Acts 3:1-10
Ps 105
Lk 24:13-35
Jesus is made known to them in the breaking of the bread. We know this story so well and we can easily take this to be a metaphor for the Eucharist. And we can spiritualize it and romanticize about how awesome it was that Jesus is revealed in the breaking of the Bread and that we can also finally Jesus in the celebration of the Eucharist. But let us see how all of these events transpire, two things must happen before they recognize him:
The two disciples knew everything that had transpired in the past three days and they recounted it almost like reading a book aloud. They knew all the facts – even the most recent development: that the women had seen the empty tomb – and yet they could not recognize the Lord when he walked among them. This tells us that even if we know all the facts of the greatest story ever told, we still can lack the eyes of faith to see the Lord.
The Lord takes the scriptures and interprets them to these two men, showing them how the Old Testament, - from Moses onward and all of the prophecy is fulfilled – outlining the minutia and spelling it all out for them. It almost sounds like a little homily that Jesus is giving, fulfilling and synthesizing the scriptures.
And finally, they open their home and their hospitality to Him and they see the Lord in the Breaking of the Bread – the Eucharist. The disciples recount how their heats were burning as the Scriptures were opened. We need a Holy Heart Burn. In the Mass we have the Liturgy of Word and Eucharist. Both are needed. But even more importantly for us as future homilists, we must preach to give people a Holy Heart Burn so that when you consecrate the bread and wine, Jesus may be revealed and the people may see Him with eyes of faith. In this Holy Octave, may we avail ourselves and rekindle the burning in our hearts to know the risen Lord even more closely in the most Holy Eucharist.
No comments:
Post a Comment