Spiritual message from Fr Mark:

 

Has Jesus ever appeared to you? During these holy 50 days we focus on the many appearances of the Risen Lord in Scripture. If you read the scripture accounts, you should find at least 12 times of such appearances. There were probably many more not documented. These eyewitness accounts cannot be denied – one of them was to over 500 people at once.
However, its not just His appearances that are significant, its also His disappearance that is of significance. Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the Emmaus road but He also disappeared from them. Lets take a closer look: “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed
and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew
Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

Saying goodbye is always hard. Jesus didn’t even say goodbye. He just vanished.
Why does Jesus disappear? and more importantly, why at that moment?
That moment was a critical one. He vanished after He took bread, blessed and broke it. Jesus is pointing to the way in which He would always remain and be present among them…in the Eucharist. They may not have realised it, but this was the answer to their request – STAY WITH
US. In every Liturgy, He answers this request of STAY WITH US. Saying “I am with you always, even to the end of time”