Luke 24,13-35 – Wednesday between the Octave of Easter
Even disappointment can become an Easter place. In disappointment our imagination collapses, expectations are shattered, the idea we had of life is broken. And when what we dreamed of shatters, the question becomes inevitable: what remains of us? Today’s page from the Gospel of Luke tells exactly this: an Easter born within a disappointment. The disciples of Emmaus are the image of each of us when, wounded and disillusioned, we turn back, falling back on ourselves. And it is precisely there that Jesus approaches.
He doesn’t break in, he doesn’t force, but he walks alongside. He listens, collects, and then, patiently, puts the pieces back together, explaining the meaning of the events: “And starting with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures what referred to him”. This is why the Word of God is so decisive. It is not a text to simply study, but a living presence. It is the Risen One who continues to speak to us, a reread our history with us, even when it is marked by fractures and misunderstandings. At a certain point something happens: “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he conversed with us along the way?”. The heart starts beating again. Not because everything is already resolved, but because something inside has started moving again. Then comes the moment of recognition, in the breaking of bread. But just at that moment Jesus disappears from their sight.
It is an important detail: faith is not about holding on to Jesus, but about allowing yourself to be put back on the path. The disciples leave again. They return to Jerusalem, they become witnesses. Disappointment is no longer a point of arrival, but a passage. The Gospel suggests to us that even our disappointments can become a meeting place with God. Easter, then, does not eliminate the possibility of seeing our dreams shattered, but gives us back to life with a heart capable of starting again.
Wednesday 8 April 2026 – (Wednesday between the Octave of Easter)
