Emmaus

We went to Emmaus by coach.  That's the twenty-first century way.  And we were not entirely sure that we were at Emmaus - because, at least, four places claim to be the original Emmaus.  We went to Abu-Ghosh.  To go from walking the Via Dolorosa in the morning to taking a trip to "Emmaus" to celebrate the resurrection in the afternoon was quite a change of emotion - but, then, that is exactly how it was.  The seesaw of experience must have been far greater for the first disciples.  Unlike them, we could not help but know what was coming. 

We went to the Benedictine Monastery and were able to celebrate the Eucharist in their chapel - I had the priviledge of concelebrating with our guide and teacher.  It was a moving service, both because of where we were and because it was virtually the end of the course.  As we heard the familiar words .... take .. eat .. drink ... in an unfamiliar, to us, language - they were spoken on this occasion, as the first time they were used, in Aramaic - it was good to think back across the years and, as they knew him in the breaking of the bread, so did we.