The readings for this Sunday are those of the Third Sunday after Easter:

• Acts 3.12-19

• Psalm 4

• 1 John 3. 1-7

• Luke 24. 13-25

You might like to use the link below to find the above readings, and click on any of the reading above that you wish to use: http://www.katapi.org.uk/CommonWorship/CWLectionarySelV.php

Collect of the day

Let us first spend a few moments in silence to centre ourselves,
to gather ourselves in our souls,
to come before the Lord just as we are with our joys and sorrows,
our hopes and our fears, our loves and our pains.
Let us just focus our minds and hearts on Jesus
who is the answer for every problem.
Let us pray that the Spirit will work through our lives
to bring Christ to the world.

Silence is kept

Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
and as the disciples were filled with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us too to proclaim the risen life of your Son
and fill us with your peace,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Prayer before the Sermon

Loving Heavenly Father,
we thank you
for the words you have given us today.
We know they are words of life and salvation.
Open our hearts O Father,
touch our souls,
help us to respond to your word
and know that you are indeed our Lord and Saviour.
May we experience in our hearts
your love and your presence always.

Amen.

A homily based on the readings of today is given below:

“The Risen Jesus is walking with you in the journey of your life…”

Introduction

This event of the Emmaus Experience stands out among the resurrection appearances of Jesus. It also highlights several important teachings for our own journey of. Let us look at the key verses of this incredible story of the resurrection appearance of Jesus.

1. The Risen Jesus walks alongside you!

The first key verse we look at from the gospel of today is verse 15 of Luke 24: “While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them.”  The two disciples of Jesus, one of whom is called Cleopas, are on their way to a village called Emmaus. As they walk they are discussing about the recent events about Jesus who they thought was the Messiah, the Saviour. As disciples of Jesus, they had known and believed in Jesus. But, now they are sad and depressed because all their hopes seems to have been dashed to pieces at his ignominious death on the cross.

Jesus joins them along the way and enters into conversation with them. But the two disciples do not recognise him. Jesus is present to them, but they don’t know. Jesus is walking with them, but they don’t see because they are too sad, too disappointed, too disenchanted. It is the same with us. Things happen in our lives. We sometimes get despondent. Our sadness and despair overwhelm us and we don’t realise that Jesus is present with us, that he is walking along with us. This event is a good example of how the Risen Lord is with us in our journey of life but we don’t recognise him..

In fact, the tragedy for most of us in our spiritual life is found in verse 16: “But their eyes were kept from recognising him.” God IS with us, but we don’t recognise him and we continue to live unhappy, unredeemed lives. Our physical eyes are open but our inner eyes are tight shut.

This tragedy of human beings is also graphically described in the gospel of John read at Christmas. “The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”  (John 1. 9-12)

2. Recognising the Risen Jesus in the Word of God (Bible) and in the Meal (Sacrament of the Eucharist)

The second key verses are 30, 31 and 32: “When he was at table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” (30) Note “at table with them”- After the Last supper, this is the first time Jesus repeats this highly powerful, meaningful, symbolic and sacramental act. He does it in the context of a meal. It is an informal Eucharist like the one Jesus did at the Last Supper. The following verse 31 is very important to understand the symbolic and sacramental aspect of this act of Jesus. “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus and he vanished from their sight.”

And in verse 32: “They said to each other, ‘were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?’”

Here is a truly remarkable and incredible celebration of the Word and Sacrament by the Risen Jesus which we call the Holy Eucharist, Holy Communion, The Lord’s Supper or the Mass, performed again by none other than Jesus himself after the resurrection.

The Liturgy of the Word happens on the way to Emmaus when Jesus joins the disciples, listens to their rather sad story and teaches and explains to them the story of salvation and how Jesus was to suffer and then enter into his glory. In short, Jesus preached an unforgettable sermon while walking with them and interpreted to them all that were said about him in the Scriptures.

3. The result of meeting (recognising) the Lord is conversion of heart and testifying to the Risen Lord in your life.

Let us look at the next key verses 33 to 35: “That same hour they got up and returned (metanoia, conversion, repentance) to Jerusalem and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.” (33) When you come to know Jesus on a personal level,  you can’t stay still and do nothing; you feel the need to share the good news with others, to testify to others what you treasure. Your heart is full of the Lord. You do all you can to witness to Jesus as we read in verse 34: “they were saying, ‘They Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’” Verse 35 continues: “They told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

The Emmaus event is great testimony for the truth of the resurrection. The two disciples are witnesses. The Risen Jesus is “real”, not a figment of the imagination of the gospel writer. A Christian, a true disciple of Jesus is passionate about Jesus. A true Christian who follows Jesus uses every opportunity to speak about how Jesus gives sense and meaning to life. That is why I always ask you to share with each other your own walk of faith in your life or in the previous week.

The narrating of what has happened strengthens the faith of other disciples. When you tell others what God has done for you, what Jesus means to you, you strengthen your own faith and that of others. That is why testimony or telling your stories of faith is absolutely important. It is more important than a sermon or a mere teaching address.

Spend some time in silence, responding to what you have heard today and listening to what God might be saying to you.

Pause to pray …

A further Prayer you can say now:

Lord Jesus,
I believe you are the Son of God.
Thank you for becoming one of us.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Thank you for rising from the dead
to give me hope and the gift of eternal life.

I repent of my sins
and invite you into heart and life
as my Lord and Saviour.
Please grant me your Holy Spirit
so that I may know you, love you
and follow you every day of my life.

Amen.

[Revd Dr ST Mattapally, Rector, Springline Parish, Diocese of Lincoln]