Bright Tuesday; the Repose of Our Holy Father Methodius, Teacher of the Slavs (885) and our Holy Father Eutychius, Archbishop of Constantinople (587)
Acts 2:14-21; Hebrews 7:26-8:2; Luke 24:12-35; John 10:9-16
No fasting or abstention from foods.
Read Luke 24:12-35
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus experienced a profound encounter with the risen Christ. Their hearts burned within them as He interpreted the scriptures to them, but they did not recognize Him as they walked together. How often do we fail to recognize Christ?
In pondering our answer to this question, it seems fitting to think back to Meatfare Sunday when we heard the Gospel proclaiming the Last Judgment (see Mt. 25:31-46). Neither the “righteous” nor the “accursed” recognized Christ, but both groups were judged according to the same measure: “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’” (Mt. 25:40).
The disciples in today’s Gospel reading recognized the risen Christ only at the breaking of the bread. Today, our experience of the “breaking of the bread” at every Divine Liturgy is likewise a powerful encounter with Him! Christ’s flesh and blood become incorporated into our own bodies and sanctify our souls when we receive the Eucharist with discernment. Let us remember to meet Christ joyfully in the Eucharist but also in our seemingly ordinary interactions with those whom we (and/or our world) consider to be “one of the least.”