Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

 

The Gospel speaks of a very well know episode. Luke writes in the year 80 for the communities of Greece of converted Gentiles. 

 

The years 60’s and 70’s had been most difficult ones. There had been the great persecution of Nero, six years later Jerusalem was completely destroyed. And two years after, in Masada, there was the massacre of the last rebellious Jews. In those years, the Apostles, witnesses of the Resurrection, disappeared gradually. 

 

People began to feel tired on the journey. From where could they draw strength? How to discover the presence of Jesus in such a difficult situation? The apparition of Jesus to the disciples at Emmaus tries to give a response to all these anguishing questions. Luke wants to teach the communities how to interpret Scripture in order to be able to rediscover the joyful presence of Jesus in life.

 

Jesus listens the conversation of the disciple: the first step is getting close to the people and understand their reality. Second step is using the Bible to enlighten life. Jesus uses the Bible and the history of people to illuminate the problem, to help people to discover the wisdom which already exists in them, and transform the cross, a sign of death, into a sign of life and of hope. 

 

The third step is to know how to create a fraternal environment of faith, of celebration and of sharing, where the Holy Spirit can act. It is the Holy Spirit who makes us discover and experience the Word of God in life!