If we review the appearances of the Risen Lord recorded in the Gospels, one thing is true in every case: it was Jesus, the Risen Lord, who initiated these wondrous encounters with his disciples.

 

He appeared to Mary Magdalene that first Easter Sunday morning (John 20:11-16). And in the evening, he came to his disciples as they huddled in fear in the upper room (John 20:19-23).

 

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 24:13-35), we have another appearance of the Risen Lord that occurred that first Easter Sunday. That afternoon, Cleopas and another disciple were walking back home to Emmaus. These two disciples were dejected, disappointed, confused, and a little fearful as they left Jerusalem. They had put their faith and hope in Jesus but instead of Jesus being recognized as the redeemer of Israel, he had been condemned to death and crucified.

 

As the two walked along, the Risen Lord “drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.”

 

While they continued their journey to Emmaus, the Lord explained the scriptures that referred to him and spoke of the suffering that leads to glory.

 

When the three travelers arrived at Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion invited the newly met stranger to join them for supper. “While he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened” and they recognized that the stranger who had met them on the road to Emmaus was the Risen Lord.

 

Their encounter with the Risen Lord, passed down to us by Saint Luke, is more than a report of what happened on an Easter Sunday afternoon 2,000 years ago. Rather it challenges us to open our eyes to the ways that the Risen Lord continues to initiate encounters with us today.

 

The Risen Lord seeks to meet us as we walk the road of life and interact with our fellow Christians.

 

The Risen Lord strives to touch our hearts and minds as we listen as the scriptures are proclaimed at Mass and explained by the Church.

 

The Risen Lord offers us a personal encounter with him as we gather at his Holy Table where bread is taken, blessed, broken, and shared.

 

This Easter Season proclaims that Jesus Christ is risen. This Sunday’s Gospel urges us to notice the ways the Risen Lord encounters us. The Lord who took the initiative to encounter his disciples on that first Easter Sunday is just as interested in encountering us today.

 

© 2026 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski

 

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