On the Monday after Easter, April 21, the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land, went, as they do every year, to Emmaus to celebrate the events narrated in the Gospel according to Luke. It is the story of the two disciples who, grief-stricken and confused after the death of Jesus, set off on foot for Emmaus, a small village a few kilometers from Jerusalem.

On the way, a mysterious traveler comes up beside the pair and starts to talk to them. He listens to their concerns, explains the Scriptures and rekindles hope. But it is only at the end, when they were seated at a table and that man “took bread, said the blessing it, broke it and gave it to them,” that their eyes are opened: it is Jesus, risen.

El-Qubeibeh (in Arabic “small dome”) is just beyond the wall of separation between Israel and Palestine. According to the tradition followed by the Franciscans, this is the village the evangelist Luke talks about.  

The Custos’ greetings

At the start of the celebration, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton, greeted the community of El Qubeibeh, who had gathered together in large numbers for the celebration, together with other faithful from Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other Palestinian communities. In his speech, the Custos stressed the importance of celebrating Easter and the events of Emmaus, praying for all the communities of the Holy Land and for all peoples who are living through conflicts, once again invoking peace.

Called to return to our brothers

“Like them, we are also called to return to our brothers, to share in the joy of the Resurrection, to live the change which Easter brings to our hearts. Every Mass repeats this path: listening to the Word, explanation of the priest, and encountering Jesus in the Eucharist. “At the end of the celebration we are told, “Go in peace.”  It is an invitation to take to others what we have experienced, just like the disciples of Emmaus. Despite the difficulties, Jesus walks with us, he lights up our hearts and invites us to carry hope and light into the world.”

This was the message that Fra Zaher Abboud, guardian of the Convent, left to the faithful during his homily.

The traditional distribution of blessed bread

At the end of the celebration, the Custos distributed to the faithful a loaf of blessed bread: a traditional gesture in the memory of the bread of Emmaus and of how the disciples recognized him. We still want to remember today that we are part of a single Church, of a single community, that walks together and recognizes each other in breaking and sharing bread.