Wednesday of the Octave of Easter
(Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)
We say Christ is present in the Eucharist in various
ways. He is present in the members of
the congregation through Baptism, especially in the priest consecrated to lead
the faithful. He is also present in the passages
of Scripture, which is the word of God.
Most importantly, Christ is present in the bread and wine when then are
blessed and broken to be shared by all. The
disciples on the road to Emmaus discover this reality as they sit at table with
their guest.
The resurrection appearance in today’s gospel is
primarily an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. This is not to say that Cleopas and his unnamed
companion did not visually see Christ.
Rather, it invites Catholics to recognize him every time they take part
in the Eucharist. For the grace to have
full effect they should carefully participate by singing the hymns, listening
to the readings, including their personal intentions among the many expressed,
and entering mindfully into the Eucharistic prayers.
We often take advantage of Mass time as a retreat from
the busyness of life. It is time apart,
in a usually comfortable space, giving a sense of approval. But it avails us much more than respite. The Eucharist enables us to deepen our
relationship with Jesus. He brings more
than completion to our lives; he brings us an eternal destiny.
