Thoughts for the Day

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today, has tradtionally been known as 'Corpus Christi', which is the day we gives thanks for our service of the Holy Communion. Celebrated largely by the Catholic Church, many Anglicans do also hold this day special. First, let us look at the word 'partake' which is used by St Paul in the passage above. It comes from the Greek word koinonia which means 'communion' here, and also 'fellowship' a little later on. In the ancient world to eat at the same table as another indicated friendship and fellowship with them, in other words you were one body because you both shared the same food at the same table.

The 'cup of blessing' was the last cup of wine drunk at Passover, and thus at the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. Those present in the early church would have known it's reference. It was drunk as a toast to God for His goodness, but it soon became a reference to the benefits gained through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is through his blood given for us.

As Christians today, we need to celebrate Holy Communion (whether we call this 'The Mass', or 'The Eucharist' or one of its other names) as often as we can, to reinforce our fellowship with one another, to give thanks to God for His benefits, and to remember that we are offered eternal life through our Lord's self-giving of His life for us.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we celebrate Holy Communion
to reinforce our fellowship with You
and with each other.
We give thanks for the institutiion
of this act of love and service,
and ask Your blessing on all who
celebrate it this day.
Amen.