“their eyes were opened and they recognized him”
How is the walk to Emmaus similar to the Mass? Jesus spends a lot of time with the two disciples. He walks with them for three hours and “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” Scripture says that it was evening when they arrived in Emmaus. Jesus gave the impression that he was “going on farther,” but they urged him, “Stay with us.” Jesus stays with them and says Mass for them. “While he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” This phrase is the same phrase that He said at the Last Supper. These are the same words we hear during the consecration at Mass.
There have always been two parts of the Mass and as Saint Justin Martyr states, “No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regeneration waters of baptism for the remission of his sins.” [1] The first part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word is open to all and was called the “Mass of the Catechumens.” Catechumens are people being instructed and preparing to receive baptism and be admitted into the Church. A goal of the Liturgy of the Word is therefore to instruct and set a person’s heart on fire, to create a longing to be united to Christ and His Church. The second part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, is open only to the faithful members of the Church and was called the “Mass of the Faithful.” All may observe and listen to the prayers but only faithful Catholics, those in the state of Grace, may receive Holy Communion.
“The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a fundamental unity: the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily, and general intercession; the Liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion. The Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist together form ‘one single act of worship’; the Eucharistic table set for us is a table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord. Is this not the same movement as the Paschal meal of the risen Jesus with his disciples? Walking with them he explained the Scriptures to them; sitting with them at table “he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” [2]
There are two parts of the Emmaus story, the walk and the meal. During the walk, Jesus interprets scripture for them and this represents the Liturgy of the Word. In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church “beginning with Moses” reads an Old Testament Reading and a Psalm, and then through the Second Reading, Gospel, and Homily she interprets Divine Revelation to the faithful. The Liturgy of the Word should create a burning in our hearts to have Christ stay with us, but we will never fully know him or be satisfied through Scripture alone. It is in the Eucharist, the fullness of truth, that we come to recognize Christ and come to know and be convinced of eternal life through Him. It is in the breaking of the bread that the two men recognized Jesus. We have the spiritual presence of Christ in the Liturgy of the Word, but it is in the Liturgy of the Eucharist that we have both the spiritual and physical presence of our Lord. How is the Catholic Mass different from other liturgies?
Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” How were the disciples told, taught and involved in the Life of Christ? How have we been told, taught and involved in the Life of Christ? Jesus spoke to the disciples and told them of his death and resurrection. The two disciples forgot about His promised resurrection, but when Jesus begins to teach them, they remember. Finally, Jesus involved them in the most intimate way through the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist. This is when they learned. They learned of Jesus being raised from the dead, but also learned the meaning of the Eucharist. Christ performs the rite of the Eucharist as his last action before He dies and it is also the first rite he performs after He rises. Thus Christians “do this” action of breaking bread every time we come together. It is not Scriptural to “do this” periodically or sporadically as some denominations do.
Jesus was entombed for about 40 hours, from 3pm on Friday until dawn on Sunday. This 40 hours period of Christ’s entombment is still precious to the Church and is remembered in devotion and retreats. The Forty Hours Devotion “…continues for forty hours, before the Blessed Sacrament, in memory of the forty hours during which the Body of our Lord remained in the sepulcher. This devotion originated in Milan in 1534, was introduced into Rome by St. Philip Neri in 1548, and was sanctioned by Pope Clement VIII, who issued a solemn Bull respecting it, November 25, 1592.” [3] YOUTH 2000 is an example of a youth retreat that uses the Forty Hour model. Adoration at the retreat begins around 10 p.m. on Friday and ends around 10 a.m. on Sunday. Youth adore Jesus during the day while catechesis, Sacraments and music take place and adults adore Jesus during the night.
Why did Jesus vanish? During Mass, Jesus is physically present under the appearance of bread and wine. At the breaking of the bread at Emmaus, Jesus vanishes because He was present in the Sacrament and the disciples recognized Him, so He no longer needed to appear to them in human form but instead remained present sacramentally.
ACTIVITY – Mass then; Mass now
Read the Spiritual Reading from Saint Justin Martyr that dates back to the late 100’s. Make a list of the elements, or parts, that are still contained in the Mass to this day.
[1] From the first apology in defense of the Christians by Saint Justin, martyr
[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church; 1346-47
[3] Roman Catholic Daily Missal [1962], page 1787