Sunday 23rd April – The Third Sunday of Easter
This Sunday we hear the story from Luke’s gospel of the two disciples who meet Jesus on the Emmaus Road, before recognising Him in the breaking of bread. The disciples meet Jesus, and they, not recognising Him, first confess their perplexity and confusion over the recent events in Jerusalem. Jesus then interprets the scriptures for them, before, apparently reluctantly, joining them for supper. And “when he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him”. We notice how closely this story resembles what we do in church on a Sunday morning when we celebrate Holy Communion. First we reflect on the Holy Scriptures, culminating in the gospel reading with its focus on the life of Jesus; after the “Liturgy of the Word”, we move on to the “Liturgy of the Sacrament”, where like those two disciples we encounter Jesus in the breaking of bread. The actions of the priest at the altar – taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, and distributing it – are precisely those of Jesus both in this story and in the accounts of the institution of the Eucharist in the New Testament.
This Sunday our worship continues at the usual times, with an All Age Eucharist at St Mary’s:
8am Holy Communion (BCP)
9.30am All Age Eucharist
11.15am Sung Holy Communion (at Nicholas, Remenham)
12.45pm Holy Baptism
4pm Evening Prayer
This week:
Tues 25 St Mark the Evangelist: Eucharist 7.30pm
Wed 26 BATS 10am (Chantry House), Eucharist 12noon
Thurs 27 Eucharist 10am, followed by coffee in the Chantry House
Melody Makers 6pm Choir Practice 7.15pm
Fri 28 Eucharist 12noon
Morning Prayer will be said at 9am Tuesday to Friday.