“Oh, how foolish you are!”

It was Easter Sunday “that very day, the first day of the week” and the two disciples are not only walking away from Jerusalem, but they are also going in the wrong direction, away from Galilee where Jesus said He would meet His disciples. This is the only time we ever hear of Cleopas in Scripture. Many scholars think the other disciple may have been Luke, the writer of this gospel, because of the detail and uniqueness of the story.
 
They were “downcast” because they have lost their faith. They call him a “mighty prophet,” but not the “Messiah”. They do not believe the women's story or the others’ that Christ had been raised from the dead, because “Him they did not see.” Everyone was discussing what had happened because they ask, “are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know...” All of Israel and the known world would soon know about the crucifixion of the Christ because Jews came from all over the world to Jerusalem for the feast. Through the Apostles the whole world would know the truth about Jesus Risen in a relatively short period of time. The two disciples “were hoping that He would be the One,” but they now had lost that hope. Thus they did not recognize Him.

What causes us to lose hope in Christ, in the Church?
 
How do we find a hope that does not disappoint? The disciples on the road to Emmaus were fixated on their afflictions and the afflictions of Christ. They could not get past their afflictions, sorrow and disappointment. Many times we turn inward and become self-centered in our pain, afflictions, and sorrows by stubbornly refusing to move past them. Just as Jesus must suffer in order to enter glory, Saint Paul says, that Christians must follow the master and also suffer in order to enter glory. We must look past our afflictions, offering them up to God, and dwell on them no longer. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that afflictions produce endurance. And endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint.” [1] It is only Jesus that can walk with us, leading us from affliction to endurance, endurance to character, character to hope. Jesus does not only walk with us on the way, but He truly is the Way.

In this Gospel, Jesus rebukes the disciples saying, “Oh, how foolish you are!” This is not the first time Jesus is frustrated with His disciples, it happened often whenever they doubted. Jesus now references “the Christ” refuting what the two disciples previous said referencing the “mighty prophet.” He also reminds them of the many times that He spoke about the Christ suffering to “enter into His glory.” Verse 27, is one of the most incredible lines in Scripture. "Then beginning with Moses and all of the prophets, He interpreted for them ALL that referred to Him in the Scriptures.” What an amazing blessing to have the Incarnate Word of God explaining for them all references to Himself in Scripture! How long that must have taken! Possibly Jesus met them while they were still in Jerusalem or just outside if it took two and half or 3 hours to get to Emmaus. 
 
What does the road to Emmaus teach us about catechesis and liturgy? In spite of this “homily,” they still do not recognize Him as Jesus. They do not even ask, “Who are you? How do you know all of this? You are not one of His disciples? We do not know you.” Remember Jesus' remnant was quite small at that point! But they have a “burning in their hearts,” so they ask Him to stay with them. Then the second amazing thing happens, their eyes are opened and they recognize Him during a ritual that they never saw Jesus perform, for these two were not at the Last Supper. This ritual and its grace-filled power moves the two more than the catechesis that occurred on the road.

This story tells us a lot about the human mind and heart and about the power of catechesis and ritual (liturgy). Catechesis and ritual (liturgy) must not be separated. Catechesis is necessary, but without the ritual of the Sacraments, they can leave the faithful in darkness. Many times, faithful Catholics say that when they go to Mass, the priest is boring and the homily dull. These people are only focusing on half of the Mass, only the Catechesis, and if it is not good enough or convincing enough for them, they leave, just as the disciples left. Pope Pius XI speaks of the necessity of catechesis and ritual, teachings and feasts. “The church's teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart, and have a salutary effect upon the whole of man's nature. Man is composed of body and soul, and he needs these external festivities so that the sacred rites, in all their beauty and variety, may stimulate him to drink more deeply of the fountain of God's teaching, that he may make it a part of himself, and use it with profit for his spiritual life.” [2]
 
The Church in her care for souls follows the same method that Jesus did while on the road to Emmaus. Jesus did three things. First, He walked with the two. Second, He taught the two. Third, He broke bread with them. The Church is concerned about the pastoral (walk), catechetical (teach), and liturgical (sacraments and prayer) care of souls. This three point mission of Christ and Church is also expressed in the four pillars of the Catechism. How we walk (morality), what we believe (creed), and finally what we do (liturgy, sacraments, prayer). Many times people will wonder why the Church does what it does. The answer is that we model what Christ did literally from the very “first day”.
 
