Third Sunday of Easter, Year A - 4/19/26

By Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C.

Opening Line or Key Message

The Risen Lord is the "Hound of Heaven" who doesn't wait for us to be perfect to find us. He meets us exactly where we are—even when we are walking in the wrong direction!

Story or Real-life Experience

Consider the story of an unusual auction held in Washington, D.C. It was an auction of patent models—150,000 designs for inventions that never made it to the market. There was an illuminated cat to scare mice and a trumpet-like device to stop snoring. Each of those 150,000 models represented a person who had high hopes, someone who may have died in poverty trying to sell a dream that never took flight.

150,000 broken dreams. Is there anything sadder?

Today’s Gospel describes the shattered dreams of two disciples. Their Master, whom they trusted as the Messiah, had been executed. Their "patent for a new kingdom" had seemingly failed. They were walking seven miles in the wrong direction—away from the community in Jerusalem—because they thought the game was over. They were at "23 to 0" in the bottom of the ninth. But as the story reveals, the Risen Lord appears to tell them the game is only half over.

Scripture Connection

In the Gospel (Luke 24:13–35), Jesus performs the first "Mass" after the Resurrection. First, He opens the Word, showing that suffering was not a failure but a fulfillment of prophecy, as Peter proclaims in the first reading (Acts 2). Then, He is recognized in the Breaking of the Bread. This teaches us that Christ is equally present in the Scriptures and the Eucharist (Dei Verbum 21). He uses the Word to warm their hearts and the Sacrament to open their eyes, transforming their retreat into a mission. Conversion happens when we move from "we had hoped" (past tense) to "The Lord has risen indeed!" (present tense). We must stop seeing our trials as the end of the story and start seeing them as the "halftime" where Jesus re-strategizes our lives for the second half.

Family Life Connection

The road to Emmaus is the road of every family. We experience "Emmaus moments" during rough times—financial stress, health scares, or parenting struggles. Jesus reveals Himself as a "Companion". In family life, the kitchen table becomes our Emmaus. It is where we break bread, share our "burned hearts," and recognize Jesus in the faces of our spouses and children. He is the "silent guest" who turns a simple family meal into a sacred encounter.

Jesus’ Message for Families

"I am with you always, even in the ordinary tasks of your day. Do not be afraid of the darkness or the long road. I am the Bread of Life that sustains you, and I am the Word that gives your struggles meaning."

Practical Takeaway for Families

Action 1: This week, gather your family for one shared meal with no screens — light a candle, say grace slowly, and let someone share something that has been on their heart. You are creating a family Emmaus moment.

Action 2: Choose one person in your household who may be going through a hard time, and do one small act of accompaniment this week — not fixing, not advising, just being present. Walk with them the way Jesus walked with the disciples.

Action 3: As a family, read Luke 24:13–35 together before Sunday dinner. Ask: 'Where have we seen Jesus show up unexpectedly this week?' Let everyone answer — even the children.

Closing Prayer or Blessing

The disciples' prayer was simple: "Stay with us." Three words. No theological framework. Just a hungry, honest longing for his presence. That is enough. It has always been enough.

Let us carry that prayer into our homes this week. At the end of a long day. Before a difficult conversation. At the family table. In the quiet of the night. Stay with us, Lord. Stay with us.