Stay with Us, Lord

Two weeks ago, we began our celebration of the joyous season of Easter. 50 days during which we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. 50 days during which we say enough alleluias to more than make up for their absence during the 40 days of Lent. 50 days during which we repeat the ancient Easter proclamation: in Greek: Christos anesti, alethos anesti; in Latin: Christus surrexit, surrexit vere; in English: Christ is risen, He is truly risen. Over the past two weeks, our Gospels have focused in on this fact: we heard the first reaction of Mary Magdalene and the Apostles to the risen Lord two weeks ago. Last week, we heard how Christ proved his resurrection to doubting Thomas, who demanded to see the wounds in his hands, feet and side, before believing that Jesus Christ had truly risen from the dead.

Today, we get a different point of view of the resurrection. This time from the perspective of two confused disciples of Jesus walking on the road from Jerusalem to the village Emmaus, about seven miles away. These two disciples didn’t know what to make of what they had just seen in Jerusalem. The man they had followed, who they had believed to be a prophet, and who they hoped was also the Messiah: the descendant of David who would restore the independent kingdom of Israel to glory, had been crucified and died. He had suffered the most shameful kind of death possible in Ancient Rome: a death reserved for only the worst criminals, and only those who were not Roman citizens. The Apostles, Jesus’ closest followers, had fled.

We know that it had to be like this: only by God becoming man, and undergoing the punishment for our sins, could we be forgiven of our sins. Through his death, Christ conquers sin. However, it is only with the resurrection, that this becomes clear. It is only with the resurrection that the punishment for sin, death, inherited by us from the very first man, Adam, is overcome. It is only with Christ’s resurrection that death loses its power over us: since Christ was raised, death is no longer the end of our story.

However, none of this was clear for the two Disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. Before they left, they had heard some rumors about the resurrection, but only in the context of something missing: an empty tomb. Some of the women from their group had gone to the burial place, and reported the tomb empty. Some of the Apostles had gone to the tomb and verified that it was empty. The women had reported a vision of angels who told them Christ was alive, but that only served to make the whole thing weirder. At least for the two disciples in our story, it doesn’t seem to create any change of plans or change of life: they go on a short trip to Emmaus.

While on the road, discussing all these things that they had seen, what seems to be a stranger approaches them and asks what they were talking about. They are a bit surprised that anybody needed to be told about the death of Jesus the Nazarene, but explain what they had seen, and the confusing reports from earlier that day. The stranger continues walking with them. As they are traveling, this stranger unfolds all of Scripture for them: he reinterprets the entire history of Israel, from Moses through all of the prophets, in light of the events of the previous few days, in light of the death and resurrection of Christ. In spite of this extremely involved, clear presentation, these two disciples, these two followers of Christ, still do not recognize this stranger. Their hearts burn within them, but they cannot see the risen Christ, who is walking alongside them. When they reach Emmaus, they invite him to stay with them: it is nearly the end of the day. So the stranger, Jesus, comes in and stays with them. At table, in the same context where he had looked forward to his death and resurrection during the Last Supper only a few days earlier, he gives thanks and breaks bread. It is in this act that these two disciples finally recognize Him. As they recognize Him, he vanishes from their sight, paradoxically remaining with them forever.

The two disciples immediately return to Jerusalem. In spite of it already being late, they make the full 7 mile journey back on foot. In Jerusalem, they find the 11 Apostles, and many of the disciples, who are already rejoicing at the rising of Christ from the dead, because Christ has appeared to Simon, to Peter, the head of the Apostles. The two disciples recount their story, and emphasize recognizing Jesus in the breaking of bread.

This story does not add very much about the resurrection itself, to the other apparitions. The disciples and Apostles already know Christ is risen once they arrive to tell them. The most essential teaching of Christianity: Christ died for our sins in accordance with scripture, was buried and was raised from the dead, in accordance with the scripture, this is testified to by the Apostles, is shown through the other resurrection stories. That Apostolic testimony is confirmed by the consistency of their message, even in the face of the painful deaths suffered by all of the Apostles, except for St. John. So, why is this appearance of Christ featured so prominently, as the third Sunday Gospel we hear during Easter? What does it add to the other appearances of Christ?

One aspect is clear: the disciples recognizing Christ in the breaking of the bread is important. There is a clear connection between this Gospel’s narrative and the Mass we are celebrating right now. We open with a procession that takes us away from the outside world and into the Sacred time and place during which the Mass is celebrated, as the disciples were walking towards Emmaus. In the first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, we hear the words of Scripture, we receive and enter into the Word of God, Jesus Christ Himself, as the two disciples did when Jesus unfolded the Scripture for them and their hearts burned. As the Mass continues, the wine and bread become the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. We become present for the one sacrifice of Christ, and become participants in his Paschal mystery: his death, and resurrection: we truly see Christ. This is the same thing that happens for the two disciples as they recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, no longer needing his physical presence because they are now filled with his spiritual presence. Nourished, they return to Jerusalem and meet with the Apostles, now grown closer to them, as we return to the world, grown closer to our brothers and sisters in the Church.

It is interesting that, within the Liturgy for Easter, the aspect of this Gospel passage that is repeated most often is the short verse, said every evening of Easter during Vespers, “Stay with us Lord, Alleluia! For it is towards evening, Alleluia!” Alongside the proclamation that Christ has truly risen from the dead, this is a second key aspect to the Easter season. Because Christ has risen from the dead, because death no longer has dominion over Him: Christ remains with us. Even as he ascends to heaven, he sends the Holy Spirit among us to keep His living presence among us. Through the Eucharist, through the sacrifice of the Mass, we remain with Him. By communion, received in a state of grace and with proper preparation, we become part of Him, as His body is absorbed into us and becomes our spiritual nourishment. This truly makes us one with the entire Church, with all the members of the body of Christ: those like us, in this time of sojourning, struggling against our sins and vices, and those who have passed through the veil of death, both those in need of purification through the cleansing of their former attachment to sin and vice, and those who have, in Christ, conquered their sins, been raised to life with Him, and remain with Him forever.