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Last October, bishops from around the world gathered in Rome for a synod on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” You would think that a gathering with a title like that would focus on encouraging people to read the Bible.
And for the most part, that’s what the bishops did. But that’s not all they did. Throughout their time together, they spoke about how the words that we read in our Bibles and the words that are proclaimed at Mass are not meant for us just to study and learn. Rather, the purpose of the written word is to bring us face-to-face with Jesus, the living, eternal Word of God.
In this, our annual sacramental issue, we want to take a look at the interplay between the Scriptures and the Mass. We want to look at how the readings we hear at every Liturgy of the Word have the power to open heaven for us so that we meet Jesus and are transformed by his presence.
One of the best-loved Bible stories that illustrates this promise tells how two disciples…
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I have often wondered what scriptures and verses Jesus read to the disciples. I think it would be a mistake to see the Emmaus text implying that simply reading certain scriptures allows one to predict, point to, or “read off” Jesus, much like the clerk swipes the bar code at “Stop and Shop” and gets the price. Jesus, as a crucified and resurrected messiah, is not concretely anticipated in the scriptures. One can not simply “read off” Jesus from scriptures because He was not referred to in scripture as having fulfilled scripture until after his resurrection! The Lucan Emmauas text and the many fulfillment citations of Gospel of Matthew, for example, are post -resurrection and thus confessional documents. The communities of authorship, for example, of Luke and Matthew both surely experienced Jesus’s real presence in Eucharist which experience “inspired” the writing of their individual gospels. The scriptures seem not to be truly understood as pointing to Him as their fulfillment unless first encountering Jesus sacramentally as depicted in the Emmaus story. His “breaking bread” caused them to recognize Him . Not by hearing the scriptures alone. So it seems that a mere hearing the word is not enough yet iis required so to speak. Scipture quickens the heart and points to a salvation narrative that might plausibly be taken as culminating in Christ. One may “buy into” or “believe” in a documentary sense or become impressed by a sweeping allegorical interpretation of scripture, yes. But belief in the Person Jesus Christ as the subjet of that history and as the living and effective cause of our present and future salvation requires real contact with Him. That is why, it seems to me, that the Church has always maintained that there is a special quality impressing our spirits and hearts when hearing the scriptures read in the context of the Liturgy where Jeus is really contacting us and really speaking to us just as He did on the road to Emmaus.
from what I just read - i wanted to meet my Lord in mass DAILY! PRAISE GOD!
I just came from an intense spirtual retreat and have been feeling lost spiritually. On the retreat a whole day was devoted to the Emmaus story. Seeing this article was a huge God moment for me, reinforcing my belief in God, but also giving me an idea of how to strengthen my faith in Him.