Portions of the Sunday Readings: Acts 2: 22>. “Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs… (but then) This man…you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up…as delivered up by (a) set plan (made in the) foreknowledge of God… that He would be released from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it… God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth!”
Luke 24 >. “As they approached the village to which they were going, (Jesus) gave the impression (to the two travelers) that he was going on farther. But they urged him, Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”
The Road to Emmaus Gospel story in Luke 24 is a roadway account of a couple of Sunday travelers, which leads up to an amazing Breaking Bread encounter with Jesus and His Resurrection revelation.
Now, take it up a greater notch! Our Road to Emmaus story, in our own living, of going to Holy Mass in Sunday regularly, for the Word and Sacrament, does leads to an amazing inclusion for us into the Heavenly Liturgy! Amen, it is so! Your faithfulness in worship of receiving God’s Word here, and receiving the Bread of Life here in Jesus Christ, takes you forward to the Beatific Experience of God in worship in His Abode Above. I will show you so, at homily’s end, with St. John’s revelation at the Bible’s end, about earthly life’s end as going into a heavenly worship of God. It’s for those in a Word and Breaking Bread worship lifestyle.
Didn’t you just love this Luke 24 Gospel proclamation? I like how it concludes, in the house in Emmaus, where, suddenly, the two persons see that it is Jesus with them, as when Jesus does the breaking of the bread. As He lifts up the bread in blessing, they can see His precious wounds from Calvary, but all healed up. There is recognition—this is Jesus with us. He is come to them in a different than expected manner! He is come in a Scripture sharing and in a religious rite and prayer, done much like a mini Passover experience. The gloom they had held since Friday’s witness of crucifixion of Jesus, is now changed. Jesus is not dead, but rather, He is now alive! It is seen by the breaking of the bread.
As we are in Acts chapter 2 again this Sunday, like our last one, I remind you of verse 42 in the text; that the first church met regularly for “the breaking of the bread and the prayers. “ This refers to the gathering for the Lord’s Supper, in the simple meal fashion done from the start by believers. It was joined with gathering for the teachings and the fellowship. The teachings refer to the Scriptures, particularly the evangelists’ gospels and the apostle’s teachings.
Note how the Catholic Church keeps doing this, as you have been doing this, gathering for the Word and Sacrament, or else said for consuming the Bible and consuming the Bread of Life.
Every Mass has what the Road to Emmaus account told about. It has a time for the Word, followed a time for Breaking Bread or having Jesus as Eucharist.
This is the model by Jesus, and done by Him on Holy Thursday, too. He taught them and then He had the Last Supper New Passover rite with them, saying: “This is My Body…My Blood, given up for you. Do this in memory of Me.” The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist is important to Jesus, and it’s why He began it for His Church.
The Sacred Liturgy on earth by The Church will bring you into true worship in Christ to The Father. As I mentioned in the last homily, the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass is quite vital to our approach to God. There is no deep worship of God without proper Sacrifice. Jesus has chosen to be the Sacrifice, seen in the breaking of the bread.
In the gospel text, Jesus has fantastic Good News to this pair of dejected disciples, who were thinking their life with Jesus was finished—due to Friday’s Crucifixion of Him. Yet Jesus shows He is alive, and all is begun again with them, and in a totally new way! Jesus chooses to reveal this power and sign in Him in a breaking of bread rite with them in the Emmaus Inn. There He gives them recognition and a new understanding that He is Jesus, the Bread of Life, a Risen Lord and Savior, and as a Real Presence to them. He does take away gloom, sorrow. aimlessness or meaninglessness. Now they are filled with gladness. Everything becomes anew and all hope abounds. It is the First Easter. It’s the Sunday of the Lord’s Rising.
Take this Luke 24 gospel in deeply. I hope the Emmaus story forecasts for you the transition coming we you and I complete our human journey as Catholics and get called to a meeting in the afterlife. God will ask us who met with Him in Sacred Liturgy on earth via the Church to elevate the Encounter by entering Heaven’s liturgy with the same Lamb of God Jesus in the midst. Perhaps an angel will explain it to us then, saying: “You who welcomed Jesus in during your life, now He returns the favor to welcome you in and home into Heaven this great day.”
Jesus will then unveil His majestic and glorious Presence to your soul and mine, if indeed we are called to this revelation and invitation in to Glory. So if you think the two persons at Emmaus house had a big happy surprise of Jesus’ identity, and it surely was all that—then consider what it will be like to meet Jesus in Heaven.
We will see Him in the sign that was given us in Holy Communion here on earth in our lives—but it will be gloriously given this time. With the last day about over, we’ll be gathered for our daybreak moment into eternity for you. In a recognize Me in the Breaking of the Bread type of revelation, I just have to point you to the Book of Revelation and St. John telling us the Word and Sacrament, like we do at Mass, is the formula for learning worship of the Lord forever.
As Revelation 12:10-12 states, of the heavenly realm—we shall hear it said to us: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, (the devil and his pawns) who (had) accuse(d you) day and night, has been hurled down. (You) have triumphed over him, by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! ‘
Did you get that?! It’s a two-fold Word and Eucharist that has helped people to rejoice in the heavens and dwell there with God. Just like we have a Liturgy of the Word in the Mass and a Liturgy of the Eucharist in the Mass—God will be worshipped in the heavens, via this manner laid down on earth by Him. The Word testified and the Sacrifice of Christ—that’s the pairing in Revelation 12. Word and Sacrament.
This Bible verse is from St. John who saw ahead to the heavenly promises to come. It describes, in essence, your own Emmaus road journey with Jesus in this life that takes you to an incredible new recognition of The Lord Jesus, for Heaven’s life. You will have a beatific vision of Him there as the unveiled Glorious Lord, more beautiful and awesome than you could ever could imagine. I like how in a few chapters ahead in Revelation, St. John describes seeing the Throne of Jesus, the Son and Lord, with all His called people gathered and caught up in a worship time to Him. Revelation 19:4-8 says how “twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cry: “Amen, Hallelujah!” Then a voice comes from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” Then does come a great multitude in song, shouting forth: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, of righteous living, she wears.”
My dear friends, who love Jesus in the Eucharist, and support the Church—this is the description of your own great Emmaus moment, when the LORD will break it to you that you have worshipped and followed a Wondrous Redeemer in Christ Jesus. You are favored—for you have allowed Jesus to present you to God the Most High in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
How many Masses have you prayed? Has your heart burned with the revelation from the Word? Has your soul been satisfied with the reception of Eucharist in you as your Sunday renewal with God in liturgy?
My favorite verse of this chapter 19 of Revelation is the 9th verse>: “(I John, relate the vision, of when) The angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Do you hear it again, friends? Live in the true Word of God, and live in the Supping of the Lord in Breaking Bread rites with Him—and Heaven is yours. Because you have shown to belong there, in your worship manner. So you see, today’s Emmaus story is not just about two guys on the first Easter meeting Jesus, but it is a formula for all believers for walking aright with Jesus, and renewing it each Sunday (or Saturday Vigi) Mass.
You, dear believers, who keep coming in worship to the Lord God in the Encounter His Son has founded—keep at it all of your days. This liturgy of Holy Mass here will get you One Day prepared for the Heavenly Celebration, up there. The wedding supper of the Lamb for His bride, all believers, will be including those believers who have known well how to say Yes to God for Liturgy and to want to receive Him in the Holy Rites. That practice you are doing, will lead to your embrace as Bride to Jesus into His arms forever. Believe it.