Homily Easter 3A: A journey from confusion to faith, from darkness to light

 Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Easter Year A 2026

Introduction

My dear friends, there is a saying that goes: “A long journey begins with the first step.” Today’s Gospel is about a journey—two disciples walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. But this is not just a journey on the road, of getting from one place to another. It is also a journey of the heart—from confusion to faith, from sadness to hope, from darkness to light.  Let us walk with them.

Scripture and Theology

The journey starts away from hope.  We heard that: “Two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus.”

But why are they going away from Jerusalem?  Jerusalem is where everything has happened—Jesus’ death and the news of his resurrection. Yet they are walking away from there.  Why?

It is because they are discouraged. They are confused. They had hoped Jesus would save Israel, but now he has died.

Don’t we also sometimes “walk away from Jerusalem”?

• When prayers seem not to be answered.
• When life becomes hard—school fees, sickness, unemployment.
• When relationships fail or people disappoint us.

Instead of moving closer to God, we begin to drift away.

The Good News for the two disciples and for us is that Jesus Walks With Us: The Gospel says that Jesus came and walked with them, although they did not recognized him.  This is also very important.  Even when we are discouraged, even when we are losing faith, Jesus is still walking with us. But like the disciples, we often do not recognize him.  Why? Because our hearts are troubled. Our minds are full of worry.

Jesus then does something very simple. He asks them: “What are you discussing as you walk along?”  He then listens as they describe to him the events that have just happened very accurately, much like we profess them in the Creed.

·        That Jesus the Nazarene was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

·        That the chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.

·        That on the third day some women from the group astounded them with the news that he was alive, something confirmed by other disciples.

They really seem to know their stuff, they are not totally without hope. But since they have not seen him themselves, they are still doubtful, still confused.

Is this not the same state in which we often find ourselves?  Often, it is not because we completely do not know the Lord that we are discouraged, but because there are gaps in our knowledge, we are somewhat confused.

This teaches us something: when we are confused, we must speak to the Lord honestly. Tell him your fears. Tell him your doubts. Tell him your struggles.

The comes the Light of the Word: After listening, Jesus begins to explain the Scriptures to them. He shows them that what happened to him was part of God’s plan—that the Messiah had to suffer before entering glory, as the Scriptures foretold. He goes back to the very beginning of the Old Testament, that is, to the writings of Moses and to the writings of the Prophets, and using those passages shows them that all those things that happened to Jesus were foreseen.  But more importantly when seen through the light of Scripture, these events make sense.  He shows them that the Messiah was to come, not in power, but in suffering and sacrifice, just as the Scriptures had promised.   Slowly, their confusion begins to clear.

My brothers and sisters, the same happens to us. When life is confusing, we must turn to the Word of God.

• In the readings at Mass
• In the Bible at home
• In the teachings of the Church

God’s Word brings light into our darkness, like it did for the disciples.  That is why later they say: “Were not our hearts burning within us?”

But there is more.  They also recognize Jesus in the Breaking of Bread. When they reach their destination, they invite Jesus to stay with them.  What they do is nothing out of the ordinary for the time; with the lack of quick transportation, highways and highway hotels, it was not uncommon for people to host total strangers and stranded travellers in their homes.  In this case, how could they leave stranded such a guest, who had just explained the Scriptures to them so well! They probably thought that he was not a murderer.

We too, when we are confused, must invite Jesus into our home. Only then will he continue to heal us, and bring us out of our confusion and sin.  For these two disciples, they were in for a great surprise.  Even though their actual journey had come to an end, the spiritual journey was still continuing.

Something beautiful happens.  We read in the gospel that “while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.”  You may recall that these are the very four actions Jesus had performed on two previous occasions:

·        When he fed the five thousand people, he also took the bread and fishes, said the blessing, broke them and then gave them to the crowds.

·        At the Last Supper, he also took the bread and gave thanks, broke and gave it to his disciples, saying: “Take and eat.  This is my body.”

Immediately, their eyes are opened—they recognize him!  This is the Eucharist.

My dear friends, we also meet Jesus in two special ways at Mass:

• In the Word of God
• In the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ

If we come to Mass with faith, our eyes too will be opened.

The last part of the story is from encounter to mission.  After recognizing Jesus, the disciples do something surprising. It is already evening, it is dark, and the road is not safe. But they get up immediately and go back to Jerusalem.

Why? Because they have Good News. They have met the risen Lord, and they cannot keep it to themselves, but must share it with others.

Christian Life and Conclusion

My brothers and sisters, we also make this journey of hope.  We start with the experience of confusion and disappointment, such as:

• A student who studies hard but fails exams
• A family struggling to put food on the table or even to pay rent
• A young person searching for direction in life
• A Christian whose faith becomes weak

But the message of today is clear:  Jesus does not abandon us. He walks with us. He speaks to us through his Word. He feeds us in the Eucharist.

What do we do next?

We too, after hearing the Word of God and receiving his Body and Blood at Mass, must set out at once and share what we received.  That is what the priest at the end of Mass tells us:

·        Go in peace.

·        or Go forth, the Mass is ended.

·        or Go and announce the gospel or the Lord.

·        Or my favourite: "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life."

Let us now go back into the world and share the hope of the resurrection.