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| Dali's Sacrament of the Last Supper |
There have been many impressive meals in the course of human history. At the first meal, so the Book of Genesis says, the appetizer was forbidden, and that turned into a catastrophe. Then there are the lavish banquets where heads of state toast themselves. And there’s the Passover/Seder, remembering God bringing the Jews “out of the house of slavery.”
The meal table often is the center of family life. Memorable things take place. Families celebrate holidays and important transitions.
The altar or table of the Lord is the center of our faith community. We gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, to re-enact the mystery of the dying and rising of Jesus Christ, so that we can re-experience our salvation and nurture the life of God within us. Remember the powerful words of Jesus: “do this in memory of me.”
What did the word of God say to us Sunday?
Moses experienced the presence of God at Mt. Sinai and renewed the covenant God made with their forebears. The author of Deuteronomy notes their hunger: not only for food but for God.
Think of the hunger of so many people: for bread, for justice, for peace, for truth and for God. I especially think of the clear view Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had for legal justice: “It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.”
As we reflect on God’s care for us, we ought to give thanks to God and consider how we may share our blessings with one another.
Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Corinth speaks about the presence of the Risen Christ not only in the bread we break but also in one another.
We are all one human family. The Eucharist symbolizes our oneness.
Sadly, things often appear otherwise, with focus on superficials: on color rather than on character or unity. And yes, we mourn the loss of all who recently lost lives to violence. A Congressional committee last week heard from the brother of George Floyd, and in the same session the sister of Patrick Underwood, a slain law enforcement officer, one of many.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that he is the bread of life, and whoever eats this bread has eternal life.
The word of God Sunday embodies three historic moments: each an exodus or going forth.
First, the Hebrews’ prototype of passage from slavery to freedom, from tyranny to democracy. In the Seder service, Jewish families proclaim: “Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise … and adore the God who did all of these miracles.” Each Passover then becomes a feast of hope.
Next, the exodus of the first century. St. Paul speaks of a tradition handed on. The lamb that the Hebrews ate prefigures “the lamb who takes away the sins of the world,” Jesus Christ. The bread and wine are the real presence of the living Christ, given for and to us. Jesus’s last supper begins his exodus from earthly life back to his heavenly Father. To eat and drink is to proclaim his death until he comes again. Each Eucharist is a feast of hope.
Third, our exodus today. In another passage of John’s Gospel, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples and says: “What I just did was to give you an example.” Service is the essence of the Body of Christ. The purpose of Eucharist is to form us into a vibrant community, to go forth and do good. The God who dwells in us will grace us so that we can bring the God of hope and love to others.
