The Evangelist Luke uses the phrase “the breaking of bread” to refer to what later Christians called the Eucharist or the Mass (Luke 24:35; Acts 2:42; 20:7). What happened to these early Christians at the Eucharist? The disciples relate in today’s Gospel: “they had come to recognize him [Jesus] in the breaking of bread.” Jesus not only breaks bread with the disciples but He also interprets both his own words and the Scripture:
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Jesus refers to the threefold division of the Hebrew Scripture: 1) the Law or Torah, 2) the Prophets, and 3) the Psalms and other writings. As Christians we interpret the Scripture, both the Old and New Testament through the eyes of Jesus: “Then he [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” What Luke describes in this chapter is what we know as the Eucharist or the Mass. He describes both the Liturgy of the Word (Old Testament and Jesus’ words) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (the breaking of bread).
In this coming Sunday’s Gospel Jesus will declare: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29). In today’s Gospel Luke tells us that we are “blessed” because while we do not physically see Jesus in the flesh we do “see” and experience Jesus’ presence in the mass, the breaking of the bread. One of the Eucharistic Prayers echoes these words of today’s Gospel.
“You are indeed Holy and to be glorified, O God, who love the human race and who always walk with us on the journey of life. Blessed indeed is your Son, present in our midst when we are gathered by his love, and when, as once for the disciples, so now for us, he opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread.” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs IV, Jesus Who Went About Doing Good).
So, each time we gather for the Eucharist Jesus interprets or opens the Scripture and breaks the bread. Jesus is truly present in our midst.