THEY SET OUT AT ONCE

At 3,1-10; Ps 104; Lk 24,13-35
4 APRIL
Jesus is the true Master in the dialogue. He knows what word to use to enter a heart and install his truth in it. However, dialogue does not consist only in words for him, but also in always appropriate and given gestures and signs at the right time. He also knows what question to raise so that, starting from it, he can give the right answer. It is understood that this perfect mode of dialogue is possible only for those who fully possess the Holy Spirit in his seven gifts of wisdom, knowledge or science, intellect, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. Without the Holy Spirit, that is the communion between the heart of the speaker and the heart of the listener, no real dialogue might ever take place and everyone speaks only to himself. Everyone speaks to and answers himself. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus transforms two hopeless, disappointed and discouraged men into missionaries of his resurrection. In Jerusalem, Jesus had risen from the sepulchre. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus resurrects in the heart of these two of his disciples.

Now that very day two of them 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 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.

The end of the Christian’s dialogue is only one: raising up in the heart of man the true God, the true Christ, the true Holy Spirit, the true Church, true grace, true ministry and true sacraments. Consolidating or implanting falsehood in the heart of the one with whom one is talking is seriously harmful. If first there was some doubt about the truth, a false dialogue reinforces the falseness of the heart and mind. In order for a dialogue to be truly effective, the speaker must possess his truth and have no doubt or perplexity in it. If a minister of Christ the Lord does not even know what the will of God on his life is, all his dialogues will be with the worm of falsehood, ambiguity and lack of truth. Jesus knows who He is. He must bring his truth into the heart of the two disciples. Having put the truth in their hearts, they immediately go to proclaim to those who were disappointed like them, that Jesus has risen and that they must continue to believe and hope in Him. Whoever is helped by Jesus rising in his heart, by obligation of love must help every other man, so that in him too Jesus resurrects and lives.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints resurrect Jesus in every heart.