Verbum Dei UK

Acts 2:14 .22-33; 1 Peter 1:17-21 ; Luke 24:13-35

MEDITATION:

The Gospel this Sunday tells of the encounter of the two apostles with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus about ten kilometers from Jerusalem .

At first the lads do not recognize Him, so it's relevant that Peter in the Acts of the Apostles today quotes David of the Old Testament saying: "I saw the Lord ever  before me"! So let's open our eyes of faith! Jesus had to show his wounds to doubting Thomas last Sunday (John 20 ), but this week the problem is solved by Jesus giving an explanation of how the Good News, including his own passion, had been well prophesied in the Old Testament. Their failure to recognize at first speaks of the leap of faith that we all need to make. It says that 'they were prevented from recognizing Him' - in other words, the Trinity want us to make that leap, rather than expecting to see some physical presence of Christ or some miraculous vision. They don't call out to us in a way that obliges us to believe (Love wont impose), but it stimulates hearts and the Cross of Christ is their supreme love song!

 

It's good to be very grateful for whatever education we've received from the world, but at the same time, recognize that there's a lot more to find out! That's what the road of faith is all about. Cleopas tells of a vision of angels who announced the resurrection to the two women, and of how the apostles found the tomb as they had said, but he says that at first they didn't see Jesus. As they approached Emmaus, Jesus gave the impression that He was going on. It speaks to me of the fact that God doesn't want to impose but He waits to be invited. God is very patient with mankind today also! The lads were 'downcast' at first, saying "We were hoping ... but...". We can all probably identify with that to some extent. So we should allow that 'stranger' to accompany us and keep reminding us! They quoted how it was prophesied that the Messiah (the promised one of God) would suffer on His road to glory, but do we realise what that glory is? It's not a worldly one but the glory of becoming king of our hearts. God is Love, and that's where his glory lies - in our hearts - when we respond with love. Christ certainly moves our intellect but that's as a way to reach our hearts. Humbly bowing down to become the Eucharist is like a beutifull love-song, and it won the lads over on that road to Emmaus. Let's listen well to that love-song. I consecrated my life to this community 'Verbum Dei', which means 'Word of God'. Hopefully I'll have the appropriate heart! The apostle's hearts were burning when Jesus explained scripture, and Peter in his talk in the Acts of the Apostles links Old and New Testaments, so don't be surprised that us missionaries try and get everyone to read and meditate the Bible, especially the New Testament. There's a road to be traveled and Jesus himself is saying to us all today: "Oh how slow you are!".

I've got multiple sclerosis (M.S), so I'm on a certain road to 'MS', but hopefully to Emmaus also! It was at the breaking of the bread that their eyes opened, so I think that that's a call to us to deepen in what we're celebrating at mass this Sunday and also to present ourselves to Christ as living hosts for him to break open in whatever way He chooses!

The word 'com-panion' actually comes from the Latin for 'those who share bread'(pan). Christ certainly shares a lot with us and He goes as far as actually consecrating a little piece of bread (the host) himself. He wants to give Life itself in Heaven to us. This gives added meaning to how he teaches us to pray to Our Father: "Give us this day our daily bread"! So as you take communion do you really want to enter a 'common union' with God's love?! The word 'eucharist' means 'thanksgiving'. It's a good sign of how Jesus wants to be our companion in life. Could you imagine the Father smiling and clapping his hands as we sing - especially singing the 'Our Father' at mass?! Then Jesus And the Holy Spirit are up too. They don't just dance in front of us but they invite us to dance with them!  There is actually one gift that we can all give to God - a gift that the Trinity can't give themselves -and that they absolutely love: They long for mankind to love them out of thanks! But we can't do that just with words, we can do it with genuine hearts -and with our lives.

The reason for our Eucharistic hosts at mass being made of unleavened bread, is because that was the kind of bread made by the Jews that could be made quickly enough to bring with them on their flight from slavery in Egypt (Exodus). Thereafter they had what they called a 'feast of unleavened bread' every year during which it was eaten with the sacrificed lamb (wich now for us is Jesus himself). The Book of Deuteronomy says this: 'You shall not eat leavened bread with the lamb. For seven days you shall eat with it only unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, that you may remember as long as you live the day of your departure from the land of Egypt; for in frightened haste you left the land of Egypt' (Deuter 16:3). Therefore, as we now eat (commulgate) at mass the communion (Eucharist) of the Last Supper, we should remind ourselves of the fact that we're on a journey with Christ passing through these few years on Earth. Reminding ourselves of that, may influence our plans to make good use of our brief lifetime and to avoid mundane riches, honours and pleasures that would hold us back.

The norm in my home as a child, was to avoid eating for an hour before Sunday mass, and to wash one's mouth with a drink of water afterwards in case any crumbs of the host were left in our mouths. Christ doesn't want to complicate life for us, but that care about commulgating is a good sign of respect for the Eucharist. But of course one thing that shouldn't be left out is to clarify with a child what is the reason for taking communion: that we would become more like Jesus. The Church stressed that in the Second Vatican Council: 'We commulgate the Eucharist in order to become the same as that which we receive.' (Gaudium et Spes 16).

We'll begin mass saying sorry for our faults and remembering with thanks what Peter says: that we've been ransomed (1 Peter 1:18 ). Then maybe the way Peter stood up and raised his voice is a call to us all, not to be shy in sharing the 'Good News' with modern man.  I can't stand up and announce, but at least I can press a keyboard!

Dara.

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