Can the resurrected Christ change form? Yes. Saint Luke tells us then “that He vanished from their sight.” It does not say that “He left” because Jesus promised that He would not leave them orphans. The truth is that He was still present with them in the consecrated species, just not in his human form, but rather in the form of bread. Saint Mark tells us that after appearing to Mary Magdalene, “he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country.” [3] It is clear that Jesus can change forms. On the “first” day. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene under the “form” of a gardener. He then appears in the “form” of a pilgrim to the two going to Emmaus. He then appears in the form of bread to the two going to Emmaus as He continues to do at each Mass. The evening of the first day, He appears in the upper room to the apostles and they recognize His form. Saint Augustine says, “Our Lord could change His flesh so that His shape really was other than they were accustomed to behold; for, before His Passion He was transfigured on the mountain, so that His face shone like the sun.” [4] It was when Jesus changed his form and became hidden in the Eucharist that the two going to Emmaus recognize Him.

What is the response once their eyes are opened? After their eyes are open, they have to tell others of the truth. They hasten back to Jerusalem. But before they could tell their story, they are told that Jesus had risen and had appeared to Peter! Was it only when He appeared to Peter that everyone else remaining came to believe?  John believed at the tomb, as did the women. What was different about the women and Saint John?  They were at the foot of the Cross. Those who were with Jesus through his Passion and death at the foot of the Cross are the ones who first believed in His Resurrection. There is Grace in the Cross. Those who were not at the foot of the Cross only came to believe after He appeared to Peter or after He appeared to them personally as the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
 
So what is Luke trying to tell is in relating this unique and detailed story? What a defense of our faith! And it presents real problems for the Evangelical “Bible only” believers.
 
“Scripture only” does not allow us to fully recognize Jesus. We can look back to Matt 16:13, when the people individually come to different and incorrect explanations of Jesus. Only the Church gets Jesus completely and correctly, and it is through the Eucharist that Christ's "fullness of truth" is revealed. In the beginning of this passage, it says that Jesus "drew near" and then at Emmaus, He "went in to stay with them." This is a significant difference. Is Jesus just “near us” or is He “with us”? If you eat my body and drink my blood I will remain in you and you in me." [5] Remember in the Eucharistic discourse, what happened?  "Many left Him" just as the two disciples left. He drew near through Scripture and burned their hearts but they only recognized Him when they desired that He remain with them and He gives them his flesh to eat and His blood to drink.
 
In the Acts of the Apostles we learn that every time the early Christians came together they said "the prayers" and celebrated the "breaking of the bread" (the Mass). Why? Because the Mass is the last ritual Christ performs before His death and the first ritual He performs after He rises. There are four action words of the Eucharist; take, bless, break, and give. Why then would we not do it every day (as Catholics do); and not just once a month or arbitrarily (as other denominations do)? 
 
The Road to Emmaus is about the Mass; the liturgy of the Word (which should create a burning in our hearts) which leads us to the liturgy of the Eucharist. And after Mass, we should run to tell the world about Jesus and how our eyes are open. The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we see Him and the more He stays with us. Isn't it neat that these two disciples, in returning to Jerusalem after their experience, are present when Christ institutes the Sacrament of Confession Easter night! The Mass and Confession! Inseparable!

Source: Thank you Fr. Stephen Imbarrato for your contribution to this lesson.
[1] Romans 5:1-5
[2] Pope Pius XI, Quas Primas, Section 21, December 11, 1925
[3] Mark 16:12
[4] Saint Augustine, De Consens. Evang. iii
[5] John 6:56