Luke 24: 13-35 They recognised him at the breaking of bread.
Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.
Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’
‘What things?’ he asked.
‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’
Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
This is the gospel of the Lord.
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Prayers of Intercession
Third Sunday of Easter
In today’s Gospel the travellers on the road to Emmaus did not immediately recognise the Risen Jesus. May our eyes and ears be opened to recognise God’s presence in all we encounter on our journey through life, and may we reflect God’s love and forgiveness.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For Pope Francis, as he continues to be a beacon of light in his passion for climate justice, as he keeps the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor central to his ministry.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For Earth Day this Saturday. May all nations be given the wisdom to no longer misuse natural resources and treat all living creatures and Mother Earth with respect and care. There is simply no time to waste.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For leaders of governments and those who hold the power for change. May they show integrity by the way they live, be wise in their decision making, and act in the best interests of those they serve, always putting the poor and vulnerable first.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For peace in our hearts, our homes, our relationships and every war-torn land. As we pray for justice, let us hold in our hearts the people of Sudan, Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For ourselves as we look at how our life choices impact both on creation and those in greatest need. May we be granted the grace to accept the challenges that lie ahead of us.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For all finding life a struggle. We ask for the Lord’s healing touch to all who need our prayers including those on the prayer foundation list.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
For the recently deceased and those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in the peace of the Lord. We pray for
Darcio Fernandes, Margaret Cherrie, Alan Carnahan.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer.
We will now say the Missionary Prayer together.
