‘When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and
began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him.’

Two broken hearted Disciples were at home after travelling from Jerusalem. With
great sorrow, they had witnessed the crucifixion of their beloved friend and leader
Jesus. They had not recognised Him when he joined them on the road and talked
with them. On arriving home, they invited Him to stay with them. Their sorrow
turned to joy as he broke the bread. That least expected moment changed
everything.

I had a frivolous encounter with my toaster. The toaster kept expelling the bread
slices with such force they jumped out and landed on the work surface. One morning
I lost sight of the toast as it flew out. I looked on the ground, and the toast was
under my right foot. One for the birds!

Yet what about our deeper expectations of life especially with our relationships with
one another and with God. We long for assurance that we are loved, understood and
forgiven. We seek an encounter that meets our longing.

‘You can suffer from a desperate hunger to be loved. You can search long years in
lonely places far outside yourself, yet the whole time this love is but a few inches
away from you. It is at the edge of your soul, but you have been blind to its
presence.’
John O Donohue. Celtic daily prayer Book 2