3rd Sunday of Easter Year A - 19th April 2026
This week's Gospel is a story which details an encounter between the Risen Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus. It shows how their understanding of who Jesus is developed as they spent more time with Him - as He revealed Himself in the scriptures and ultimately through the breaking of bread.
As we go through our own life’s journey we have opportunities to use occasions to look at our relationship with Jesus. Do we recognise Him when we encounter Him in our lives?
The disciples had set off to go to Emmaus, confused and saddened by the events that had happened in Jerusalem. As they walked Jesus joins them, “though their eyes were kept them from recognising Him". This line gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it is that sometimes prevents us from recognising Jesus, particularly in other people.
Jesus listens to what they have to say and then having berated them for their foolishness proceeds to teach them how, through the scriptures, the Christ had been prophesied. Imagine their experience of listening to Jesus Himself explaining the scriptures to them! This may prompt us during this week, while we have time, to look at the Old Testament prophesies in a little more detail. It is also a reminder how important it is to listen to people.
The journey was over far too quickly for the disciples so when they reached their destination and Jesus went to move on, they persuaded Him to stay. What happened next was ultimately no doubt always in Jesus' plan: to reveal Himself to them in the breaking of Bread. It was while He was at supper with them that they recognised Him in this breaking of Bread - and immediately He disappeared. In our own lives we may have come to a closeness with Jesus in the Eucharist and in prayer, or prompted by nature or encounters with people but then experienced, like the disciples, His disappearance. Just when we seemed to be close to him, we lose Him again! Perhaps during this week we can ponder on, and appreciate, the importance of our relationship with Jesus.
There is so much to reflect on in this week's Gospel that it is only possible here to pick out a couple of points - the more we reflect and pray the more we may come to understand its message. Whatever else comes to us, we can say that when we are in difficulty Jesus will always stay with us, as He did with those disciples on the road to Emmaus. He is with us on whatever journey we are experiencing at the moment. What more could we ask of Him?
Sr. Margaret Mattison
