Eucharist

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Eucharist

Bread   Wine

Blessing   Breaking   Distributing

In Remembrance Of Me

Shared

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   1 Corinthians 11:24

After Jesus had given thanks, He took bread, broke it, and said,

"This is My Body that I am sharing with you.

Do this in remembrance of Me."

Reflection

Our reading from 1 Corinthians leads us to reflect on what the Eucharist means in our lives. It is an amazing gift. Under the simple signs of bread and wine, Jesus comes to share His very self with us.

Jesus says the blessing over the bread and breaks it so that it can be shared with all of us. He wants to be part of our lives in an intimate way. He wants to make sure that He is always with us.

Jesus does this so that we will always remember what He has done for us. It is so easy for us to get involved in so many other things and to forget how deeply we are loved by Jesus.

The Eucharist is given to us so that we can take what we have been given and share it with others. We have been blessed to build---to build up our community and to reach out to those who are in need of the healing Love of Jesus in their lives.

Jesus first gives thanks to God. We get our name for this special sacrament, Eucharist, from this act of thanksgiving. It reminds us to always give thanks to God for the many blessings we have received. 

One of my favorite prayers, one that I repeat throughout the day, is simply, "Thank you, Jesus!" As I pray it, I am reminded of all that I have been given.

Jesus wants to share His very self with you and to become one with you. It is truly amazing that our God who created the whole world loves us this much. Jesus holds nothing back. He gives His total Love to us. 

When we begin to realize this, we are moved to share this Love with each person we meet. We realize that we are all connected. We cannot turn our backs on anyone. We know that Jesus has never turned away from us. How can we turn away from any of our sisters and brothers?

As we reflect on the gift of the Eucharist, let us give thanks for the blessing that we discover in the breaking of the bread. Let us distribute that blessing of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus and share it with all.

What a GIFT!

1. Why does Jesus share the gift of Eucharist with us?

2. How can we build up our community through the Eucharist?

3. What are you most thankful for?

4. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)