HOMILY FOR THE III SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading – Acts 2:14, 22-33 Second Rading – 1 Peter 1:17-21, Gospel – Luke 24:13-35
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s readings speak to something very real in our lives: disappointment, confusion, and the quiet question we sometimes carry “Where is God in all of this?” The message we hear today is simple, but powerful: the risen Jesus is always with us even when we don’t recognise Him. In the Gospel, the two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem. They are leaving behind hope, leaving behind community, leaving behind everything they believed in. For them, it feels like the end. Their dreams about Jesus have collapsed.
And if we’re honest, we’ve all had our own “Emmaus roads.” Maybe for some here, it’s the worry about work or finances. For others, it’s the strain in family relationships. For some, it’s grief the empty chair at the table, the silence left behind by someone we love. And for many, it’s a quiet spiritual tiredness: praying, but not feeling heard. Like those disciples, we walk away, heavy-hearted. The story promises us, however, that Jesus will come to us in unfamiliar guises to support and strengthen us when we least expect to encounter our risen Lord. Emmaus moments come to us when we meet the risen Christ on our life’s journey through rough times. But here is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus comes anyway. He comes uninvited. He comes quietly. He comes patiently. He walks beside them before they even realise it. And He does the same for us.
Notice how Jesus meets them. First, He walks with them. He listens. He lets them speak their pain. Then, He speaks to them through the Scriptures, helping them see that even their suffering has meaning in God’s plan. Finally, He reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread. This is not just their story it is our story every Sunday. When we gather here: We listen to God’s Word We bring our struggles and questions And then we meet Jesus in the Eucharist Just like on the road to Emmaus. But here’s the challenge: like those disciples, we don’t always recognise Him. We can come to Mass, hear the readings, receive Communion—and still miss the moment. Not because Jesus isn’t present, but because we are distracted, tired, or simply not expecting Him.
Think about your own life this past week. Where has Jesus been walking with you? In a conversation that lifted your spirit, in someone who checked in on you, In strength you didn’t know you had, Even in a difficulty that forced you to slow down and reflect He is there but often unrecognised.
The Eucharist we celebrate today is not just a ritual. It is not just something we “attend.” It is an encounter. Here, Jesus gives Himself to us not symbolically, but truly. Here, heaven touches earth. Here, we are united not only with Christ, but with all those who have gone before us. And yet, how easy it is to take it for granted. Imagine if we approached the altar today with the same urgency as those disciples when they said: “Stay with us.” Because that is what we are really asking every time we come forward: Stay with me, Lord in my home, in my struggles, in my daily life.
In the first reading, Peter stands up boldly and proclaims the Resurrection. But remember this is the same Peter who once denied Jesus. What changed? He encountered the risen Christ. That encounter gave him courage, clarity, and purpose. And the same is offered to us.
So today, let me leave you with a simple invitation: This week, don’t just go through your routines. Look for Jesus’ walking beside you. In the ordinary In the unexpected Even in the difficult and when you come to Mass next Sunday, come expecting to recognise Him in the Word, in the Eucharist, and in one another. Because the truth is this: Jesus has never stopped walking with you. The only question is will you recognise Him? Amen.