Emmaus and the Sacred Heart Through Out the Year by Dcn. Gerard-Marie Anthony

The readings for the Road to Emmaus are usually read during the Easter Octave, but its message should go throughout the entire year. There is a verse in Luke’s Gospel that are particularly worthy of reflection:

Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled (Lk. 24:44).

Jesus broke open the Scriptures to show how the Law, Prophets, and Psalms all attest to Him (the Allegorical sense of Scripture). Jesus also shows that through His Sacred Heart He carries out the Law and Commandments, particularly the 4th Commandment. He honors His Heavenly Father and Mother Mary by having the inspired Word pay tribute to Mary through the Prophets and Psalms. As St. Lawerence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church notes, “Glorious things are spoken of you O City of God” (Ps. 87:3) and this City of God is embodied in Our Blessed Mother. Mary is God the Father’s perfect masterpiece, so in honoring Mary, we honor the Heavenly Father. Therefore, we will look at how Our Lord fulfills the Law by honoring His Mother through the Psalms and Prophets.

First, we see how Jesus honors His Mother in the Psalms. Psalm 45 has inspired Words from the Eternal Word which refer to Mary:

The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;
in many-colored robes she is led to the king,
with her virgin companions, her escort, in her train.
With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king (Ps. 45: 13-15).

In this Psalm, we see “the princess…with gold-woven robes” which refers to Mary be wrapped in grace which is Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Then Mary is “led to the King with her virgin companions” which implies Mary’s Perpetual Virginity. Finally, we see “with joy and gladness” she is led to “enter the palace of the king” along with her companions representing two Marian aspects. One is Mary’s Assumption body and soul into heaven although it prefigures the resurrection of the entire bride of Christ. The other is the Marian dimension of the Church which is taking-in Christ and then carrying Him to the world which is evangelization. We also see that in Ps. 89 a parallel to Hannah’s canticle (1Sam. 2). Mary makes them both her own hymn of praise to God in her Magnificat (see Lk. 1:46-55) speaking of the almighty, showing the history of God’s love, and more.

Next, we see how Jesus honors His Mother in the prophets, especially Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Micah. In Is. 7:14, we hear about a “virgin who will bear a son whose name will be Immanuel.” This shows the fourth Marian dogma which is Mary, Mother of God. We also see in Ez. 44:2 that Mary is the gate of the Eschatological Temple which only the Prince can enter:

And he said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut.
Mary is the gate in which only God can enter which once again shows the Marian dogmas of Mother of God and her Perpetual Virginity. Finally, the prophet Micah speaks of Mary in her role of evangelization just as the Psalms did:
But you, O Bethlehem Eph′rathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in travail has brought forth;
then the rest of his brethren shall return
to the people of Israel. (Mic. 5:2-3).

The prophet Micah proclaims that Mary is part of God’s plan of restoration and redemption of His people.

So, we see that Jesus fulfills the Law, Psalms, and Prophets in Himself. We also see that Jesus fulfills the Law, particularly the 4th Commandment, by honoring Mary in the Psalms and through the prophets. So let us know Jesus through Scripture, after all as St. Jerome reminds us, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”. Let us also know Mary and sing her praises imitating Jesus by meditating upon her in the Scriptures. In this we will live the Emmaus moment seeing the fullness of Scripture in knowing Jesus and the inspiration of His Sacred Heart in honoring the will of His Heavenly Father and his Mother Mary. In the Words of the Hymn Mary the Dawn, “Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the Gate, Christ the Heav’nly Way!”

Dcn. Gerard-Marie Anthony has written more on the Sacred Heart in his Book Peaceful Hearts, Zealous Hearts found at: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/peaceful-hearts-zealous-hearts  coming out May 21, 2024.