Come, blessed of my Father: take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world

Come, blessed of my Father: take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world, hallelujah (Mt 25,34).

The Lord manifests himself, speaking to us about the Scriptures and breaking the Bread for us, just as he did with the disciples of Emmaus. Through faith in his name, all people can enjoy salvation and full life. Grateful for such great wealth, which only with the Master we can experience, let us ask that he always remain with us on the journey of life. Responsorial Psalm: 104(105) Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 1. Give thanks to the Lord, shout his name, / announce his great deeds among the nations! / Sing, sing psalms to him, / publish all his wonders! – R. 2. Glory in the name of him who is holy, / let the heart that seeks God exult! / Seek the Lord God and his power, / constantly seek his face! – R. 3. Descendants of Abraham, his servant, / and children of Jacob, his chosen one, / himself, the Lord, is our God, / his laws are in force throughout the earth. – R. 4. He always remembers the Covenant, / promulgated to countless generations; / of the Covenant he made with Abraham / and of his holy oath to Isaac. – R. Gospel: Luke 24,13-35 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. This is the day that the Lord has made for us, / let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Ps 117,24) – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – 13That same day, the first of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, eleven kilometers from Jerusalem. 14They talked about all the things that had happened. 15While they were talking and arguing, Jesus himself approached and began to walk with them. 16But the disciples were as if blind and did not recognize him. 17Then Jesus asked, “What are you talking about along the way?” They stopped, with sad faces, 18and one of them, named Cleophas, said to him: “Are you the only pilgrim in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there in these last days?” 19He asked, “What happened?” The disciples replied: “What happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a mighty prophet, in deed and word, before God and before all the people. 20Our high priests and our leaders handed him over to be put to death and crucified him. 21We hoped that he would free Israel, but despite all this, it has been three days since all these things happened! 22It is true that some of the women in our group gave us a fright. They went to the tomb 23 early in the morning and did not find his body. Then they returned, saying that they had seen angels and that they said that Jesus is alive. 24Some of our people went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said. But no one saw him.” 25Then Jesus said to them, “How unintelligent you are and how slow to believe everything the prophets have spoken! 26Shouldn’t Christ have suffered all this to enter into his glory?” 27And, beginning with Moses and going through the Prophets, he explained to his disciples all the passages of Scripture that spoke about him. 28When they reached the village where they were going, Jesus pretended that he was going further. 29But they insisted on Jesus, saying: “Stay with us, for it is already late and the night is coming!” Jesus came in to be with them. 30When he sat down at the table with them, he took bread, blessed it, broke it and distributed it to them. 31At this the eyes of the disciples were opened, and they recognized Jesus. Jesus, however, disappeared from their sight. 32Then one said to the other, “Didn’t our hearts burn when he spoke to us along the way and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33At that same time they got up and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven gathered with the others. 34And they confirmed: “Truly, the Lord has risen and appeared to Simon!” 35Then the two told what had happened on the way and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. – Word of salvation. Reflection: The Emmaus episode reflects the fundamental structure of the mass. In fact, the table of the Word and the table of Eucharistic bread are clearly distinguished. First of all, the Word of God that became incarnate reveals itself to the disciples in the proclamation of the Word, “beginning with Moses and going through all the Prophets”. How rich this catechesis taught by Jesus must have been! Then, the living Bread descended from heaven manifests itself when he breaks the bread: “When he was with them at the table, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them”. The Eucharist is the sacrament that puts us in intimate communion with the paschal mystery: passion, death and resurrection-glorification of Jesus. Well understood and celebrated with faith, the Eucharist sets fire to the heart of the Christian and projects him towards the mission: “At once they got up and returned to Jerusalem”.

Come, blessed of my Father: take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world, hallelujah (Mt 25,34). The Lord manifests himself, speaking to us about the Scriptures and breaking the Bread for us, just as he did with the disciples of Emmaus. Through faith in his name, all people can enjoy salvation and full life. Grateful for such great wealth, which only with the Master we can experience, let us ask that he always remain with us on the journey of life. Responsorial Psalm: 104(105) Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 1. Give thanks to the Lord, shout his name, / announce his great deeds among the nations! / Sing, sing psalms to him, / publish all his wonders! – R. 2. Glory in the name of him who is holy, / let the heart that seeks God exult! / Seek the Lord God and his power, / constantly seek his face! – R. 3. Descendants of Abraham, his servant, / and children of Jacob, his chosen one, / himself, the Lord, is our God, / his laws are in force throughout the earth. – R. 4. He always remembers the Covenant, / promulgated to countless generations; / of the Covenant he made with Abraham / and of his holy oath to Isaac. – R. Gospel: Luke 24,13-35 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. This is the day that the Lord has made for us, / let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Ps 117,24) – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – 13That same day, the first of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, eleven kilometers from Jerusalem. 14They talked about all the things that had happened. 15While they were talking and arguing, Jesus himself approached and began to walk with them. 16But the disciples were as if blind and did not recognize him. 17Then Jesus asked, “What are you talking about along the way?” They stopped, with sad faces, 18and one of them, named Cleophas, said to him: “Are you the only pilgrim in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there in these last days?” 19He asked, “What happened?” The disciples replied: “What happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a mighty prophet, in deed and word, before God and before all the people. 20Our high priests and our leaders handed him over to be put to death and crucified him. 21We hoped that he would free Israel, but despite all this, it has been three days since all these things happened! 22It is true that some of the women in our group gave us a fright. They went to the tomb 23 early in the morning and did not find his body. Then they returned, saying that they had seen angels and that they said that Jesus is alive. 24Some of our people went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said. But no one saw him.” 25Then Jesus said to them, “How unintelligent you are and how slow to believe everything the prophets have spoken! 26Shouldn’t Christ have suffered all this to enter into his glory?” 27And, beginning with Moses and going through the Prophets, he explained to his disciples all the passages of Scripture that spoke about him. 28When they reached the village where they were going, Jesus pretended that he was going further. 29But they insisted on Jesus, saying: “Stay with us, for it is already late and the night is coming!” Jesus came in to be with them. 30When he sat down at the table with them, he took bread, blessed it, broke it and distributed it to them. 31At this the eyes of the disciples were opened, and they recognized Jesus. Jesus, however, disappeared from their sight. 32Then one said to the other, “Didn’t our hearts burn when he spoke to us along the way and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33At that same time they got up and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven gathered with the others. 34And they confirmed: “Truly, the Lord has risen and appeared to Simon!” 35Then the two told what had happened on the way and how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. – Word of salvation. Reflection: The Emmaus episode reflects the fundamental structure of the mass. In fact, the table of the Word and the table of Eucharistic bread are clearly distinguished. First of all, the Word of God that became incarnate reveals itself to the disciples in the proclamation of the Word, “beginning with Moses and going through all the Prophets”. How rich this catechesis taught by Jesus must have been! Then, the living Bread descended from heaven manifests itself when he breaks the bread: “When he was with them at the table, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them”. The Eucharist is the sacrament that puts us in intimate communion with the paschal mystery: passion, death and resurrection-glorification of Jesus. Well understood and celebrated with faith, the Eucharist sets fire to the heart of the Christian and projects him towards the mission: “At once they got up and returned to Jerusalem”.