Hey Kids… when was the last time you went for a long car ride? Was it over Easter, on a trip to visit some relatives? Or maybe you had a long ride on vacation, like going up to Storyland in New Hampshire. 

Long car rides can be boring. Sitting in the back seat for so long isn’t fun, even if you have a book to read or a movie to watch. Has anyone here been bored in the car? Raise your hands if you have. Wow! So many! 

If you think of it, we in the Church have all been on a long ride, all the way through Lent and up to Easter. It started on Ash Wednesday, when we all got ashes on our foreheads.   If you remember, Lent lasted forty days. During Lent we prayed more, tried to be extra kind, gave up things we enjoyed, and came to church to get ready for Easter. Sometimes Lent can feel a little long, just like a long car ride. We might get tired. We might wonder when Easter will finally get here. Maybe we even ask, “Are we there yet?”

Well, we are! Easter was almost a month ago. We are SO OVER Lent, and the Easter candy disappeared weeks ago. It takes forever to get to Easter, and then before we know it, Easter comes and goes. The decorations come down. Life settles back into normal. We think the great moment has passed.

In the Gospel story we just heard, a man with a funny name, Cleopas, and his buddy thought that their journey was over. They had been following Jesus in his long trip around Isreal. In their day, Jesus was alive on earth, and they could see and touch him. Nowadays we know that Jesus and His mother Mary are alive in heaven, where we cannot see them with our eyes the way Cleopas and his friend could.

Anyway, those two followed Jesus right up to when he died on the cross. They thought that their long trip had ended on a very sad day. 

So, they walked home. They were very sad that they couldn’t travel with Jesus anymore.  

But guess what? Jesus was walking right behind them. Jesus was alive again and had joined them on the road. Cleopas and his friend had heard some rumors that Jesus had risen, but they did not really believe them yet. So, when Jesus caught up with them, they didn’t  recognize Him. Awkward!

Soon, they stopped for dinner. Jesus picked up a loaf of bread, said a blessing over it, and broke it into pieces to share. When Cleopas and his friend saw that, they suddenly knew that it was Jesus! It turns out that their journey with Jesus wasn’t over after all! They were so excited that they said their hearts were burning within them.  They jumped up from the table and ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell everyone about it. 

The story of Cleopas and his friend is not only about something that took place long ago. It is also about what happens here at Mass. In fact, at every Mass we are like Cleopas and his companion. Our priest today will soon take the bread, bless it, and break it, and Jesus will be with us just as He was with Cleopas and his friend. 

Keep walking with Jesus. Keep listening to Him. Keep praying. Keep coming to Mass and to the breaking of the bread. Because your journey with Jesus is not over. In fact, it is only beginning. The risen Jesus is closer than you think, and your heart may already be burning within you.