Pope: 'The road to Emmaus is a symbol of our path of faith'

Pope greets pilgrims

As usual on Sunday, the Holy Father appeared at the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Regina Coeli with pilgrims gathered in the square. He spoke about the disciples who encountered Jesus on the path to Emmaus but did not recognise Him. “Seeing how sad they were, He first helped them to understand that the passion and the death of the Messiah were foreseen in God's plan and foretold in the Sacred Scriptures; and in this way He reignited the flame of hope in their hearts”.

“The road to Emmaus has thus become a symbol of our path of faith”, he continued. “The Scriptures and the Eucharist are the indispensable elements for the encounter with the Lord. Often we too arrive at Sunday Mass with our worries, our difficulties and our disappointments. Life at times wounds us and we proceed sadly towards our 'Emmaus', turning away from God's plan. We drift away from God. But the Liturgy of the Word accommodates us: Jesus explains the Scriptures to us and reignites in our hearts the warmth of faith and hope, and in Communion He gives us strength”.

Before concluding, the Pope also commented that the Word of God and the Eucharist always fill us with joy. “Do not forget! When you are sad, take the Word of God. When you are down, take the Word of God and go to Mass on Sunday to receive Communion, to participate in the mystery of Jesus. The Word of God, the Eucharist: they fill us with joy. .. There is always a Word of God that guides us when we are disorientated; and through our weariness and disappointments, there is always the broken Bread that helps us along the path”.

Source: VIS