Let us share our faith like the Eucharistic Bread
The last, though probably not very visible gesture for the participants of the Holy Mass, before receiving Holy Communion is the ritual of breaking the Eucharistic Bread, i.e. the Host, by the priest. During this time, the prayer of the "Lamb of God" is sung or recited. The above rite is rooted in the tradition of the Last Supper. Broken (not a cut by knife) bread was shared during each Jewish Passover feast. Christ referred to this custom but gave it a new dimension. Through the gesture of sharing one bread and giving pieces of it to the present apostles, Jesus visually showed that we all form one body of Christ, that is, the Church. This is how the first disciples of Christ understood it.
St. Paul admonished the people of Corinth: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." (cf. 1 Cor 10:16-17)
In Christian antiquity, breaking bread and serving it was the highlight of the Holy Mass. One of the oldest expressions of the Eucharist is "Breaking Bread". The Book of Acts, describing the life of the early Church in Jerusalem, says: " They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers." (Act 2:42)
When the Church began to grow (from the 9th century), for practical reasons, small loaves this is communicants were used in the Holy Mass, the custom of breaking the large Host of the celebrant was retained due to its deep religious symbolism. After all, breaking the Eucharistic Bread is not division in the sense of being different or distant. In the Contrary! It is a question of unity in Christ of all those who are gifted with pieces of the Eucharistic Bread. During the breaking of the Host by the celebrant, the invocation of the "Lamb of God" is sung three times. Already the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in his vision called the future Messiah "a lamb led to the slaughter."
In the New Testament, the Evangelist St. John gives us the testimony of St. John the Baptist about Jesus. When he met Christ, he said of him: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."(cf. Jn 1:29) The sacrificial lamb, eaten as the main, symbolic dish during the Jewish Paschal Banquet (therefore also the Last Supper), has always been unequivocally identified in the Church with the martyred Christ - the Easter Lamb. The phrase "Lamb of God" thus replaces the name of Jesus Christ. The rite of breaking the Eucharistic Bread by the celebrant also includes the little visible but important gesture of inserting the broken part of the Host into the chalice as a sign of the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord in the work of salvation. It symbolizes at the same time the fact of resurrection, that is, the union of the body and soul of Christ, and the unity of human and divine nature in Christ.
This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
The entire Holy Mass is one great invitation addressed to us by Christ: "take and eat ..., take and drink ...". The Eucharist takes place at the Table of Sacrifice, that is, on the altar to which everything in the temple is subordinated. The Eucharistic Bread, "born" on the altar, is intended for a meal. By its very nature, a meal is a sign of mutual belonging. How painful are the words of Christ who, thinking of Judas, complains that he will be betrayed by the one who sat with him at the same table.
Christ was often accused of sitting at the table with public sinners, dishonest people, etc. The community of the table has always been considered holy; it was a commitment. Christ, sharing himself, sits with us at the altar table. Is it not an almost shocking brotherhood with us by Jesus himself?
We sinners, through the holiness of the Eucharistic table, through communion with Christ, we create a unique unity among us. In the sign of the Eucharistic Bread and the altar table, God wanted to remain with us forever. For when we eat the Eucharistic Bread, we accept the bread of eternal life, the bread of salvation, the bread that guarantees immortality, because we accept God himself and include him in our lives. Christ made our salvation dependent on the consumption of this divine Bread. He assured us of this when he said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.". (Jn 6:51)
The rite of Holy Communion includes several traditional and logical stages. First, the celebrant shows the body of the Lord. The gathered people kneel at this time. The priest now says two short sentences inviting them to Holy Communion. Both phases (i.e., "Behold the Lamb of God ..." etc.) are exact repetitions of the biblical texts referring to Christ. Everyone responds to the above invitation: "Lord, I am not worthy ...". At this point we repeat the biblical words of the centurion of Capernaum, who in this way asked Christ to heal his servant.
Each Eucharist heals us interiorly! When each of us receives Holy Communion, the priest first shows us the Body of Christ - by showing the Host, he says: "The Body of Christ". We answer, "Amen," confessing that we are fully aware that this is about Christ Himself. This one little word is the shortest declaration of personal faith in the real presence of Christ under the appearance of Bread. After consuming the Eucharistic Bread, that is, receiving Holy Communion, we should continue singing the liturgical hymn to show the joy of Jesus' coming into the heart, and not be silent after receiving Him. Time for prayers and reflections is during the prayer of praise concluding the rite of Communion, i.e. after purification and reposition the remaining Holy Eucharistic in the tabernacle and cleaning all liturgical vessels.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george