Eucharist transforms
us into Jesus Christ
Introduction
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Cannibalism still exists in some part of the
word where human beings eat human being. In the initial centuries of
Christianity, the Christians were equated to cannibals some people because if
anybody listen to our gatherings from outside, he would listen to this, ‘this
is my flesh, take it, this is my blood, drink it’. So the early Romans saw
Christians as cannibals.
-
This is the same reason why Jews at the time of
Jesus could not accept Jesus’ teachings on bread of life.
o
Gen 9:4 – ‘Do not eat any meat with its life
blood still in it’.
o
Story of ‘Dinuguan’, a delicious dish in the
Philippines with the blood of pig.
Content
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Why Jesus offered his body and blood for us as
the food of life?
o
You are what you eat. We usually take lots of
material things through our senses everyday and are disturbed. Eucharist
purifies us and keeps us in the right disposition.
o
The best example is children are the flesh and
blood of their parents especially their mother. They resemble the
characteristics of their parents.
-
What happens in the Eucharist?
§
In the Eucharist the bread is taken, blessed,
broken and given to the people. Through these processes the bread is no more
the bread but the body of Christ.
a. Taken
- The
bread for the Eucharist is taken from the many breads of the world. It is
selected bread.
- We
are taken (chosen) by God to participate in the Eucharist. We are a selected
people.
b. Blessed
- Eucharist
is a blessing; it is not on our worthiness but rather a pure gift from God.
- We
also should be a blessing to others by receiving the Eucharist.
c. Broken
- The
breaking of the bread signifies our brokenness within us. We are broken by our
own problems as well as of others.
- He
knows and understands us fully – our limitations and weakness.
- We
confess our brokenness several times in the Eucharist. E.g., ‘I confess..’ ,
‘though I am not worthy to receive…. say a word and I shall be healed’.
- He
lives with us fully in the form of my brothers and sisters who are broken.
Therefore accept the brokenness in our brothers and sisters.
d. Given
-
Reminds our duty to be food drink to others. By
our works and sacrifices for others Christ should live in me.
-
To take the body and blood of Jesus means fully
assimilate into our being the very person of Jesus. Thus we become the living
Eucharist / Christ in the society.
-
The parents should become the food and drink to
the children. Our social call is to become food and drink to our fellow
brethren.
Conclusion
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We are called to receive the Eucharist and be
the Eucharist in the society.
-
May we try to be the Eucharist
o
By positively responding the call of God for the
Eucharist (taken)
o
By being a blessing,
o
By accepting our brokenness and our broken brethren
o
By giving to others by breaking myself and thus
become a living Eucharist.
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