The road leading to the village of Emmaus tells the story of a journey undertaken by two disciples of Jesus. Disenchanted with the dreams, plans, and powerful moments of their time with the Master, they return home to resume the lives they had left behind, the lives they had known before their encounter with Him. Barely three days had passed since His crucifixion, and disillusionment, fear, and doubt reigned among His followers.
They were moving away from Jerusalem, from the unfulfilled dream, distancing themselves from Christ and his message, sad because in a way they had already made the decision to abandon the project that had led them to follow it.
It is the story of all of us when we become disillusioned with situations that force us to make a decision at crossroads, and in many cases it seems to us that the solution of going back, giving up and resigning ourselves is the only answer to our discomfort.
«Who among us is not familiar with the inn of Emmaus? Who has not walked that road one afternoon when all seemed lost? Christ had died in us… There was no longer any Jesus on earth»[1].
«Stay with us, for it is getting late».
During their journey, a stranger joins them and seems unaware of the events that have just transpired. He begins to ask pointed questions, which unleash all their bitterness and discouragement. First, he listens to them, and then he begins to explain the Scriptures: it is a true dialogue, an encounter that leaves a lasting impression; so that, although they have not yet recognized Jesus, they beg him to stay with them because evening is falling (cf. Lc 24, 17-29).
This is perhaps one of the most beautiful prayers we find in the Gospel. It is the first prayer that rises from the disciples to the Risen Lord, and this invitation that we can all extend to Him, asking Him to remain with us and among us, is deeply moving.
The eyes of the two disciples will be opened when the bread is broken, and the joy of having finally recognized him will encourage them to return to Jerusalem to announce the event of the resurrection to their friends.
«Stay with us, for it is getting late».
«Perhaps nothing better than these words explains the experience of living with Jesus in our midst, which we Focolare women have lived from the beginning,“ writes Chiara Lubich. ”Jesus is always Jesus, and even though he is present only spiritually, when he is there, he explains the Scriptures and his charity—his life—burns in our hearts. When we have come to know him, he leads us to say with infinite longing: »Stay with us, Lord, for it is getting late’; without you it is dark night […]”[2].
Night is a symbol of darkness, of the unknown, of the lack of that light that we are unable to find because we do not believe in its presence, which continues to accompany us always.
Night envelops our planet, wounded and outraged by fratricidal struggles, by wars that continue to be organized by the ambition for power and money.
The night is what millions of people live in, people who no longer have a voice to shout about injustices and abuses.
And how can we recognize the presence of Jesus, which doesn't always manifest itself according to our expectations? How can we understand that He walks with us and tries to make us recognize the signs of His presence? And above all, how can we create the conditions for Him to reveal Himself and remain with us?
These are questions that we may not always know how to answer, but they ask us not to stop looking for Jesus, to focus our gaze on a traveling companion whom we often do not see, to recognize the One who can make himself present if we live mutual love among ourselves.
The road to Emmaus is a symbol of all our paths; it is the path of encounter with the Lord, the path that restores joy to our hearts, that leads us back to the community to bear witness together that Christ has risen.
Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life team
[1] François Mauriac, Life of Jesus, Mondadori, Milan 1950, p. 156.
[2] C. Lubich, All One. Spiritual Writings/3, Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 1998, p. 70.
