His Excellency,
The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D.
Diocese of Belleville
Third Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2026, 9:00 AM Mass
St. Luke Parish
Cognoverunt Eum In Fractione Panis
(This is the text as originally written. During the actual delivery, some passages were omitted and other comments were added spontaneously. Nota bene: This text has not been thoroughly proofread. Therefore, there may be errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
When I was a senior at Quigley Preparatory High School Seminary in Chicago, I traveled to Europe for the first time by myself starting my month-long adventure in Ireland armed with a copy of Arthur Frommer’s “Europe on Five Dollars a Day”, which directed me to a small monastic guesthouse outside of Dublin. On the wall of the guest refectory were the Latin words, Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis. I knew enough Latin and scripture to know the translation was, “They recognized Him in the Breaking of the Bread,” the most important sentence in this morning’s reading from Luke 24:13-35. I have spent all of my years as a Priest and Bishop striving to appreciate the full meaning of these remarkable words.
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Cleopas and an unnamed companion are walking away from Jerusalem discussing the death of Jesus and reports that He had been raised from the dead. The risen Jesus joins their conversation, but they do not recognize Him. Jesus tells them how foolish they are for not understanding. He explains the scriptures to them that say “the Christ” would suffer and die before entering His glory. Their hearts were burning, yet their eyes remained closed. They invite Jesus to join them for dinner. At the table, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. These actions “took,” “blessed,” “broke” and “gave” are the same actions as the Last Supper, same as the feeding of the 5,000, and same as the actions of every priest at Mass bringing about Christ’s Eucharistic Presence. The "Breaking of the Bread" is the earliest name for the Eucharist, the Mass. Just as the disciples recognized Jesus in the “Breaking of the Bread”, we recognize His Presence in the Mass I am celebrating this morning. Indeed, this passage from Luke contains the structure of the Mass. The discussion of scripture on the road to Emmaus is the “Liturgy of the Word” and the meal is the “Liturgy of the Eucharist.” Once recognized, Jesus vanishes, reminding us of the necessity of faith to grasp His Presence in the “Breaking of the Bread” and in the community of believers. The disciples return to Jerusalem and announce that the risen Jesus was made known to them in “the Breaking of Bread.”
The monastic guest house master served us freshly baked buttered bread at breakfast and told us that as Christians we are called to recognize Christ not only in the “Breaking of the Bread” at Mass but also whenever we break bread sharing a meal with others. It is a reminder that we are all called to be “bread broken” for others in selfless love. When I returned home from abroad, I shared this experience with my Mother Dear who regularly baked delicious home-made bread. After that, when she brought a loaf of warm bread fresh from the oven to the dinner table, she often said, as she pulled the bread apart and buttered it, “We recognize Christ in the “Breaking of the Bread.”
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Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis. “They recognized Him in the “Breaking of the Bread.” Once we recognize Christ, we must imitate Him. As you know, Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV is in the midst of an 11-day apostolic journey visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea in Africa, the continent where the Catholic Church is growing faster than anyplace else in the world, with now one fifth of all Catholics. Vocations are so plentiful that Africa sends numerous priests as missionaries to Europe and the United States. At the heart of each day in Africa, the Pontiff celebrates the Eucharist calling himself and the assembly to recognize the presence of Jesus in the “Breaking of the Bread” and the need to imitate Him.
It is this imitation of the one who declares “Blessed are the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” that compels the Bishop of Rome to speak forthrightly about regional conflicts and poverty in Africa and the need for leaders to seek reconciliation and peace avoiding violence, war, and senseless deaths. When the Roman Pontiff says concerning Cameroon’s civil war, “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness,” it is not because he desires to become entangled in the domestic policy of countries in Africa or any other countries in the world. It is precisely because he recognizes Jesus in the “Breaking of the Bread” that he feels compelled to apply the clear teachings of Jesus to today’s perilous situations. As Vicar of Christ, Leo’s pulpit is the world.
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Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis. “They recognized Him in the Breaking of the bread.” When I was the Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, a seminarian named Larry Huber lived, for a time, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, where I was in residence. He had a great love for the Church and for the Eucharist. He looked forward to the day when he would be able to consecrate bread and wine that would be the Sacramental Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that would nourish the People of God in their journey of faith so that Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis. “They could recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread.” I sensed his strong belief in the eucharistic presence and his desire to share that with others as a priest.
At the time of Father Huber’s ordination, the Holy Father transferred me to the Diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana. After that, we only saw each other once again though I heard from time to time how much his parishioners admired him and his outstanding dedication to the priesthood.
About twelve years ago, Father Huber came to a parish in the diocese of Belleville where I was celebrating Confirmation. He was a sponsor for one of the confirmandi and he concelebrated the Mass and once again we were brought together “recognizing Him in the Breaking of the Bread.” We talked about meeting for lunch sometime. But, alas, that never happened.
Then on Easter Thursday, April 9th, I learned that at 3:10 in the afternoon, 61-year-old Father Huber was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident when a vehicle turned in front of him without warning. Though I hardly knew him, I am deeply saddened by this startling news of his untimely death. Larry was the Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Park Hills, Missouri. His parishioners expressed their unspeakable sorrow, wondering how and why this could happen to a man with boundless energy and youthful vigor, who was to them more than a priest. They asked, “Was this some mysterious providence at work here? Or was this just a random tragic event?” They spoke of Father’s unselfish pastoral care and his prayerful celebration of the Eucharist. Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis. “They recognized Him in the Breaking of the Bread.” The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated two days ago on Friday, April 17, at St. Genevieve Church in St. Genevieve, Missouri. Since I could not attend, I celebrated the Eucharist for him, his heart broken family and parishioners in my chapel, “recognizing Him in the Breaking of the Bread.”
St. Genevieve Church was filled to overflowing by the People of God from various parishes overcome with sadness at the sudden death of their good shepherd. In their grief, perhaps like Cleopas and his companions, their hearts were burning as they listened to the funeral readings. When the Archbishop of St. Louis “took bread,” “blessed it,” “broke it” and “gave it” to them in Holy Communion, they, too, recognize the living Presence of the risen Jesus in the “Breaking of the Bread” and hopefully, took some comfort praying for Father Huber and giving thanks for a one of a kind priest who had helped them recognize Jesus in the “Breaking of the Bread” in so many ways for so many years. Though you did not know him, I invite you to join me in praying for this extraordinary and dear priest who daily imitated the one whom he recognized in the “Breaking of the Bread.”
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In a few moments you will be called forth in reverent faith to recognize the Body and Blood of the risen Christ in the “breaking of the bread.” You are also called to imitate the one whom you recognize in your daily lives and in the way you treat everyone you encounter today and every day.
Then when you enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner as you pull bread apart and butter it, may you, like my Mother Dear, see those meals as extensions of this Easter morning’s sacred eucharistic meal. May you be bread broken for others in selfless love.
“Cognoverunt eum in fractione panis.” They recognized Him in the “Breaking of the Bread.”
Praised be Jesus Christ. Both now and forever. Amen.