Very often when I participate in a funeral Mass, the family will share a simple story about the person who died. If you go to the wake service, you will see the pictures of the diseased, you will talk with family and friends, you will learn what that person liked to do, what were his or her interests, where did they like to travel, what was their favorite food, and where did they go to school. We remember our loved ones for the certain and very specific things that are important to us -- we treasure them. See, the disciples still had doubts that Jesus was risen. They still didn’t recognize Him after He came to them and spoke with them -- until one moment. They recognized the Lord by one thing that was important to them, that they treasured. “The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.” The breaking of the bread. That’s right. They recognized it was the Risen Lord when He broke the bread and shared it with them. We may have doubts like the disciples, we may struggle. However, we too should treasure and always remember that moment when we can fully recognize Christ’s presence in our midst -- during the Mass, during the Holy Eucharist, during the moment when Jesus comes to us on that altar, breaks the bread and shares it with us. This is the memory of Jesus we must share with others -- He is here, He is alive, we recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.
