I dare say that the Gospel about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is one of the most beautiful and instructive passages in the Bible. It is challenging to incorporate so many symbols into one sermon and encapsulate the transformation of these disciples’ hearts within that time ellipsis. It is truly a difficult task for one sermon when it is the theme of entire retreats. Let’s start right at the beginning in Jerusalem. It says, ‘That very day, the first day after the Sabbath…’ — an important time reference. It was still that day — the day when Christ rose from the dead. It was the day when, early in the morning, the women were confronted with the empty tomb, and the disciples followed. The Sanhedrin began to proclaim throughout the city that Christ’s disciples had stolen his body, and the disciples, full of fear, closed themselves in the locked Upper Room. The two pilgrims (we know only the name of one, Cleophas) undoubtedly also belonged to Christ’s inner circle, as they were well acquainted with these events. They probably met both the women and the disciples. This reminder is appropriate and important, even on that day. It was not customary for pilgrims to leave Jerusalem immediately after the holidays, so what drove them from Jerusalem that day must have been uncertainty, the loss of all illusions and hopes, and probably fear, restlessness, and unrest. Let’s start right at the beginning in Jerusalem. It is, quote: “that very day, the first day after the Sabbath …” which is an important time reference. Still that day—the day when Christ rose from the dead. The day when, early in the morning, the women were confronted with the empty tomb and, after them, the disciples. When the Sanhedrin begins to trumpet throughout the city that Christ’s disciples have stolen the body of Jesus, and these, full of fear, close themselves behind the locked doors of the Upper Room. The two pilgrims (we know the name of only one, Cleophas) undoubtedly also belong among Christ’s close collaborators, since he knows all these events well. They probably met both the women and the disciples. Even that day, this reminder is appropriate and important. Even the same day that Jesus was resurrected, it was not customary for pilgrims to leave Jerusalem immediately after the holidays, and between the lines: what drives them from Jerusalem is uncertainty, the loss of all illusions and hopes; doubts, restlessness, and unrest, and probably also fear.

That very day, they took what they had with them and set off alone on their way back, perhaps to Galilee. The first stop, and apparently the most common one, was Emmaus (although archaeologists have not yet reliably identified it, the village of Abu Goš, which has a Crusader monastery, is traditionally considered to be it). According to the Scriptures, it was located “60 furlongs from Jerusalem” (approximately 11–12 km). They set off alone and are preoccupied with the events they witnessed during this year’s Passover, as well as being filled with pain over the crucifixion of Christ, in whom they had placed so much hope, just like his other disciples. On top of all that, they received the news that morning that the tomb was empty and that soldiers were marching through the city. The temple guards and the spies of the Sanhedrin would probably be looking for Christ’s disciples. It would be wise to disappear in time. They are afraid, and why should they not admit it? Their departure from Jerusalem is actually an escape. From the events that have occurred, from the events that are likely to occur — and, above all, from themselves. (Which is impossible, but how many such ‘escapes from ourselves’ has each of us had?) They leave Jerusalem in a hurry, abandoning their friends and the Holy City, which they entered a week ago with so many expectations, hope, and joyful hosannas. They were euphoric that the Messiah had finally come. Now, all of that is gone. Christ died as a criminal; not even his body remains. All hope is in ruins, and they are consumed by enormous confusion. This “escape” seems to be the best solution. Because “what the heart is full of, the mouth overflows”, they talk about everything that has happened. As they talked and thought, one of the pilgrims joined them. Nothing unusual. Traveling alone was dangerous, so it was common for pilgrims to travel in larger groups. The stranger is no different, and they continue the conversation they started — there is so much they need to say. Then the fellow pilgrim naively asks: ‘What are you talking about?’ His question surprises them. How could someone come from Jerusalem and not know about the recent events? In layman’s terms, we would probably say, ‘Have you been living under a rock?’
hospitals
Jesus is a good psychologist. He knows that the two of them — and, of course, many others — need to get rid of all their uncertainty, tension, and doubts. He lets them talk, and then he sighs, saying, ‘How foolish and slow of heart you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer all these things and enter into his glory?’ Then he slowly begins to discuss the Scriptures. He discusses the types of the Messiah, the “suffering servant” and “Ebed Yahweh”. Jesus discusses the books of Scripture, and their eyes are opened and their hearts are inflamed. Yes, indeed. It fits! And how it all fits together! Full of amazement, they listen to the connections that had escaped them until now. The journey passes quickly, and it is probably late afternoon by the time they reach their destination. The unknown pilgrim wants to continue, as if he would like to speak to them: ‘Stay with us, for it is getting late and the day is already far spent.’ The stranger does not let himself be persuaded; he accepts a place in the house and at the table — and then it happens. In front of everyone, the head of the community takes the bread, breaks it, and gives it to them. Then their eyes are finally opened. They recognize Jesus in the familiar gesture of breaking bread. Finally, they have truly met him! As if he had fulfilled his task, he unexpectedly (and inexplicably disappears. There is no longer any need for him to remain with them. They have recognized Jesus and believed in him as the Messiah! ‘Did our hearts not burn within us while he spoke to us on the road and explained the meaning of the Scriptures? ‘There is no more need.

