In the Gospel passage for this Sunday two disciples walk together with the newly resurrected Jesus along the road to Emmaus, and do not realise who he is (Luke 24:13-35). It is only when they sit down for a meal together that the penny drops and they recognise him (Luke 24:13-35). The story is insightful because the disciples' moment of recognition comes at the point of relaxation when they sit down to eat together. Earlier, when they had been struggling to make sense of what Jesus had been telling them they had been missing the point entirely. Now, sharing a meal takes the pressure out of the situation. They stop trying so hard and everything falls into place. TV dinners, sandwiches eaten on the go, and breakfasts scrambled down as we leave the house aren't going to allow the same moments of illumination, as had by those disciples on their way to Emmaus. Eating has a ritual all of its own that we ignore at our peril!

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