Although he was walking and talking with them, they did not recognize him. Although he had risen into new life, they thought he was dead. Although he had told them that he must suffer and die before he could enter into his glory, they had forgotten his words. And so the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were filled with sorrow and disappointment. Jesus was not who they thought he was; and they no longer experienced his presence.

But when the stranger “broke the bread,” suddenly their eyes were opened. Suddenly they remembered what Jesus had done at the Last Supper. And now they recognized him. They understood that the crucified one was the risen one. They understood that the one who had been put to death was indeed risen and alive. They realized that Jesus has been present to them all along. It was not Jesus who had disappointed them; it was they who had been unfaithful to Jesus. For, instead of leaving Jerusalem, they should have stayed in Jerusalem.

The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is a parable of the Christian life because it is the story of each one of us. Like those two disciples, we often lament that Jesus is absent from our lives when, in fact, he is present. Like those two disciples, we are often walking in the wrong direction. If we are to make any kind of progress in the life of discipleship, then, we need to travel in the right direction with the firm conviction that Christ is present to our lives.

First, we must travel in the right direction; that is, we must have our sight set on the goal and purpose of our life: the heavenly Jerusalem. For, if we are heading in the wrong direction, everything we do—no matter how successful—will be in vain. What we do will not matter. What we accomplish will not matter. What we accumulate will not matter if we have lost sight of our goal—life with God in Jesus Christ. The goal and purpose of our life is resurrection life with God in Jesus Christ; all other goals are secondary. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had forgotten this; they were heading in the wrong direction. Instead of going to Jerusalem, they were leaving the city of their salvation.

Second, as we make our life’s journey it is important to remember that God is always present to us in Jesus Christ. Indeed, God is present to us in Christ until the end of the ages. God is especially present to us in those moments we think God is absent, when we no longer experience God’s comfort and presence. This is why the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is a parable of our Catholic life. The two disciples were absolutely sure that Jesus was dead; they did not experience his presence. And yet he was there, in their very midst, explaining the scriptures to them.

Every Sunday we gather as a community of faith to affirm the true goal purpose of our life and to proclaim that the risen Lord is in our midst. Every Sunday we hear his Word when we hear the scriptures. Every Sunday, he is present in our midst when we eat the bread and drink from the cup. He is not absent; he is always present, especially when we no longer experience his presence!