In the gospel of Luke, the first vision we have of the resurrected Jesus is with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. At the end of the day, they recognise Him in the breaking of bread.
If we understand this ‘breaking of bread’ as the Eucharist, the last thing He did before He died becomes the first thing He does after his resurrection. This gives it some importance.
The Eucharist takes on meaning with the resurrection. When we celebrate it, we enter into the new covenant in the body and blood of Jesus. Our part in that covenant is to recognize and accept Jesus, or to believe in Him. God’s part is to give us Jesus as our Saviour, together with all that goes with that, including the resurrection life He won for us.
How much is that resurrection life a reality for us while we are still in this life on earth? Is it possible for us to have something like a firstfruit of risen life?
The presence of Jesus that comes with the Eucharist will be the presence of the risen Jesus and will be effective in us as Jesus’ risen life touching our life on earth.
This will touch us first in our spirit, which will then pass on the blessing in some way to soul and body.
If this happens, there could be something of that experience of the two disciples, an awareness of our hearts burning within us as He walks with us, and as He speaks to us, or makes his presence felt to us, on the way.
