Thoughts for the Day

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I looked at this passage from John's Gospel on the 24th April this year in some detail (Eastertide 11) and you might want to look at it again. 'Corpus Christi' is the old name for the time we thank God for our service of Holy Communion*. As a child I inherited the time when the Church of England and the wider Protestant Church only celebrated Holy Communion occasionally. Sometimes this meant three times a year, in particular Easter, Christmas and one other Sunday in order to remain on the church electoral roll. But in practice this might mean once a month when it was tacked onto the end of the morning service. Otherwise Sunday services were Matins and Evensong. My Aunt and Godmother explained to me that Holy Communion was so special that we did not receive it so often.

Then along came the Parish Communion movement that advocated receiving Holy Communion each week, and for many years in my ministry I presided at three or four such services each Sunday in different churches. However, it is now noticeable that things are changing, perhaps because clergy have more churches; perhaps there are less clergy; perhaps because we have forgotten to teach the people about the service of Holy Communion!

In the quietness of my mind on a Sunday morning in church as I wait to receive the bread and wine I remember Jesus' words: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life". For me the bread and wine are symbols for His body and His blood. They have been set aside and made holy through a blessing; they have opened the gate of Heaven to one who 'kneels' in penitence; and I thank God.

* There will be different names and perspectives for this service!

Collect

Gracious and merciful God,
in a wonderful sacrament you have given us
a memorial of the passion of your Son Jesus Christ;
grant that we who receive these sacred mysteries
may grow up into him in all things
until we come to your eternal joy;
through our Saviour Jesus Christ
who is alive with with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.