RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
REFLECTION MARK 14:12-16, 22-26
The Eucharist
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus used the key elements of his last meal with his special friends to pass on to us his message of the covenant love between God and humanity. The wine was a symbol of his blood that would be shed on a cross and the bread is the Body of Christ. Blood is a symbol of life. Blood poured out for others is a symbol of life given/shared for others. We nourish with bread and other food the body through which we all experience the love of God through family and friends. This special meal was so important in the minds of the early followers of Jesus that they made it the central prayer of the Church. And so we today gather for the Mass or Eucharist to give thanks to God for his love, especially as shown to us by Jesus.
As a College we try to live as Community where we remain faithful to the Jesus whose body and blood were shed on a cross because he taught about a real and personal God who loves each of us. He had meals with friends, like he did at the Last Supper in this passage, but he also had meals where he shared bread and wine, with others like tax collectors who were not looked upon favourably by the leaders of his community.
To be at meal is to share something personal – to invite or be invited into relationship with others.
So, we too, are called to share our time and resources with those who need it most. How much time in the past week have I spent doing something for someone who is not family or a close friend? How have I brought some good for someone else who can do little to repay my efforts?
“This is my blood of the covenant”. The covenant is one that we need to take seriously. It is a relationship with others to make Jesus present to others. Our call to Hospitality is central to making people welcome and showing that we are willing to listen to them and then act on their needs.
May the bread and wine shared by Jesus, inspire us to be his real presence to someone who needs a little bit extra this week. May we also be very aware of our need to be his presence with those whom we love in our homes.
We pray for all families and we pray especially for those families where there is a lack of covenant love, where love is needed to heal pain and suffering.
Amen
Dr Tony Finn
Deputy Principal, Community