This story has been called the sunset road that turned to dawn. It’s one of the most genuine and realistic stories in the world. A lot of meaningful messages for us. The two disciples were walking towards the sunset. Emmaus was west of Jerusalem. The sun was in their eyes and this was why they did not recognize Jesus. They trudged, plodded the road with heavy hearts on their way to Emmaus. There is a completely different mood, attitude on the way back. It was probably dark now; there were a lot more dangers. They were oblivious to the darkness and the lurking dangers. There was a spring in their step. The Christian is a person who walks not towards the sunset but towards sunrise. The Christian goes forwards not to a night that falls but to dawn that breaks. This was the mistake of the two travelers. Sometimes in our journey through life we are full of sadness and disappointments, perhaps because we are walking towards a sunset. We need to recover the spring in our step like the two disciples in today’s story. For the two travelers the whole situation was meaningless, their dreams were shattered. When Jesus spoke to them, darkness became light; the meaning of life became clear. We admire the ability of Jesus to make sense of the whole situation. When we waver in a confused world; when we feel overburdened and weary, when we fall under the yoke of our trials, temptations, and mood swings, why not turn to Jesus and He will renew our lives with a new spring. Any authentic encounter with the Risen Christ must give us this spring in our step. Yes it is true that the Lord has risen; but have we? It was a seven mile walk for Emmaus to Jerusalem, this might take 2 hours, but our journey to Emmaus may take many years, when we are trying to make sense of everything that is happening in our lives is part of God’s plan. Like the two disciples who discovered Jesus in the breaking g of the bread that is why the mass is so important for us because it is here that we will discover Jesus.
Conclusion: Poem: “Sometimes when everything goes wrong; when days are short and nights are long; when washday brings so dull a sky, that not a single thing will dry. And when the kitchen chimney smokes, and when there’s naught so ‘queer’ as folks! When friends deplore my faded youth, and when the baby cuts a tooth. While John, the baby last but one, clings round my skirts till day is done; And fat good-tempered Jane is glum, and butcher’s man forgets to come. Sometimes I say on days like these, I get a sudden gleam of bliss. Not on some sunny day of ease, He’ll come…. But on a day like this!”