Wednesday in the
Octave of Easter
Acts 3:1-10; Luke 24:13-35)
A good number of years ago now Dinner with Andre made its debut. Almost the entire movie shows two actors
having a conversation over dinner in a fine restaurant. They talk about the meaning of life and how
their lives enter into that meaning. In
a way the gospel today parallels this movie.
Jesus talks with two of his disciples on the road from
Jerusalem to Emmaus. Because two days earlier he was crucified, the disciples can
hardly imagine that their fellow traveler is their teacher. Yet his words touch their hearts. They burn within as he explains all that the
Scriptures say about their teacher. When
they reach their destination, they share a meal. In breaking bread, they realize who their
companion is. He is their beloved
teacher and Lord, risen from the dead.
The same Lord presents himself in our daily
Eucharist. Here we hear of him in the
readings from Scripture, especially the gospel.
Here we hear his explanation of himself in the words of the priest. Here we meet him – face to face, as it were –
in one another. Sometimes in his
presence to us we actually feel ourselves burning within.
