Monday, April 5

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
—Luke 24:30-32

This is a portion of the wonderful story that takes place on the road to Emmaus, as two of Jesus’ followers leave Jerusalem on Easter evening. They walk along despondently, talking about Jesus’ crucifixion, when a stranger appears and begins to walk along with them.

As they tell the stranger about what has happened, he begins to interpret Scripture to them, explaining why it was necessary for God’s Messiah to suffer death before he could be glorified.  The two men are so fascinated that they ask the stranger to come into their village and have supper with them and stay the night. The Scripture above tells the rest of the story.

“Were not our hearts burning within us...?" the pair ask after Jesus
vanishes. Then they get up, too, and return to Jerusalem to spread the good news.

Thomas Merton says, “In the old days, on Easter night, the Russian
peasants used to carry the blest fire home from church. The light would scatter and travel in all directions through the darkness, and the desolation of the night would be pierced and dispelled as lamps came on in the windows of the farm houses, one by one.”

In this Easter season of renewal and rebirth, may the light of Christ
shine in our hearts and set them on fire with love for all humankind, so that we, too, may help pierce the darkness with holy light.

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread, open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2005.