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Connections…
June 25, 2000
The Body and Blood of the Lord
Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them and said, "Take it; this is my body." Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26
Giving the body of Christ
The pastor asked her if she would consider becoming a Eucharistic minister. After much hedging, she finally said yes. She was a nervous wreck that first Sunday. When the moment came, she proceeded to the altar, her heart pounding. What if she forgot what to do? What if she messed up? What if -- horror of horrors! -- she dropped the cup? She took one of the chalices and went to her station. He hand shook as she presented the cup to each parishioner with the simple words, "The Blood of Christ." But before long her nervousness was transformed into awe at the profound love of God who gives us such a wonderful sacrament.
Later that week, she was called to help in the local soup kitchen. This she could handle, having volunteered many nights and weekends at the facility. As she carefully ladled soup into a bowl and handed it to a poor, elderly woman, she found herself holding the bowl with the same reverence as the chalice; she looked at the poor woman with the same love and concern as Sunday's communicant; she felt the same awe and wonder and love at the kitchen stove as she did at the altar.
She had experienced the Eucharist again.
CONNECTION: The gift of the Eucharist comes with an important "string" attached: it must be shared. In sharing the body of Christ, we become the body of Christ. We become what we receive; what we consume should now consume us. If we partake of the one bread and the one cup, then we must be willing to become Eucharist for others -- to make the love of God real for all.<
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