The Last Supper (part 2)
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
When Jesus told his disciples and all believers to "do this in memory of me", it was not just a sentimental ritual he left, but also a memorial of his life, death and resurrection. That is why the reading of and reflection the gospel account of his life is so important. We are called to imitate him, to put on Christ as Saint Paul says and be doers of the word and not just listeners.
The Eucharist is the moment when Jesus is present among us again, inspiring us to go out and preach his word and fulfill his mission. We can't be true to him if we don't bend down and "wash a foot" as frequently as possible. Putting others before our own wants and desires is the way he wants us to remember him. By carrying his example of love, dedication and commitment to the poor and the hungry to the whole world we make him present. This is a Eucharist moment in itself.
The preaching of Jesus and his compassion for the poor and the outcasts was at the heart of the Kingdom of God. He uplifted their human dignity restored them in "image and likeness of God".
When the five thousand came to be with him in the countryside and were hungry he told his disciples to feed them. There was so little it was impossible but they gave away their loves and fishes. Was this the selfless act that inspired all those who had brought food to bring it out and share it with their neighbors? Was not this the real miracle, a Eucharist moment, a foreshadowing of The Last Supper? Perhaps this was the time when Jesus preached, "Blessed are the hungry for they shall have their fill"
There was to be no inequality rejection, discrimination, or racism in the Kingdom of God. All were to be treated equally as children of God. That's the basis of all our declarations of Human Rights, as we know them today. When we defend them we are taking a stand as Jesus did. We take the risks he did.
He paid the ultimate price for his unwavering faithfulness to the Father-Death by crucifixion. The rulers of the day saw him and his message as a threat to their power and authority, a criticism of their heartless rule and dangerous teaching unorthodox and revolutionary.
Before he was falsely accused, arrested tortured and executed he left us the Eucharist.
Food and drink are the essentials of life, spiritual and physical. The symbolism and the reality became one when he and his band of disciples celebrated the Jewish passover meal. This recalled the historical deliverance of the Jewish people from the slavery of Egypt when Moses led them into the desert and into a covenant with God.
During the supper Jesus broke the bread and gave it to his disciples and said "This is my body which is given for you, do this in memory of me". In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper saying, "This cup is a new covenant sealed in my blood, poured out for all".
The covenant was the sacred bonding between God and his people. Jesus words during The Last Supper recalls this symbolism of reconciliation and also takes it further. He makes himself the sacrificial lamb of the Passover celebration, his sacrificial death on the cross is both atonement for sin and reconciliation between mankind and God.
Through faith in Jesus Christ we are one with God. When we break the bread and share the cup we celebrate this and commit ourselves to imitate Him and continue His mission to transform the world. Above all the Eucharist is the living presence of Christ who is always with us. (End)