They fled from Jerusalem at noon, and now, in the evening, he returns. It is important to be where the apostles are. Jesus is there in their midst. They belong there, too. They are no longer afraid or doubtful. ‘That very hour they set out on their journey and returned to Jerusalem.’

Despite the late hour and their fatigue, the encounter with Jesus fills them with the Spirit, strength, and joy. They turn around, saying, ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel, and go back. They meet the apostles, who are also transformed — they have encountered the Lord, too. Full of joy — because joy, peace, and courage are the fruits of the encounter with Christ — they share what has happened. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father and the Son, has illuminated their hearts, opening their eyes and minds. They are not orphans; they are children of God and brothers. The church is born, united in faith, hope, love, prayer, and the breaking of bread, and “of one heart and one soul”. This is the fruit of the “first day after the Sabbath,” the day that changed the course of world history. It was the day when Christ rose from the dead and entered into his glory. Here on earth, he transformed everything and everyone with his spirit.

However, no emotion — be it joy or enthusiasm — will last forever. Even among the first Christians, the spirit of unity will begin to fade. But faith, hope, and love are eternal. These are gifts that have not lost their strength or value. May we experience that joy of meeting Christ, too. May our hearts burn when we hear the words of Scripture. May we encounter him during the Eucharist, when we break bread. And may we experience belonging and unity within the Church community.

Let us turn away from our own personal ‘Emmaus’, where we have often fled from others and from ourselves. Let us not be afraid of being infected with joy, peace, and faith. This virus of love for Christ is not harmful like the coronavirus; it does not kill, and if it does, then only the older man within us—and there is no harm in that; there is no need to cry over it. Let us return to the church’s upper room — albeit now with significantly limited operations — and rejoice! (And let us not be afraid!)

Jesus’ words are sometimes so incomprehensible to us! How many unnecessary things rob us of our inner peace? Conversion means having the courage to abandon the things that hold us back on our life’s path. Jesus came down from heaven and spoke as one who experienced eternal life—our future fulfillment to an only ever disappointment witness to it. He testifies that those who follow his way of thinking — deep devotion to the Father and a focus on loving people — already carry eternal life within themselves. Conversely, those who refuse to listen to the word of life choose death, inner decay, chaos, and disorientation. Such a person then begins to seek a life direction they believe will bring them happiness. However, the destination is only ever disappointment, sadness, and eternal unfulfillment. Human nature is defined by something greater than us. We did not create ourselves. The basis of our happiness is imprinted within us. Our task in life is to discover the path to this happiness. Jesus shows us the way; he provides signs through which we can experience eternal life today. However, this is not a path on which a person remakes their nature according to their selfish desires. Many people have found that such happiness does not work. Lord Jesus, grant us deep faith and devotion to you so that we may take your word seriously in our lives—your whole word, without modification. Grant us the grace to learn to think as you do in life. May we live the love you taught us on the cross and experience your resurrection. On the other hand, whoever refuses to listen to the word of life chooses death, inner decay, chaos, and life disorientation. Such a person then begins to look for a direction in life that he believes will bring him happiness. However, the goal to which such a person arrives is only disappointment, sadness, and eternal unfulfillment. The essence of human nature is given by someone greater than man himself. We did not invent ourselves. The basis of our happiness is imprinted within us. Our task in life is to discover the path to this happiness. Jesus shows it to us; he provides signs according to which eternal life can flow within us today. However, it is not a path on which a person remakes their nature according to his egoistic desires. Many people’s lives reveal that such happiness is ineffective. Lord Jesus, grant us a deep faith in you, a deepening devotion to you, so that we may take your word seriously in our lives, your whole word, as it is, without our earthly modifications. Grant us the grace to learn to think like you in life. May we live the love you teach us from your cross and experience your resurrection. 

