April 22, 2014
The Appearance on the Road to Emmaus
A reading from the Gospel of Saint Luke 24, 13 – 35:
Now that very day two of them (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 they 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 Messiah 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 the bread.
We had a beautiful day on Monday and it should be nice too on Tuesday. Many are preparing for the Feast of Divine Mercy which will be celebrated on April 27th which is next Sunday. On that day two great Popes will be canonized. They are Pope John XX111 and Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II died on the Sunday of Divine Mercy and he will be canonized on the same day.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words, “Remain close to Me My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who have great faith and love Me with all your hearts. I appeared to two men on Easter Monday as they were on the way to Emmaus. I walked with them but they did not recognize Me. They were talking about My Passion, My death on the cross and My resurrection from the dead. Yet what I felt about them is that they had lost faith in Me. They said these words, ‘We had hoped’ which means that they no longer accepted that I was the Messiah who had come to atone for all their sins. I spoke to them about what is written in the Bible about Me and at the end I was sitting at table with them when I took bread, broke it and blessed it and gave it to them to eat. At that moment they recognized Me and I disappeared.
I wanted all My disciples to believe in Me now that I was risen from the dead. These two men were filled with faith and they rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the Apostles that they had seen Me and what I had told them.
You, My friends, have just celebrated Easter, the great Feast of My resurrection, and by taking part in this feast your faith in Me has increased. Remain always united to Me and pray every day and we will be great friends. I love you all.”
Father Melvin