The two disciples of Emmaus had experienced Jesus' delicate way of entering into their conversation, and the luminosity of his explanations: what happened to Jesus of Nazareth was in the Scriptures. It is not death and defeat, but life and victory.
Arriving at the goal, which comes quickly when one goes in good company and conversations are open to a future of hope, they invite him to stay with them because it was getting late. Jesus remains, breaks the bread, distributes it and disappears. Then they understand that he is risen and alive, and the evening is no longer late, and their feet are no longer tired: they fly to give the good news to Peter and the others. They meet their brothers and sisters in faith, no late hour is too late, and they communicate to them their experience of life and salvation.
Just at that moment, they see Jesus again: in the fraternity of the Church and in communion, He is always present. The first word he says is "peace". He brings peace, and peace is one of the signs of his presence. As happened in the storm on the lake, they are filled with fear and think they see a ghost. A disembodied human spirit is frightening, because we have had no experience of it, and because it suggests death to us. Jesus, almost surprised by their surprise, asks: "Why are you afraid, and why do you admit such thoughts into your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Feel me and understand that a spirit has no flesh and bones as you see I have.. And having said this, he showed them his hands and feet.". First they saw, then they touched. The Lord's body is so important that Jesus allows himself to be touched without fear.
Then, Jesus sees that "they didn't believe because of the joy."Perhaps because we are not used to thinking that such great joy can be true: that our master, who had died, has come back to life. That death has been conquered forever, that the future is the kingdom of life: if we have such joy we are dreaming.
Then, knowing the great power of communion and the force of reality that eating together has, he asks them for food, they give him a roasted fish and he eats it in front of them. Then he repeats the discourse he made to those at Emmaus, adding quotations from the Psalms. So important is the Scripture, which is quoted three times in a few sentences: "Everything written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.", "opened their understanding so that they might understand the Scriptures.", "he saith unto them, Thus it is written.". The Scriptures and their prophecies, their living experience and the word of Jesus, make them witnesses of conversion and forgiveness of sins throughout the world. And us with them.