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. ▪ ​​We love something; we love what we desire, what we make, and what does us good. God needs nothing. When he loves, it is because he wants the good of others. He does not take but gives. The greatness of his love is measured by the greatness of the gift. In the life of the Most Holy Trinity, the Father gives himself entirely to the Son, begetting him from eternity. And the same Son, in his incarnation, becomes a gift for us and for our salvation. We cannot imagine that God could give us anything greater. Such a gift, however, demands a response from us that would be worthy. It is beautifully expressed in the prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola at the end of the Exercises: “Lord, accept my freedom, memory, reason, will, and all I have. ” You gave it to me, I return it to You. It is Yours; do with it as You will. Give me Your love and Your grace in return. That is enough for me.” So it is a sacred exchange. A person presents himself entirely to God because God gives himself to him. What God gives can never be a dead gift; it is life. We therefore live in God, with Him and in Him, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

So that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. ▪ St. John calls the second divine person the Word who was in the beginning with God (John 1:1ff.). Of course, the term is a figurative expression. But it nevertheless reveals the meaning of the mystery. We use words to express our thoughts and feelings, which best reflect a person’s dignity. When our thinking becomes identified with the mind of God, we become sons of God the Father. In the vocabulary of our religion, this process is called faith. To believe means to accept as true what God reveals to us. However, faith is not abstract, mathematical thinking. Above all, it is trust and a positive attitude towards life. It therefore also includes abstractficial works. Believers are those who follow Christ, trust his words, and follow the path of his commandments. That path leads to life, and because it is the life of God, it is eternal. Therefore, it is inappropriate to say that we will receive eternity after death. In fact, we already have that eternity by believing that our mind is identified with the mind of God, that we recognize the Father who is in heaven.

The light has come into the world. ▪ The underground caves of the Moravian Karst became a destination for tourists from all over the world only after the introduction of electric lighting. Before that, they were dark holes that inspired fear. Only the light can reveal the beauty of stalactites. Even human life is such a mysterious cave. It only gains meaning when it is illuminated by faith. So-called converts, people who have become believers in an unusual way, vividly experience this phenomenon. Thus writes, for example, the well-known Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish atheist, to whom the Virgin Mary appeared on January 20, 1842, in the Roman church of San Andrea del Fratte: “I was walking through the church. Suddenly I felt a great uneasiness, and it seemed to me as if a veil had covered everything. The whole church seemed to be, with the exception of one chapel, into which all the light poured. I raised my eyes to that chapel, shining with such light, and I saw that the Most Holy Virgin Mary stood on its altar… In her prepresence, Isence I understood everything, although she did not say a word to me: the whole horror of the state in which I was, the monstrosity of sin, and the beauty of the Catholic faith. In a word, I understood everything!” 

Pope John XXIII said the Church needed to be aired out. We need a new wind of love to invigorate us. Today, we can feel the gentle breeze of love on our cheeks and are eager to embrace it. Jesus said that the wind blows wherever it wants. On my walks in nature, I often envy the wind for its ability to blow wherever it wants. The wind is playful, joyful, and powerful. No one limits it, and it can change direction. Jesus introduced a genuine wind into the lives of his contemporaries. He broke into traditional practices that had become stagnant and brought in a love full of energy that would not stop until everyone was satisfied. Jesus has been physically gone for a long time, and we have once again imprisoned love in our human structures and rules. Fortunately, he left us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

The number ten is also theologically likened to the limitless wind of love, which blows wherever it wishes and is drawn. Love cannot be bound by rules and what ‘belongs.’ It is playful. It goes where it wants to go, where it wants to work. Are you willing to embrace love’s unpredictability? Jesus says we can enter heaven only if we’re like kids. Children also love purely and innocently, without examining whether it follows a program or is allowed. They use all the power of love. Love is unpredictable. Love is in the air and settles exactly on the one who needs it. But unlike the wind, whose origin and destination remain unknown, we understand love. It comes from God and wants to live with us.

Come to the depths. Where are the stale spaces inside me that need the sound of love? How has the wind of love touched your life? Can it bring positive change for you? What specific ways has love’s wind moved within you?

A tip for you: I don’t let my love become too serious. I give it the freedom to soar. How might allowing love to be playful and free bring positive change to your life?

