A Christian’s Mission

An artist designed a tabernacle door for a church in Germany. He divided it into four panels. Then he decorated each panel with a set of symbols that stood for a Gospel story that was related to the Eucharist.

The artist decorated the first panel with six water jars, the second panel with five loaves of bread and two fish. He decorated the third panel with 13 people seated around a table, and finally, the fourth panel with three people seated at a table.

The six jars, in the first panel bring to mind the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana, where Jesus changed six jars of water into wine. The artist interpreted this miracle as a preview of the Eucharist, when Jesus changed, not water into wine, but wine into his own blood.

The loaves and fish in the second panel reminds us of the miracle at Capernaum, where Jesus multiplied these two foods to feed a hungry crowd. After this miracle Jesus said to the crowd: “Whoever comes to me will never hunger… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on that last day.”  (John  6:54) The artist interpreted the miracle of Capernaum as a promise of the Eucharist.

The third panel with 13 people around a table recalls Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper as the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made after he multiplied the loaves and fish.

Finally, the three people seated at a table calls to mind the Emmaus supper on Easter Sunday night where the risen Jesus broke bread and revealed himself to two disciples. The artist interpreted the Emmaus supper as being the first celebration of the Eucharist, which Jesus instituted at the Last Supper.

And so the artist’s door is an excellent summary of the history of the Holy Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. It traces the Eucharist from Cana, where it was previewed, to Capernaum, where it was promised, to Jerusalem, where it was instituted, to Emmaus, where it was first celebrated.

Let’s look more closely at the Emmaus supper, which is described in today’s Gospel.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem to bear any close resemblance to the Eucharist, or the Last Supper. A closer study of it, however, reveals just the opposite. It bears a striking resemblance to the Mass as we now celebrate it.

Our liturgy of the Lord’s Supper is divided into four parts, or rites:

1. The Gathering Rite

2. The Liturgy of the Word

3. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

4. The Dismissal or Sending Rite.

We find the same four rites present in the Emmaus story. There was the Gathering Rite – the Emmaus supper took place on the road, when Jesus and the two disciples came together and greeted one another. Then there was the Liturgy of the Word. It took place, when Jesus explained the Scriptures to the two disciples. There was the Liturgy of the Eucharist – in the house of one of the disciples, when Jesus “was with them at table, and he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” (Luke 24:30) Finally, the Dismissal Rite or Sending took place when Jesus “vanished from their sight,” and the disciples went forth to bear witness to their encounter with Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

Of particular note is the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where Jesus “took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” These three actions described the three major actions of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as we know it today.

The taking of the bread describes the preparation of the gifts; which is often referred to as the “Offertory,” the blessing of the bread describes the Eucharistic Prayer over the gifts. The breaking of the bread describes the Communion service. And so our modern celebration of the Eucharist reflects, in a striking way, the first celebration of the Eucharist in Emmaus.

A priest once asked a young man which part of the Mass was the most important part. The young man answered. “The Dismissal Rite is the most important part of the Mass.” “Why do you say that?” the priest asked in surprise. (We might think he would say, “Because thanks God, it is all over!”) The man replied, “The purpose of the Eucharist is to nourish us with the Word of the Lord and the Body and Blood of the Lord, so that we may be sent, to go forth to bear witness to the Lord and to bring the kingdom of God into existence.”

And he continued, “The Eucharist does not end with the Dismissal Rite. In a sense, it begins with it. We must go forth and proclaim to the world what the disciples of Emmaus did. We must proclaim that Jesus is risen. We must proclaim that Jesus lives on.” The young man was absolutely right.

This is the message the world needs to hear. If we don’t deliver this message to the world, we have failed our mission as Jesus’ followers.

In a very true sense, the Dismissal Rite is the most important part of the Mass. It is this rite that missions us to go forth to tell the world the good news of Easter: Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again!

This Emmaus story has certain special significance for you and me today:

1. Jesus appeared – not to the leaders like the apostles, but to two down-hearted disciples, people like you and me.

2. Jesus made it “as if he were going farther…” He does not force himself on us. He gives us the opportunity and waits for our invitation. Had the two disciples been less concerned and caring for a stranger, Jesus might have moved on, and they would never have recognized him. How many times have we let Jesus passed by in our lives?

3. Encountering Jesus always brings with it the desire to share the good news with others. The two disciples ran back seven miles in the night to Jerusalem to share the good news.

To be a Christian is to be an apostle of good news – of the risen Lord. Is your life a message of good news?