Word to the Wise
Monday, September 12, 2016 - Monday in the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Cor 11:17-26, 33 and Luke 7:1-10]For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, too bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me" In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." [1 Corinthians] "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed." [Luke]
These two quotes from today's scriptures should be familiar to us. They appear in the celebration of the Eucharist. Indeed, St. Paul's words are one of the oldest versions we have in writing since his letters to some extent antedate the composition of the gospels. What these quotations show us is that more than 2,000 years after Jesus' life, death and resurrection, we are "remembering him" in words that were spoken and written back then.
The Eucharist, however, is not a museum. We are not doing something anachronistic like re-enacting a battle. In the Eucharist, Christ is truly present to us NOW, and we acknowledge that he will "return" at the end of time. The formula we once used still captures it: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
So, in the Eucharist we celebrate past, present and future all rolled into one action. Along with Paul and that centurion, we say the old words which create a present reality which moves us forward to an ultimate union with the Lord. It may be difficult to keep all this in mind, what with the many distractions that occur when we "attend Mass" and "receive communion." But once in awhile I hope we can all realize the depth of this experience and who it is that we are remembering. AMEN
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