The  Gospel is from St. Luke 24:13-35. The two disciples from Emmaus are to be found, along their journey, talking to "Jesus in person,  but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him"  (Lk 24:16).
Why did the Lord not tell the disciples straight away who He was? Indeed, in the dialogue that the liturgy presents to us today, it almost seems that Jesus did all He could to avoid revealing His true identity. At the end of the journey,  "He made to go on"  (Lk 24:28). Jesus didn’t want to play games with His disciples, but He sought to educate their hearts, and also ours, so that we won’t be " slow’!"  The Risen Lord uses so much gentleness with us! He doesn’t oblige us to "believe" but He offers us the instruments that enable us to judge based on the infallible measure of our own hearts. As St. Augustine extraordinarily wrote in the opening of his Confessions " our heart is restless until it rests in you."
There is still one more detail that calls for our attention and raises many questions: why did the eyes of the disciples open to recognize Jesus while they were at table with Him? The Eucharistic context is undeniable. The disciples are at table, the Lord is with them; He took the bread and saying the prayer of benediction, broke it. It was during the last action of the breaking of the bread that the companions recognized Jesus. It was not only the action in itself but finally Cleopas and his friends could see, with their own eyes, the hands pierced by the nails of the passion that until that very movement had remained hidden from them during the long journey on the road.
It was in that very moment in which they recognized the presence of the Crucified One, that He " disappeared from their sight" while their eyes remained fixed on the broken bread, that was left to fall "onto the altar." Is it not the same experience that every one of us can have every Sunday?
So, " they set out that instant" (Lk 24:33). They started to understand that death is not the last word on the life of each one of us as we cannot be " held in its power" (Acts 2:24). This is a sign of great hope that gives us irreprehensible joy! In so much as we journey to Jerusalem — each on his own road, it must often seem long and tiring. However, now with our eyes fully opened it appears that we have the privilege to say to all the world, " the Lord has indeed risen" (Lk 24:34). 
The  Gospel is from St. Luke 24:13-35. The two disciples from Emmaus are to be found, along their journey, talking to "Jesus in person,  but their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him"  (Lk 24:16).
Why did the Lord not tell the disciples straight away who He was? Indeed, in the dialogue that the liturgy presents to us today, it almost seems that Jesus did all He could to avoid revealing His true identity. At the end of the journey,  "He made to go on"  (Lk 24:28). Jesus didn’t want to play games with His disciples, but He sought to educate their hearts, and also ours, so that we won’t be " slow’!"  The Risen Lord uses so much gentleness with us! He doesn’t oblige us to "believe" but He offers us the instruments that enable us to judge based on the infallible measure of our own hearts. As St. Augustine extraordinarily wrote in the opening of his Confessions " our heart is restless until it rests in you."
There is still one more detail that calls for our attention and raises many questions: why did the eyes of the disciples open to recognize Jesus while they were at table with Him? The Eucharistic context is undeniable. The disciples are at table, the Lord is with them; He took the bread and saying the prayer of benediction, broke it. It was during the last action of the breaking of the bread that the companions recognized Jesus. It was not only the action in itself but finally Cleopas and his friends could see, with their own eyes, the hands pierced by the nails of the passion that until that very movement had remained hidden from them during the long journey on the road.
It was in that very moment in which they recognized the presence of the Crucified One, that He " disappeared from their sight" while their eyes remained fixed on the broken bread, that was left to fall "onto the altar." Is it not the same experience that every one of us can have every Sunday?
So, " they set out that instant" (Lk 24:33). They started to understand that death is not the last word on the life of each one of us as we cannot be " held in its power" (Acts 2:24). This is a sign of great hope that gives us irreprehensible joy! In so much as we journey to Jerusalem — each on his own road, it must often seem long and tiring. However, now with our eyes fully opened it appears that we have the privilege to say to all the world, " the Lord has indeed risen" (Lk 24:34).