Our weary hearts and skewed vision strain to understand, to see, and to believe. We do our best to comprehend. But often our best efforts of complete, abandoned faith feel fake. Our doubts stand out because they make more sense to us. We are comfortable doubting. But to have faith? Now that’s uncomfortable.
Everything we claim to believe is contained in the pinnacle moment of the breaking of the bread. Everything we need to live holy, loving lives disintegrates gently upon our tongues, seeping into the depths of our being. And we are asked to believe this, and to do it in “Remembrance of Me.”
I am not usually bold. I tend to the more reserved side, biting my tongue, blending into a crowd, and searching for the words that the majority would agree with. Put another way, I don’t wish to stand out, and I especially don’t like conflict. My Catholic faith often challenges me in this regard. It is not reserved, it is bold. It says this IS the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is firm and unwavering because Jesus Himself said it was so.
A while back a question was asked, something along the lines of,
“is there one unifying act of worship that all Christians should practice?”
My reserved self blurted out an answer so quickly it left my own head spinning. “Yes.” All Christians should worship with the breaking of the bread. Why? Because Jesus Himself has told us to do so. To do it in remembrance of Him.
I have always believed in the Eucharist simply because I was told it was true. Thank God my parents instilled this within in me all my life, what a blessing! But now I know for myself that in that moment on the altar, everything we believe in is happening again. The life, death and resurrection of Christ is contained in a humble host. The greatest gift that has been given to each and every one of us, the gift of Himself.
Heaven and earth meet in this divine offering.
I was reading about the resurrection this morning in Luke. Jesus’ apostles didn’t recognize that it was Jesus, risen from the dead, who was speaking with them until He broke bread with them,
When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him.
Luke 24: 30-31
And so it is with us today. Through the Eucharist our eyes are opened to Jesus. He has given us this wonderful, physical proof of His love and sacrifice for us. He opens our eyes.
This is why He says that He is the bread of life. When we eat of Him in the form of this bread, we partake in His sacrifice, and His resurrection. We are given the gift of eternal life.
He has won Heaven for us.
“The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Luke 24: 34-35 (bold type added for emphasis).
I want Jesus to be known to me, and so I hold fast to this truth. That by participating in the breaking of the bread He will be known to me.
We must search to find, it is obvious that you have been searching. Every time I read your compositions, I learn from your prospective. Thank you for sharing.
You are so right, it’s such a personal thing that we search and find in our own (and God’s) time and way. Thank you!