P ♰ C

by Jean Allen

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (Second reading, 1 Corinthians)

Participation in the Body and Blood of Christ was never meant to remain only a ‘me and Jesus’ moment. It beautifully starts out that way as we give thanks to the Lord for this intimate communion with him, but then it is imperative that we become aware of his Body all around us: those who are also partaking alongside of us. We need to realize every time we go to Mass that the bread we are eating is forming us into one body and that through this whole body flows the rich, lifegiving blood of Christ.

It is quite possible that there are areas within the body where the blood circulation is hindered by a clotted vein. That clot starts to form when the ‘me and Jesus’ moment becomes the be all and end all of someone’s life in the Church. That clot grows bigger when the intention is to receive the Eucharist and then get out of the Church as fast as possible without any pesky interaction with anyone else. It’s not just creating poor circulation in the one who holds those intentions; it is creating poor circulation in the whole body.

We are all immensely grateful for the gift of the Eucharist but we need to place it in context with the life of Jesus. When he was alive, his drive was to share his beautiful life with everyone he met. When he spent time alone with his Father, he always came back to the community more invigorated and with more to give. His communion with God was not for him alone.

It doesn’t take much. It might be a warm smile. It could be a thank you. A hug is sometimes very healing, even when it’s from a stranger. I brought my daughter-in-law from Calgary to Mass and a friend of mine, whom she didn’t know, gave her a big hug. My daughter-in-law couldn’t get over how friendly people were. For her, it was a most joyful Mass.

The blood was freely circulating!