Dr.

Brant Pitre The Road to Emmaus

(Luke 24)

1. What is Faith?
Faith as a Grace of God
When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to
him that this revelation did not come "from flesh and blood", but from "my Father who is in
heaven" (Matt 15:17) Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. "Before this
faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the
interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes
of the mind and 'makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.'" (Catechism of the Catholic
Church no. 153)

Faith as a Human Act

Believing is possible only by grace and the interior helps of the Holy Spirit. But it is no less true
that believing is an authentically human act. Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has
revealed is contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason. Even in human relations it is
not contrary to our dignity to believe what other persons tell us about themselves and their
intentions, or to trust their promises (for example, when a man and a woman marry) to share a
communion of life with one another. If this is so, still less is it contrary to our dignity to "yield
by faith the full submission of. . . intellect and will to God who reveals", and to share in an
interior communion with him. In faith, the human intellect and will cooperate with divine grace:
"Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by
God through grace." (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 154)

2. The Road to Emmaus and the Mystery of Faith

The Empty Tomb and Skepticism
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which
they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in
they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them
in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men
said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while
he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be
crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the
tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Mag'dalene and Jo-an'na
and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but
these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

Jesus Appears to the Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from
Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were
talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were
kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are
holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them,
named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the
For Bible studies on CD, 1 go too www.BrantPitre.com
things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they
said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before
God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned
to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and
besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our
company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and
they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but
him they did not see."

Jesus Begins with Moses and the Prophets

And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe (Greek pisteuo) all that the
prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter
into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself.

Jesus Answers Their Prayer

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but
they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far
spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and
blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him;
and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us
while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same
hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were
with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told
what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Opens Their Minds to Understand the Scriptures

As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with
you.” But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit (Greek pneuma).
And he said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? See
my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones
as you see that I have." And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them,
"Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate
before them. Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still
with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms
must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is
written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance
and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but
stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as
Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them,
and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were
continually in the temple blessing God.

For Bible studies on CD, 2 go too www.BrantPitre.com

Dr. Brant Pitre The Road to Emmaus
(Luke 24)

3. Conclusion

The Catechism on the Twofold Liturgy

The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been
preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a
fundamental unity:

(1) the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions;
(2) the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory
thanksgiving, and communion.

The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form "one single act of worship";
the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.
Is this not the same movement as the Paschal meal of the risen Jesus with his disciples? Walking
with them he explained the Scriptures to them; sitting with them at table "he took bread, blessed
and broke it, and gave it to them." (CCC 1346-47)

The Catechism on Jesus’ Real Presence

The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist
above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the
sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together
with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly,
really, and substantially contained." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to
exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in
the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes
himself wholly and entirely present… It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to
remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure
from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was
about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with
which he loved us "to the end," even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he
remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us, and he
remains under signs that express and communicate this love. (CCC 1373, 1380)

Pope Francis: The Eucharist as the “Highest Expression” of Faith

The sacramental character of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is
a precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of his
love, the life-giving gift of himself. (Pope Francis, Encyclical The Light of Faith, no. 44)

For Bible studies on CD, 3 go too www.BrantPitre.com