In this week's edition of There's More in the Gospel than Meets the eye, Jill Bevilacqua
brings us readings and reflections for the Third Sunday of Easter. Listen:
Gospel LK
24: 13-35
That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples
were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were
conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they
were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but
their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you
discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them,
named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who
does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And
he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that
happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before
God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to
a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the
one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this
took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were
at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back
and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that
he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just
as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them,
“Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was
it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his
glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them
what referred to him in all the Scriptures. As they approached the village to
which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But
they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So
he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he
took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their
eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then
they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke
to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and
returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those
with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to
Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he
was made known to them in the breaking of bread.