Curriculum Vitae

He was born in Todi, approximately 150 kilometers north of Rome. As a papal legate, he spent some time at the imperial court in Constantinople. In 649, he became Pope and convened a synod in the Lateran, at which the Monothelite heresy was condemned. He defended the Catholic belief that, as a perfect man, Christ had a human will as well as a divine will. For his beliefs, he was imprisoned in Constantinople, where he was treated cruelly and sentenced to death. His sentence was eventually commuted to exile to what is now Crimea, where he died, exhausted by his suffering.

CV FOR MEDITATION

A FAITHFUL AND HUMILIATED ADVOCATE OF CHRIST

He came from Todi in Umbria, Italy, and was the son of Fabricius. He became a deacon and held the office of apocrisiary in Constantinople. He excelled in virtue and education. He was ordained a priest and became one of the Roman clerics. Shortly before, in 648, the Byzantine emperor Constans II, in cooperation with the Patriarch of Constantinople, issued a decree called the “Typos,” by which they forbade proclaiming that Christ had both a divine and a human will. They denied the duality and proclaimed that He had only one, which is why they were called Monothelites.

In July 649, Martin was validly elected pope, but without imperial confirmation. Immediately after his accession, Martin I convened a synod in the Lateran, at which, in October, the heresies of Monotheletism and the imperial decrees beneficial to the heretics were condemned. At the beginning, 105 bishops were present, mostly from Italy and some from Africa; from the 2nd session, there were 30 more Greek bishops. 20 canons were passed against the Monothelets. Martin, I had them translated into Greek and sent to the emperor and all the bishops. He encouraged all Christians in the true faith and, with the bishops present, compiled a joint encyclical for them, which was distributed throughout the Christian world. Then he appointed his vicars for Antioch and Jerusalem and deposed the heretical archbishop of Thessalonica. He ordered the Gallic bishops to hold a synod against heresy.

The synod’s purpose angered the emperor. He sent his exarch, Olympias, based in Ravenna, to act against Pope Martin I, imprisoning him and forcing the bishops to accept the Typos before the end of the synod. However, this was not an easy plan to carry out, and so, according to the papal chronicle, the exarch bribed an armorer to stab the pope in the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. The plan was for the armorer to do this at the moment the pope was about to give the exarch holy communion. However, at the last moment, the armorer Constantinus went blind and was unable to complete the crime. This miracle also influenced the exarch’s subsequent actions, leading him to reconcile with the pope. It is said that Olympias left for Sicily under the pretext of fighting the Arabs but, in fact, joined forces with them against the emperor. He died of the plague in 652.

In June 653, Olympius’s successor in Ravenna, Theodore Callippus, arrived in Rome with malicious intentions. Pretending to regret the Pope’s illness, he announced that he would come to pay his respects at the Lateran Basilica. However, he secretly ordered his army to besiege the Lateran Palace instead and did not go to the basilica himself. The Pope sensed danger and had himself carried to the altar. Two days later, the Exarch arrived with the army and presented the clergy with an imperial order declaring the Pope deposed, as there had been no imperial confirmation of his installation. As the clergy responded with exclamations, a storm broke out, and the soldiers overturned candlesticks, dragging the ailing pope to the imperial palace. That night, they loaded the Pope onto a ship on the banks of the Tiber and took him to Porto. They then set off with him for Constantinople, a journey said to have taken a quarter of a year. They stopped on the island of Naxos, where the pope was imprisoned in a tavern. The faithful came to visit him bearing gifts, but the guards confiscated them. away.

He refused to allow the profile of Christ to be distorted and lost everything to proclaim the full truth about Christ.
Martin, I was brought to Constantinople on 17 September, very ill. There, he spent another quarter of a year in prison without receiving necessary treatment and was tortured by starvation. Accused of high treason, he was brought to trial in a chair on 20 January. He was ordered to stand, but, unable to support his weight, he was held up by two court servants. He was accused of having hostile relations with the traitor Olympius. The Pope is said to have declared: ‘Do with me what you will; I accept any form of death.’ When he was handed over to the prefect, they said to him, “You have abandoned God, and God has abandoned you.’ Court servants tore off his pallium and all his clothes. They then dragged him, completely naked and bound with chains, through the streets of Constantinople to prison, with the executioner’s sword carried before him. He was sentenced to be cut up piece by piece while being mocked by the mob. For the time being, he was imprisoned to endure the cruel January weather. He was allegedly imprisoned for 85 days.

