He interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures
The Bible or the Scriptures is God’s “love letter” to humanity. It contains God’s communication to human beings in the ups and downs of salvation history. God’s revelation was ĸrst directed to the people of Israel who kept God’s word given to them by Moses and the prophets. While the Bible is practically a library of books, what holds these books together is the central message of God’s love for his people.
God saved His people in the past and will do so in the coming ages. In the “ĸnal age,” God’s saving action reaches its high point in the sending of His Son, Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose from the dead. Israel did not expect a suffering savior, but as Jesus explains to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory.
Pope Francis reminds the community: “Pastors are primarily responsible for explaining sacred Scripture and helping everyone to understand it. Since it is the people’s book, those called to be ministers of the word must feel an urgent need to make it accessible to their community”... Likewise, “Catechists, too, in their ministry of helping people to grow in their faith, ought to feel an urgent need for personal renewal through familiarity with, and study of, the sacred Scriptures. This will help them foster in their hearers a true dialogue with the word of God (Aperuit Illis, 5).
Gospel • Luke 24:13-35
That very day, the ĸrst 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?” ... “What sort of things?” They said to Him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene... how our chief priests and rulers both handed Him over to a sentence of death and cruciĸed Him. But we were hoping that He would be the one to redeem Israel... Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not ĸnd His body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive... 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 Christ 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 (…) 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.
Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www. stpauls.ph.