Easter Day 6pm

Sunday
6.00pm

The Lord has risen indeed

That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

(Luke 24. 33-35)

They dashed the 7 miles back to Jerusalem, to the place where the disciples were staying. They burst into the room but instead of a room filled with grief, people were aglow with joy. They couldn’t get their news out before one of the others said, The Lord has risen indeed.

On most occasions when we celebrate the Eucharist we invite people to communion with these words:

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are called to his supper.

Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

It is a moment to look up and see the priest holding the host, the bread, before us and to recognize the presence, the real presence, of Jesus with us. Every time we come to the altar it is an Emmaus moment, we know the Lord ‘in the breaking of the bread’. It is a resurrection moment, for the Lord is risen and is with us. This is the moment of Good News, and that news is being proclaimed ahead of us and our lives and our experience of Jesus can confirm what others have said.

We have a gospel to proclaim.