The Third Sunday of Easter, centered on the encounter of the risen Jesus with His disciples, is key to strengthening Easter faith: it shows that He is alive and remains present, especially in the Eucharist and in the community.
Two disciples walk toward Emmaus with sad hearts, filled with disappointment after seeing Jesus die on the cross. Everything seems darkened: faith falters and hope fades. They move away from Jerusalem, the place of the promise, as one who flees from failure.
As they talk and discuss, Jesus draws near and walks with them in a discreet and respectful way, becoming their companion on the journey. He asks them questions, listens to them, and allows them to express their pain, their confusion, and their discouragement. A deeply human detail: God is interested in what we carry within us, even when it is marked by sadness or doubt.
From there, Jesus helps them to reread their story in the light of the Scriptures. He shows them that what happened is not a failure, but part of God’s plan. What seemed like defeat is, in reality, a path to life. Little by little, without their being fully aware, something begins to burn within them: their hearts are set on fire as they listen to the Word. It is the beginning of a silent transformation.
However, they are still not able to recognize Him. Their eyes are as if veiled. This reflects our own experience: many times God is present in our lives and we do not know how to see Him. We need time, inner openness, and often a sign that helps us recognize Him.
This sign comes in a simple and profound gesture: the breaking of the bread. Upon arriving in Emmaus, the disciples invite Jesus: “Stay with us, for it is getting late.” This gesture of hospitality is decisive. Before recognizing Him, they have already opened their home and their hearts; they have chosen not to remain alone in the midst of darkness.
At the table, when Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them, their eyes are opened. They recognize Him: it is the risen Lord. And at that moment, He disappears from their sight. Not because He has gone away, but because now His presence no longer depends on what is visible: they have learned to recognize Him in another way.
Then everything makes sense. They recall the journey and say to one another: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us and explained the Scriptures?” They understand that Jesus had already been with them from the beginning, accompanying their process and illuminating their darkness.
The experience does not remain within them. Immediately they rise and return to Jerusalem. They move from sadness to joy, from discouragement to mission. They become witnesses: they proclaim that the Lord has risen and that they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.
This passage invites us to recognize ourselves on that journey. We too experience moments of disappointment, doubt, and weak faith. At times we move inwardly away from what gives meaning to our lives. But the Gospel reminds us that Jesus always draws near and walks beside us, even when we do not recognize Him.
He invites us to be open people, capable of listening, of allowing ourselves to be challenged by the Word, of welcoming and trusting. It is in this process that the heart begins to be transformed.
The Eucharist continues to be today the privileged place where the Risen One becomes present and makes Himself known. In listening to the Word and in the gesture of the shared bread, we can recognize His living presence among us.
And when disappointment surrounds us, this Gospel offers us a certainty: we are not alone. Jesus walks with us, never abandons us, and often, in a discreet but real way, transforms our hearts from within.
Like the disciples of Emmaus, we are called to open our eyes, let our hearts burn, and set out again on the journey with renewed hope.
Sr. Mª Ángeles Figuls OP
