Sunday Connection

Gospel Reading
Luke 24:13-35
Jesus appears to two disciples who are walking to Emmaus.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

Explain to younger children that even those who knew Jesus well did not immediately recognize the Risen Christ. Invite them to imagine how they would have responded had they recognized Jesus.

Materials Needed

• none

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Ask: Can you think of times when you have not recognized someone you know well at first? What happened? (Accept reasonable responses, such as “They were far away” or “They were dressed differently, so I didn’t recognize them until they started speaking.”) Say: After Jesus rose from the dead, even people who had been close to him sometimes didn’t recognize him at first. In today’s Gospel, we’ll hear how two disciples recognized Jesus.

2. Read aloud Luke 24:13–35.

3. Say: The two disciples were walking when Jesus joined them. They did not recognize him, but they asked him to stay with them. Ask: When did the disciples recognize Jesus? (when he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them) Ask: What would you have said to the risen Jesus if you had recognized him? What questions might you have asked him? (Accept reasonable responses.) Say: When Jesus broke bread with the disciples they recognized that Jesus had truly risen and had been with them! We can recognize that Jesus is with us always, even though we can’t see him.

4. Pray, Jesus, we rejoice because you are our Lord and Savior. You are always with us. Amen. Close by praying the Sign of the Cross.

Gospel Reading
Luke 24:13-35
Jesus appears to two disciples who are walking to Emmaus.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

In the story of the disciples’ encounter with Jesus on their journey to Emmaus, we have an opportunity to deepen children’s experience of the Mass. Like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we encounter Jesus in the breaking of the bread and as we read and reflect on Scripture. Just as the disciples returned to Jerusalem to share the good news of Jesus’ Resurrection with others, so too we are sent forth from our Eucharistic celebration to share the Gospel with others.

Materials Needed

• Bible
• Small plate
• Wine glass

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Place the Bible, small plate, and wine glass where all of the children can see them. Ask: When we gather to celebrate Mass, what special meal do we recall? (Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples) What special things did Jesus do at that meal? (He prayed a prayer of blessing, broke the bread, and gave the bread to his disciples.)

2. Say: That meal was the most important meal that Jesus shared with his disciples, but Jesus ate other meals with his friends too. The Gospels tell us that he multiplied bread and fish to feed a large crowd. After his Resurrection, the Gospels tell us that Jesus appeared to his disciples and shared meals with them. Today’s Gospel is about one of these meals. Let’s read the Gospel together.

3. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, Luke 24:13-35.

4. Ask: What are the two disciples doing when Jesus approaches them? (They are leaving Jerusalem. They are talking about Jesus’ crucifixion and death.) Why do you think these disciples are leaving Jerusalem? What are their thoughts and feelings? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Do the disciples recognize Jesus as he approaches them? (No) What do the two disciples talk about with Jesus as they walk? (Accept all reasonable answers.) How does Jesus respond to them? (Jesus asks the disciples to tell him about what had happened in Jerusalem, and then he interprets those events for them using Scripture.) What happens during the meal? (Jesus stays with them. Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it, and shares it with the disciples. The disciples recognize that the stranger is Jesus.) What do the disciples do after the meal? (They return to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what has happened.)

5. Say: In some important ways, that story reminds us of what we do when we gather for Mass. We read and reflect upon Scripture and try to interpret the events of our lives in the light of Scripture. That part of the Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. Then we share a meal, doing what Jesus did: blessing and breaking the bread. That part of the Mass is called the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Whenever we celebrate Mass we recognize that Jesus is present to us in the Word and in a special way in the Eucharist. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, at the end of the Eucharist we are sent to share the good news of Jesus with others. We "go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.”

6. Invite the group to identify ways in which we share the good news of Jesus with others. (in our care for our friends and family, in sharing our possessions with those in need, in our prayer for those in need, and so on)

7. Conclude by praying together that we will recognize that Jesus is present to us in Scripture and the Eucharist. Pray that we will be faithful to Jesus by sharing our experience of Jesus with others. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer or today’s psalm, Psalm 16.

Gospel Reading
Luke 24:13-35
Jesus appears to two disciples who are walking to Emmaus.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)

On the road to Emmaus, the disciples invite the stranger (Jesus) to stay with them. During the meal, in which they share in the breaking of the bread, the disciples’ eyes are opened; they recognize the stranger as Jesus. Encourage the young people to recognize that, in the Eucharist, we share in the breaking of the bread and discover Jesus in our midst.

Materials Needed

• A picture of a celebrity from a magazine

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings

1. Invite a volunteer who wears glasses for nearsightedness to come forward and remove his or her glasses.

2. Hold a picture of a celebrity as far away as possible from the volunteer and ask him or her if he or she recognizes the celebrity.

3. Invite the volunteer to move closer and closer until he or she can recognize the celebrity.

4. Tell the young people that sometimes we need help to see all that’s going on around us.

5. Say: In this Sunday’s Gospel, we learn about two disciples of Jesus who had trouble recognizing him.

6. Invite one or more volunteers to read aloud today’s Gospel, Luke 24:13-35.

7. Ask: What are the two disciples doing when Jesus approaches them? (They are leaving Jerusalem. They are talking about Jesus’ crucifixion and death.) Why do you think these disciples are leaving Jerusalem? What are their thoughts and feelings? (Accept all reasonable answers.) Do the disciples recognize Jesus as he approaches them? (No.) What do the two disciples talk about with Jesus as they walk? (Accept all reasonable answers.) How does Jesus respond to them? (Jesus asks the disciples to tell him about what had happened in Jerusalem. Then he interprets those events through Scripture.) What happens during the meal? (Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it, and shares it with the disciples. The disciples recognize that the stranger is Jesus.)

8. Say: Whenever we celebrate Mass, we recognize that Jesus is present to us in the Word and in a special way in the Eucharist.

9. Conclude by praying together that we will recognize that Jesus is present to us in Scripture and the Eucharist. Pray that we will be faithful to Jesus by sharing our experience of Jesus with others. Pray together the Lord’s Prayer or today’s psalm, Psalm 16.

Gospel Reading
Luke 24:13-35
Jesus appears to two disciples who are walking to Emmaus.

Family Connection

Families, as the domestic church, have the opportunity to make the family meal a time of prayerful encounter with one another and with Jesus. At a family meal we share our experiences of the day and connect them with the experiences of others in the family. We can also enjoy the meal as an opportunity to reflect upon our family life in light of Scripture. At their best our family meals can connect us to Jesus too.

Choose a family meal this week to share one another’s experiences of the week in a special way. Perhaps invite family members to plan and prepare the meal together. Begin the meal by reading today’s Gospel, Luke 24:13-35. As you eat, talk together about how the disciples discussed their experiences in Jerusalem and how they came to understand them differently when Jesus interpreted those events in the light of Scripture. Then invite each family member to share the things that are going on in his or her life. Consider what Jesus might say to each person if he were sitting at your dinner table. Conclude with a special prayer after your dinner. Pray a prayer of blessing for each family member, asking that Jesus continue to be present in each person’s life, helping each one to be a better follower of Jesus. Conclude with a Sign of Peace.