Rail and Road

Seeing Jesus in the breaking of the bread

04/20/2022

Lk 24:13-35 That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus. 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?” 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? Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his Body.” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus 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.” 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. So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the Eleven. 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.

We have been celebrating Mass in the Trinity gymnasium for two years now. Does that feel weird to you? Did you know that before the pandemic we crammed all 210 students into the chapel on the third floor and had Mass there? Not even the 8th graders will remember that because you all came here two years ago as 7th graders and we were already having Mass in the gym by then.

I want to tell you about the strangest place I have ever celebrated Mass in my 26 years as a priest. It was while I was traveling on a train across Canada. My parents and I took a five-day train trip across Canada, going cross-country and seeing the stunningly beautiful scenery. One day was a Sunday and I brought my traveling Mass kit that has everything for the Mass: chalice, candles, wine, hosts, Bible and crucifix. I thought that perhaps there would be other Catholics on board the train, so I went down the aisle and from car to car telling people we would have Mass in Room 104, where my parents and I were staying.

When one passenger heard that, they invited us to use their much larger, double cabin. By the time I started Mass, there were 20 people stuffed inside the double cabin and another 30 people standing in the train hallway. That was the coolest Mass experience I have had: the Canadian countryside flying by outside when I glanced outside the window, while 50 people gathered around a small table with bread, wine and the Bible inside the window.

In the gospel today from Luke 24, we hear about the very first traveling Mass. Two disciples are walking to Emmaus, and Jesus comes along beside them. They do not know him, but he explains the Bible to them. Then they arrive in Emmaus and go inside a house for supper, and Jesus takes bread and breaks bread and they suddenly recognize him. Can you see the two parts of the Mass hidden in that story?

The first half of the Mass consists of reading from the Bible and trying to understand its meaning; what Jesus did while they were walking to Emmaus. The second half of the Mass is blessing and breaking the bread, which they did in the house. First, we break open the Bible, and then we break the Bread at Mass. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were doing exactly the same thing I was doing on the railroad in Canada: celebrating Mass.

Do you know my favorite name for Holy Communion? The Mass has many names, but my favorite is “Food for the journey.” In other words, just like you pack your favorite snacks when you go on a road trip or vacation – maybe some fruit, or Cheetos, or Chex mix – so Christians have spiritual food for the journey through life: Bread and Wine, Holy Communion. And the Mass sustains and strengthens us, not only on our earthly journeys, to Canada or Emmaus, but also on our last and longest trip.

Can you guess where that last trip will be to? You got it: hopefully to heaven or purgatory, and hopefully not to hell. That is why, when someone dies, we bring their body into church and place the casket close to the altar and celebrate Mass with them. At least their body is present while we break open the Bible and break the Bread with them. Actually, that is a lot like how many people attend Mass on Sunday! In any case, Holy Communion is food for the journey, whether we are on a railroad in Canada or on the road to Emmaus, or on the way to heaven.

When you go on vacation, try not to miss Mass. There are Catholic churches all over the world, and it is pretty easy to find a Mass if you do a little digging. It is cool to see and hear Mass in different places with unique music and the prayers uttered in different languages. But you can always tell the two parts of the Mass like we see in Luke 24 if we look closely: breaking open the Bible and then breaking the Bread. This is food for the journey: our journeys here on earth, and our final journey to heaven.

Praised be Jesus Christ!