This weekend is the Third Sunday of Easter and the Gospel reading describes the resurrected Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus explained the Scriptures to them and as night approached, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, just as He did at the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. That earlier miracle foresaw the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday and now, after Jesus’ Resurrection, He again appeared to His disciples in the breaking of the bread to signify the end of His earthly ministry. The two disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, just as Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to recognize the evil brought by sin after they ate the forbidden fruit. However, whereas Adam and Eve’s sin corrupted our human nature, Jesus the New Adam has elevated our human nature. The liturgy of the Mass has two parts: an initial Liturgy of the Word to listen to the Scriptures and a later Liturgy of the Eucharist to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ. The Mass has many similarities with the appearance of Christ on the road to Emmaus: He first revealed the Scriptures then blessed and broke the bread. The Liturgies of the Word and the Eucharist mutually aid each other: by listening to the Word of God, we are prepared to receive the Body and Blood of Christ; and by receiving the Eucharist, we are given the grace to understand and live out the Word of God. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot go to church or attend Mass, which causes us much suffering. But we cannot neglect the Word of God–by studying it, we can prepare ourselves to participate once again in the Mass
「Spiritual Talk」Third Sunday of Easter – Fr. Anthony Ho
