On the Emmaus Road, the eyes of two disciples were closed to recognizing Jesus, even though He "opened the scriptures" for them. But they did come to recognize Him "in the breaking of the bread." Back in Jerusalem in the company of the others, as they discussed all this, Jesus Himself suddenly appeared among them. They were at first startled and terrified, until Jesus ate some baked fish in their presence, and they knew it really was He. And then He "opened their minds to understand the scriptures", how everything written about the Messiah must be fulfilled.

Celebrating Eastertime, we ask the Lord to open our eyes, minds and hearts too, to an understanding of all the readings we have been listening to over the time of Lent and especially last week. We'll never fully grasp it all, but let's start where we are in this solemn week. Besides simply reading or studying, trying to find explanations and meanings, we need in the first place to pray over God's word. For if to pray is to be in communication with God, receiving His word is an invitation to respond to Him.

There is also another response to Jesus' revelation of how in His suffering, dying and rising, sins are forgiven and a broken world restored in love. It is in the spreading of the Word about repentance and forgiveness in His name that the mission of His disciples take shape - "you are the witnesses of these things."