Eat Drink and Live

Thursday, March 20, 2008 Holy Thursday Evening - Mass of the Lord's Supper

First Reading: Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15

Exodus 12:13 The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

It is surprising to me that as Christians there are many who do not believe that the Eucharist is more than a symbolic memorial.  Even at the first Passover we see God acting based on the presence of only a lamb's blood.  Jesus says that if we eat his flesh and drink his blood he will raise us up on the last day.  In other words, when the judgement day comes, the judgement of condemnation will "passover" us.  The presence of the blood, but not just a lamb's blood, but the Lord's blood will cause God's wrath to passover us.  Seems clear enough to me.  So why all the trouble with this sacrament?  I think that we get caught up in trying to understand the cosmic physics of this and it becomes a device of pride and manipulation, and we forget or even deny it's basic purpose.  We all have different biases and aptitudes to understand things.  So we all have different ideas as to what the real physical nature of this is.  But the words of the Lord are simple and direct.  Eat my body and drink my blood and you will have life.  I think I can understand that.

Ask yourself though, if someone doubted that the blood of a lamb on the door post could save the life of a first born, and so decided not to enter into a house where the blood had been spread, would they have lived or died on that night?  Would God stay true to His word or would he allow the people to decide what is true and what isn't?

Father, many things are beyond my understanding.  Help me, by your Holy Spirit to be obedient to your words and to trust in you for the strength to endure even when I don't understand.  Help me to approach the sacrifice of your son for my sins with great reverence and with faith.  Help me to never receive your sacrament unworthily and to always seek your mercy and grace in my life in order that I can share that with others in your name.

Amen