1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “…the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vss. 23-24
It’s very likely that these words from Jesus have been quoted more often than any other. They’re known as the Words of Institution and no celebration of the Holy Eucharist can be complete without their being said. What is particularly interesting is that these words do not come from the gospels, but from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Paul doesn’t often quote Jesus and mentions his teachings rarely, but he passed on these words to his readers as having come straight to him from the Lord. Since Paul wrote his letters before the gospels were written, these words represent for us, a precious and ancient connection to Jesus.
In fact it can be argued that the Words of Institution have served to make Holy Communion the most unifying ritual in the Church. Here we gather weekly around the Table of the Lord to celebrate God’s love for humanity and proclaim our love for one another. Each time we receive the bread and the wine we remember the unbroken line of believers that dates all the way back to that Maundy Thursday Passover meal. Even through times of division and persecution, this time of eating and drinking has survived, and tonight, in this moment of turmoil and confusion, the legacy continues. Bon Appetit!
Thought for the Day: What do I remember as I eat and drink?
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