For as often as you eat this bread

Thursday, April 9, 2009 Holy Thursday Evening – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

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

1 Corinthians 11:26  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Here Jesus gives us Christian worship.  There are many different forms of worship in the church today, and we certainly have freedom to express our thanks to God in ways that are meaningful to us.  This, however, is different.  The Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, is something that Jesus has directly instructed us to do.  He makes many references to drinking the cup and eating the flesh.  This is the new covenant.  As Christians this is the most meaningful and most powerful thing we can do in the context of worship.  Here we have the death and resurrection all wrapped up in one.  We have forgiveness of sins and repentance.  We have sin and innocence.  It is all there, and we are instructed to participate in it.

Often churches thinking that if they practice this too much they will lose the meaning of it.  It isn’t their feelings that saves them.  It is the sacrifice that Jesus made for them.  To not participate in this is to reject what Christ has done for us.

On this day we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  We should cherish this with all our hearts.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to see with new eyes what you have done for me so that I will more fully appreciate the wonderful gift you have given us in the bread and the cup.

Amen