The Eucharist is a verb, not a noun;
an action, not a thing
It is almost impossible to stress this too highly. In other words, the Eucharist is not so much about bread and wine as it is about the people who share that bread and wine in memory of Christ. The Eucharist is not a relic, not a static presence. It is the reality of a living encounter with the risen Lord which we enter into whenever we come together at Christ’s table.
The Eucharist is not like going to a movie or a concert, or a sporting event. We are not supposed to be there simply watching something happening as if we were there as spectators. Christ wants us all to be part of the celebration. It is the community that offers Eucharist.
The Eucharist is far more than a relic. Jesus is there. But we must ask “what for?” Why is Jesus present in the consecrated bread? The answer is simple: he is there to be with us. He is there to have us join together with him in the work of salvation. Jesus does not come to us simply to make us feel good. He is there to make us be good. He comes to transform us so that we become fitting members of his Body here on earth and one day be with him eternally in heaven.
1 Corinthians 11:23-31
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
The John Six Blues
When he saw the hungry thousands
And feed them in their need, (Jn.6:5-13)
They came back again the next day
Just to get another feed. (Jn.6:22-26)
But he cautioned them directly:
“Seek the food that’s made to last” (Jn.6:27)
and he promised them a manna
that was better than the past. (Jn.6:27,32-33,49-51)
And they crowded ever closer,
And they hung on every word, (Jn.6:28,34)
But they never quite expected
The next thing that they heard,
For the food would be his flesh (Jn.6:51)
Given up upon the cross, (Lk.22:19;1Cor.10:16;1Cor.11:24)
And the drink would be his blood (Jn.6:53)
From the sacrificial loss. (Mt.26:28;Mk.14:24;Lk.22:20;1Cor.10:16)
Then they turned from him in anger,
“Who can cope with this?” they cried, (Jn.6:52,60,66)
but it all would be revealed
the night before he died. (Mt.26:26-30;Mk.14:22-26;Lk.22:19-23;1.Cor.11:23-30)
“Take and eat my body”, he said, (Mt.26,26;Mk.14:22;Lk.22:19;1Cor.11:24)
And he gave his very self, (Jn.6:53-8;1Cor.10:16;1.Cor.11:29)
Not just a piece of bread.
When he saw that they were grumbling, (Jn.6:52,60,66)
Did he offer to explain?
Did he say: “It’s just a symbol,
Let me make it very plain”.
Did he call back his disciples
Saying: “Don’t you get me wrong,
I just meant to get together
For some pancakes and a song.”
Just the opposite in fact,
He appears to make it worse.
He gets more and more explicit,
With every passing verse.
“For my flesh is food indeed, (Jn.6:55)
if you eat, I’ll live in you,” (Jn.6:56-7)
And his verbs in Greek get stronger,
He used gnaw and munch and chew. (Jn.6:53-8)
Was He speaking just in symbols?
No, there wasn’t a mistake,
If he’d meant just bread for bonding
He would have given cake!
“Take and eat my body”, he said, (Mt.26,26;Mk.14:22;Lk.22:19;1Cor.11:24)
And he gave his very self, (Jn.6:53-8;1Cor.10:16;1.Cor.11:29)
Not just a piece of bread.
Lyrics: Robert Loretz
Music and Vocals: Brendan Malone
The Eucharist is a verb, not a noun;
an action, not a thing
It is almost impossible to stress this too highly. In other words, the Eucharist is not so much about bread and wine as it is about the people who share that bread and wine in memory of Christ. The Eucharist is not a relic, not a static presence. It is the reality of a living encounter with the risen Lord which we enter into whenever we come together at Christ’s table.
The Eucharist is not like going to a movie or a concert, or a sporting event. We are not supposed to be there simply watching something happening as if we were there as spectators. Christ wants us all to be part of the celebration. It is the community that offers Eucharist.
The Eucharist is far more than a relic. Jesus is there. But we must ask “what for?” Why is Jesus present in the consecrated bread? The answer is simple: he is there to be with us. He is there to have us join together with him in the work of salvation. Jesus does not come to us simply to make us feel good. He is there to make us be good. He comes to transform us so that we become fitting members of his Body here on earth and one day be with him eternally in heaven.
1 Corinthians 11:23-31
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
The John Six Blues
When he saw the hungry thousands
And feed them in their need, (Jn.6:5-13)
They came back again the next day
Just to get another feed. (Jn.6:22-26)
But he cautioned them directly:
“Seek the food that’s made to last” (Jn.6:27)
and he promised them a manna
that was better than the past. (Jn.6:27,32-33,49-51)
And they crowded ever closer,
And they hung on every word, (Jn.6:28,34)
But they never quite expected
The next thing that they heard,
For the food would be his flesh (Jn.6:51)
Given up upon the cross, (Lk.22:19;1Cor.10:16;1Cor.11:24)
And the drink would be his blood (Jn.6:53)
From the sacrificial loss. (Mt.26:28;Mk.14:24;Lk.22:20;1Cor.10:16)
Then they turned from him in anger,
“Who can cope with this?” they cried, (Jn.6:52,60,66)
but it all would be revealed
the night before he died. (Mt.26:26-30;Mk.14:22-26;Lk.22:19-23;1.Cor.11:23-30)
“Take and eat my body”, he said, (Mt.26,26;Mk.14:22;Lk.22:19;1Cor.11:24)
And he gave his very self, (Jn.6:53-8;1Cor.10:16;1.Cor.11:29)
Not just a piece of bread.
When he saw that they were grumbling, (Jn.6:52,60,66)
Did he offer to explain?
Did he say: “It’s just a symbol,
Let me make it very plain”.
Did he call back his disciples
Saying: “Don’t you get me wrong,
I just meant to get together
For some pancakes and a song.”
Just the opposite in fact,
He appears to make it worse.
He gets more and more explicit,
With every passing verse.
“For my flesh is food indeed, (Jn.6:55)
if you eat, I’ll live in you,” (Jn.6:56-7)
And his verbs in Greek get stronger,
He used gnaw and munch and chew. (Jn.6:53-8)
Was He speaking just in symbols?
No, there wasn’t a mistake,
If he’d meant just bread for bonding
He would have given cake!
“Take and eat my body”, he said, (Mt.26,26;Mk.14:22;Lk.22:19;1Cor.11:24)
And he gave his very self, (Jn.6:53-8;1Cor.10:16;1.Cor.11:29)
Not just a piece of bread.
Lyrics: Robert Loretz
Music and Vocals: Brendan Malone