The name of the village of Emmaus has survived throughout the ages because of this account of Jesus' encounter with two disciples who were on the point of despair, all their hopes gone. The encounter gave rise to a simple but magnificent acclamation of faith and hope: "We have seen the Lord".

The best commentary on this incident is a consideration of the way in which the structure of the story is closely aligned with the modern structure of the Mass. The two disciples were moving away from Jerusalem, quite symbolic of running away from God. They acknowledged the reason for this: "We were hoping...." That hope had gone, leaving them no option but to return home and leave all their dreams behind.

Jesus explained scripture to them, liberated them from their false understanding and offered them a glimmer of light in the darkness - just as our homilies should do. They responded with an offering of a shared meal with Jesus, as we offer bread and wine at Mass. Then Jesus revealed himself in the breaking of the bread. The two disciples returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming: "We have seen the Lord".