At that time, Patriarch Paul, who had been exiled and ostracised, was dying. When the emperor visited him, he was persuaded not to torture the Pope any further. The emperor therefore commuted the death sentence, instead sentencing him to exile in Kherson, on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. There, he endured humiliation, abandonment, hardship, and deprivation, lacking even the most basic necessities. Apparently, his sense of abandonment by everyone was deepened by the election of the new pope, Eugene I, who took office less than two years before Martin I’s death, if he died on 16 September, as was commonly believed. He was buried in the Church of the Virgin Mary, outside the gates of Kherson. Although he did not die a violent death, he was be venerated as a martyr because of the hardships and suffering he experienced.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

The whole Christ is also the Eucharist with his divinity and humanity; to Christ also belongs his mystical body, of which I am a part. I must, therefore, live in such a way as not to deform Christ, so that he is visible in my love for my neighbors. Today, I will experience a profound participation with him in the Holy Mass.

Almighty God, you enabled the holy Pope and martyr Martin to resist threats and tortures admirably. Grant us the strength to endure adversity with unwavering steadfastness, too. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

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The Gospel of Mark concludes with some of the appearances of the Risen One. It recounts how he appeared to Mary Magdalene on Sunday morning, after Jesus had once cast out seven demons from her. She told the apostles about it, but they did not believe her. He then speaks of the appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they were traveling into the countryside. They returned and announced the event to the others, but they did not believe them either.

Finally, he presents himself to the apostles in appearance while they are sitting at the table. The Risen One reproaches them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, for not believing those who had seen him. The apostles recognized him and received from him the missionary command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” The apostles believed and preached the Risen One. When the temple guards imprisoned Peter and John for preaching, both showed courage and eloquence, even though they were uneducated. Moreover, they were accompanied by a clear miracle. Proof of their courage is the healed man who had previously been lame. So the council released the apostles. 

After a meeting, they called them together again and forbade them to speak or teach anything in the name of Jesus. Even then, the two apostles showed fearlessness. They appealed to whom they should obey more: their men. For them, preaching the Risen One was much more important than fearing men. So the council had no reason to punish the apostles. They had to release them, because all the people also glorified God for healing the lame man. Psalm 118, a joyful song for salvation, enhances this celebration: “We give you thanks, Lord, God of mercy.”

Who should we listen to more—God or people? That is a question for us too. We are often tempted to prioritize ourselves and our reason over God, interpreting the Ten Commandments in our own way to avoid listening to Him. The example of the apostles should inspire us.

Christ could have chosen his first disciples from any background. Yet, he chose fishermen, astonishing them at the beginning and end with miraculous catches. They understood his strangeness. They knew fish get tangled in nets at night, in the dark, not in the morning when the water is clear. Spreading and pulling in nets is not as easy as it might seem. It’s exhausting. Yet, it was all in vain until the catch was unexpectedly successful. This event clearly illustrates the problem of work and grace that theologians pose. On the one hand, we must work as if our efforts determine everything. But ending, Christ, on the other hand, God’s undeserved success is a gift of his grace, given according to his mysterious intentions. If this is true of all work, then it is especially evident in our efforts to win others to Christ and be fishers of men. Jesus appears to be telling us, “Strive, and I will reveal success to you when you least anticipate it.”

They could not draw the net because of the multitude of fish.
When we consider all that is being done in the Church—the work and money spent on promoting priestly and religious vocations, expanding Scripture reading, and increasing morality — we realize what priests often complain about. How much work is wasted! However, when we complain about this, we forget the other side of the same problem: how many good people in the Church deserve more attention! Unfortunately, we are too few; we cannot ‘pull out’ of those obligations. Occasionally, the question is naively asked: Are there more failures or successes in the life of the Church? This question cannot be answered because both failures and successes are part of the same whole. Christ’s success was achieved through the cross’s failure. The Church and all its works reflect this mystery throughout their existence.

Despite the large number of fish, the net did not break. In the technical world, everything has performance limits. For example, we know the maximum speed a car can reach, and the carrying capacity of a bridge is marked. Every person should know their limits, too. A hospital knows how many beds it has and how many patients it can treat. But how many people can a church accept? It is designed to save everyone. Some people often predict that Peter’s net will break during major changes in the world. They predict that the church won’t adapt to the new era and that many will leave it. However, our experience so far indicates that a large increase on one side immediately balances losses on the other side. Before his death, one militant atheist is said to have said: ‘Fear the Church!’ We will not be, and it will remain!” It’s a pity there was no one there to respond: ‘So do not be afraid to be caught in its net—you will be too.’