins to speak. The same is true for us. After we have brought our hearts to the Lord, there comes a moment to listen, to be still, and to allow Jesus' word to speak to us. Thus prayer is not only about speaking; it is also about listening, waiting in silence for the voice of the One who walks beside us, even when we do not recognise him at first.

--Fr. Patrick van der Vorst 

Image source: Maurice Denis, The Pilgrims at Emmaus (1895), https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/prints/collection/p1115V2000
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Sunday Gospel Reflection, April 19, 2026: Were not our hearts burning within us?

Were not our hearts burning within us?
How has God been revealed to you? 

    As two of Jesus’ disciples travel to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, Luke tells us, they are downcast, devastated and in deep pain. Their rabbi Jesus has just been crucified and they are lost, trying to find their way in the darkness. In their dejection, the travelers encounter a man who can offer them some insight: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Jesus’ history is very logical and succinct, bringing new insights and awareness to the travelers. The Lord is very present to them in this moment, a presence they sense viscerally, although they comprehend all only once he has disappeared: Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us? At that moment, they sense the grace of God present and working in their lives. Jesus has, as Psalm 16 suggests, shown them the path of life, remaining in their line of vision to lead them; their hearts are glad and their souls rejoice! 

   In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, having just received the Holy Spirit, similarly asks the crowd to look more carefully, and to remember what they have witnessed: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. Jesus’ works, his words, were all part of God’s plan; God was revealed through Jesus, and they have but to open themselves to the fullness of this revelation to be filled with joy in God’s presence once again. They are not dealing with human whim, but with the love of God, which so far surpasses any expectations they may have had. 

    Attentiveness and awe are also at play in the First Letter of Peter, whose author exhorts his audience, Conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning. Why? Because Jesus, known before the foundation of the world has been revealed in the final time for them. Jesus has shown them how to find God in absolute love, in God himself willing to sacrifice the entirety of himself for the sake of that love. All those who knew the Lord in person or know him through the witness of others – ourselves included – are called to be filled with wonder at what God is unfolding in us, for God works through us as well, if only we allow God to show us the path of life!

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture Class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

The beauty of a community (Veronica Szczgiel)

    There is a sanctity in literally breaking bread with others — whether it be for a special occasion or as part of an everyday routine. Regardless, being distraction-free and fully focused on the present moment — and God’s presence in our company — makes each meal full of grace.  

    Mealtimes emphasize the beauty of a community. Everyone takes time out of their busy lives to come together as one. It’s no wonder that Jesus chose a meal to establish the first Mass, the holiest of meals. In fact, every Mass is a meal. We gather together to listen to God’s word and eat and drink his body and blood in the form of bread and wine. 

    As Jesus literally broke bread [at the Last Supper seder meal], he told his disciples: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). He did it again as he passed around the cup of wine: “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). This was one of the most singularly important announcements in the world: that Jesus is fully present in the bread and wine that is shared in Mass, all around the world, from that very first seder meal to today. 

--Veronica Szczygiel 

Image source: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Potluck, July 14, 2024, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=909846294514119&set=a.909848687847213
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