Fr. Aidan Writes:
The Gospel story we hear at Mass this Sunday is that of the two men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The structure of this story is the structure of the Mass, the central act of worship for all Catholics. Firstly, two men are walking and talking about their experiences of life. We do that when we greet each other coming to church, “Oh hi, how are you?”… “Has your daughter recovered from her surgery?”…”What a gorgeous day”….”Did you watch the Lakers last night?” We come together, listen and tell our story; collectively we do this by listening to scripture, the stories of our ancestors in faith. Then, in the Emmaus story, Jesus explains how all that points to Him; the preacher breaks open the scriptures for us.
Then, as they journey on, they have a meal and Jesus breaks bread for them, the first Eucharist after the resurrection; the two men recognize him in the breaking of the bread. Then, filled with the grace of this encounter (“Did not our hearts burn within us”), they go back to Jerusalem to share this experience with the Apostles; they start witnessing as Church. That is the Mass we celebrate today. We gather with our life’s journey, we listen to our faith story, we break bread together in memory, we encounter Christ who challenges our hearts and we go out into the world proclaiming His glory. Enjoy and share this incredible adventure and journey!
God bless you and your families, Fr Aidan-Peter CJ
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter