The Eucharist
"Most of our personal conflicts and sins, like slander, stealing, and adultery, stem from our desire to possess what we do not have and be something we are not.""As always, we come to the Eucharistic Christ as we are.
1.We approach with humility and open hands, gnarled and perhaps worn, reaching out for life;
2.Hands that have sometimes touched God’s creation in their lowliness;
3.Hands that have occasionally given generously from their abundance and sometimes from their want;
4.Hands that have, probably not often enough, made a difference………..yet we come.And we should because an abundantly merciful God fills our hungry spirit once again, with a promise that we will see divine mercy and be comforted and satisfied.As Francis of Assisi often greeted his companions: May the Lord grant you his peace!"
(Both quotations from Rev. David Lenz's homily on Sept. 24, 2006)
---
One of the foremost reasons I'm becoming Catholic is because of my desire for Communion. I mean this in every sense of the word. For Catholics, Communion is a holy event; a chance to be in the presence of God each service. More than that, Communion is an everyday event. We needn't wait for the first Sunday of the month, or for holidays. The Eucharist is a chance to "commune" with the holy, to enter reverently and thoughtfully into the presence of God with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a beautiful thing, and never is it more deeply felt than when Communion is not available.
My first experience of the distance of Communion was when I was teaching at Medolark. The majority of the children were Jewish, and it was a strongly secular facility. Because of my schedule, I was unable to go to church. I called around to United Methodist churches to see if a pastor was willing to bring communion to me. I thought this would be possible, because I knew communion was brought to the infirm and home-bound. But I could not find a church that was willing to come out and minister to me. This longing for communion and the impossibility of receiving it made me understand what communion is and what it means.
My most recent experience of the distance of Communion was in the Catholic Church. According to Canon law, non-Catholics should not receive the Eucharist. The way I understand it, some of the regulation has to do with respect for others' beliefs. If you don't believe that, in the Eucharist, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, you shouldn't have to participate in a ritual that declares that. The other part of it, to me, is in what Communion means to Catholics. (And, in my opinion, what it should mean to all Christians.) Because Communion is a holy and communal event, entering into communion unprepared (that is, without asking for the forgiveness of your sins and understanding your relation to God and your brothers and sisters in Christ) is offensive and belies the nature of the Eucharist. I personally think that one should excuse one's self from Communion (in any Christian faith) if one is not in the right mindset or right relationship with God.
I'm very much looking forward to my first Communion, and to the deep meaning that the Eucharist in the Catholic Church holds.
posted by Currer813 @ 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home