Easter, Emmaus, and Eucharist
Last month I subbed a 5th grade religion class at the School of St. Mary. I had everyone share the last movie they saw in a theater and heard all sorts of answers: Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther, Spider Man, Jurassic World, Minions. We talked about how going to the movies and going to Mass can seem like the same thing on the outside: we leave our home, go to a specific location with a bunch of other people, we sit down in rows, and we watch something happen that we’re not actually part of.
But then we stopped and thought more deeply about it. We discovered that going to Mass is actually so much more than going to the movies. We don’t go to Mass to just sit down and watch something semi-relevant happen. If that’s all we’re doing, it wouldn’t be worth all that much!
So I asked the 5th graders: “What are some things that God does in Mass?” Some of their answers were simple yet profound: “Bless. Watch over us. Guide.” Then I asked: “What are some things that we do in Mass?” More good answers: “Pray. Sing. Worship. Kneel.” We went through each part of the Mass to see what it could teach us about how God is at work in our lives and what God calls us to do in response. They absolutely loved getting this new perspective on Mass!
Throughout the Easter season, we’ll offer some reflections on the Mass in the bulletin. Like those SOSM 5th graders, we’ll dive deeper into the main Mass parts and gain a new perspective on Mass. Hopefully this new perspective can help all of us encounter the Lord in new and deeper ways as we celebrate the Eucharist week in and week out.
Easter is the perfect time to refresh and renew our understanding of Mass, because Jesus’ Resurrection is the key that unlocks everything for us! Think about the disciples on their walk to Emmaus (this Sunday’s Gospel). The disciples were returning to their homes deflated and uncertain. They thought they found something meaningful and powerful in Jesus of Nazareth. But then he died on the cross…
As we know, the Risen Christ appears to them on their way. Jesus meets them in their defeatedness and lifts their spirits. He proclaims the Scriptures to them and breaks bread with them. He rejuvenates their hearts with the hope and joy of His Resurrection! We reference the Emmaus story in one of our Eucharistic Prayers:
“Blessed indeed is your Son, present in our midst when we are gathered by his love and when, as once for the disciples, so now for us, he opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread.” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs IV)
Easter, Emmaus, and the Eucharist remind us: God offers us so much more than we often settle for. Mass is more than going to the movies, checking off a box on our Sunday schedule, sitting back and watching something happen, or even taking a break from “the real world.”
Mass is our “road to Emmaus.” Like those disciples, Christ is present in our midst, even when we don’t recognize Him. Even when none of the kids want to get ready for Mass, we are still gathered by his love. Even when we are distracted because of stress, disappointment, or uncertainty, Jesus still opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread for us. Stay tuned for next week as we look at the Introductory Rites.
