Saint Cleophas

On the evening of the first Easter Sunday, two disappointed disciples were walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. One of them, Luke's Gospel tells us, was named Cleopas (Luke 24:18). A stranger joined them and explained the Scriptures about the Messiah, and their hearts burned within them. When they invited him to stay and he broke the bread, they recognized the risen Jesus, who then vanished. They hurried back to Jerusalem to share the news with the apostles.

Ancient tradition identifies him with Clopas, mentioned in John's Gospel as the husband of Mary, one of the women at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25). The second-century writer Hegesippus, quoted by Eusebius, says Clopas was the brother of Saint Joseph and the father of Simeon, who led the church of Jerusalem after James. The Roman Martyrology honors him on September 25.

The Emmaus story is read in the Easter season, and many retreat movements and prayer groups in Latin America and the United States take the name "Emmaus" from his journey.

In some towns of Mexico and Spain, the name Cleofás and devotion to the disciples of Emmaus are kept alive in local parishes, and many families pray the Emmaus story before a shared meal.