The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
Ver. 29. — And they constrained Him. “ From which example it is gathered,” says S. Gregory, “ that strangers are not only to be invited to hospitality, but even to be taken by force.” And S. Augustine adds (Serm. 140 De Temp.), “ Detain a guest, if you wish to recognise the Saviour; for hospitality restored what unbelief had taken away.”
Saying, Abide with us; for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent, i.e. it is drawing near sunset. In order to detain Christ as their guest they exaggerate the lateness of the hour, for they returned soon after to Jerusalem, which was a three hours’ journey.
Cardinal Hosius his whole life long had these words continually in his heart and on his lips, and died repeating often, “ Abide with us, O Lord, for it is toward evening,” and in truth the Lord abode with him, working many marvels by his means in Poland, in Germany, and in Italy, which are related by his biographer Rescius, who ends by eulogising him as “ the atlas of religion, the voice and other hand of Paul, the demolisher of Luther, the janitor of heaven, and the love and admiration of the world.”
Ver. 30. — He took bread and blessed it. He blessed it by causing it to become His body as in the consecration of the Eucharist. For that Christ thus consecrated it, although Jansenius and some others deny it, is clear :
1. Because S. Matthew, S. Mark, and S. Luke use the same words concerning the institution of the Eucharist, as S. Luke uses here.
2. Because this blessing does not appear to have been given at the commencement of the meal, for Christ wished not to vanish out of their sight before He had eaten with them, lest they might think him a phantom. It was given in the midst, or rather at the end, of the meal. It was not therefore the ordinary blessing on what had been provided for their use, but solemn and eucharistic.
3. This is clear also from the effect which this blessing of the bread had upon the disciples : “ their eyes were opened and they knew Him.”
4. Furthermore, this is the opinion of the great majority of the Fathers. So the author quoted by S. Chrysostom (Horn. 17) says, “ The Lord not only blessed the bread, but gave it with His own hand to Cleopas and his companion. But that which is given by His hand is not only sanctified, but sanctification and a cause of sanctity to the recipient.”
Again, “ How did the Lord will to make Himself known ? By the breaking of bread. We are content then ; in the breaking of bread the Lord is made known unto us. In no other way is it His will to reveal Himself. Therefore, although we shall not see Him in bodily form, He has given us His flesh to eat.” S. Augustine.
This passage of Holy Scripture is a proof of the use of one species only in the Eucharist, for it is clear that Christ neither consecrated nor gave the cup to the disciples. After He had blessed the bread, and given it to them, they knew Him, and immediately He vanished out of their sight. S. Augustine, Chrysostom, Bede and others.
Ver. 31. — Their eyes were opened. “ See here the power and effect of the Eucharist. It opens the eyes of the mind to the knowledge of Jesus, and enables it to comprehend heavenly and divine mysteries. For the flesh of Christ possesses a great and illuminative power.” Theophylact. Hence S. Augustine (Serm. 140 De Temp.) says, “ Whosoever thou art that believest, the breaking of bread consoles thee, the absence of the Lord is no absence. Have faith, and He whom thou seest not is with thee.”
Tropologically, he goes on to say, “ By the exercise of hospitality we come to the knowledge of Christ.” Again, “ Let him who wishes to understand what he has heard, put in practice what he has understood.” “Behold the Lord was not known whilst He was speaking, but when He gives them to eat, He allows Himself to be recognised.” Gregory. Or according to the Gloss : “ Truth is understood better in operation than by hearing ; and none know Christ unless they are partakers of His Body, ie. the Church, whose unity the Apostle commends in the sacrament of bread, saying, ‘we being many are one bread, and one body.’” 1 Cor. x. 17.
And He vanished out of their sight, ἄφαντος ἐγένετο ἀπ’ αὐτῶν, absconditus ab illis, Arabic version. Christ was present with His disciples, but made Himself invisible to them : a power possessed, as theologians teach us, by His glorified body. So after His resurrection He was wont to appear to His disciples and vanish from their midst. Calvin, rashly, denies this, and contrary to its meaning translates ἄφαντος by “ He withdrew Himself.” He denies this somewhat craftily, lest he might be compelled to acknowledge that Christ was present in the Eucharist, but hidden and invisible.
The causes why Christ vanished out of their sight directly He was recognised by the disciples are these:
1. To show that He had risen from the dead, and had become glorified. For it is the property of a glorified body to appear or disappear at will. His sudden disappearance therefore was a new argument by which Christ proved the truth of His resurrection.
2. To teach that by the resurrection He had passed from this mortal life to a state of glory, and therefore no longer held familiar converse with men, but with God and the angels.
3. To teach us how we ought to reverence Christ, and those blessed ones who have entered into heaven. For we are bound to render to our glorified Lord the worship of latria, and to the blessed saints that of dulia.
4. That the disciples might return to the Apostles, who were sorrowing over the death of Christ, and comfort them by the tidings of His resurrection and appearing.
Ver. 32. — And they said one to another. Did not our hearts burn within us ? This was a new and certain proof that Christ was alive from the dead. For Christ taught not as Aristotle, Plato, and the philosophers, but so as to inflame the hearts of his hearers with divine love. Let then all teachers and interpreters of Holy Scripture imitate their Master, and seek not only to enlighten the understandings of those who attend upon their teaching, but to kindle the love of God in their hearts as well. Let them not be content with being as the Cherubim, but be also as the Seraphim. Let them be as S. Francis and his disciple S. Bonaventura, who became known as the “ Seraphic Doctor.”
So David wrote, “ Thy word is very pure ” ( ignitum , Vulgate), Ps. cxviii. 140 ; and Solomon : “ Every word of God is pure,” Prov. xxx. 5; and Moses: “From His right hand went a fiery law,” Deut. xxxiii. 2.
So also Christ declared, “ I am come to send fire on the earth.” S. Luke xii. 49. Thus the Baptist “ was a burning and a shining light,” S. John v. 35 ; and Elias the prophet “ stood up as fire, and his word burned like a lamp,” Ecclus. xlviii. 1. Let us be, each one, an Ignatius, a burning and fiery disciple and preacher of Christ, so that the words of the prophet may be true of us, “ Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps.” “ They ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.”
Ver. 33. — And they rose up the same hour (i.e., immediately and without waiting to finish their meal) and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together. Actually there were but ten assembled, for Thomas was absent and Judas had hanged himself. But the Apostolic college is spoken of as “the eleven,” even though some of the members may not happen to be present.
They “ returned ” (ὑπέστρεψαν) quickly, filled with an eager joy.
Them that were with them. The other disciples who were tarrying at Jerusalem with the Apostles.
Ver. 34. — Saying , The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared unto Simon. Christ appeared unto Peter before He showed Himself to the two disciples and the rest of the Apostles, because he was penitent , and because he was the prince of the Apostles. See verse 36.
Ver. 35. — How He was known of them in breaking of bread. S. Luke’s expression for the Eucharist. So also S. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 16 : “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ?”
Ver. 36. — And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them. In their midst, says Euthymius, that He might be seen of all, like as a shepherd stands in the midst of his scattered sheep to gather them again together around him. Ezek. xxxiv. 12.
“Peace be unto you.” This was the ordinary salutation of the Hebrews, who under the name of peace included prosperity, health, and every other blessing.