Hi and welcome back to afaithtalk. Today is known as Corpus Christi, a day to honor the Holy Eucharist. It’s also known as a Feast of the Most Holy Body of Christ and the Day of Wreaths.
The word eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharistia. It means thanksgiving. To celebrate the Holy Eucharist; to take communion with thanksgiving; we thank Jesus who is the body and blood, the very life of which we partake.
Let’s take a short walk through some Scriptures that explain a little better and further, this particular mystery. First, Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, this day is one in which we remember. We celebrate Your last meal with the disciples and we ask for You to enlighten us with a little bit more understanding, to grow our faith and to bless us in the remembering. We want to hear it straight from You. All to glorify You. Amen.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul is explaining the proper way to remember so we receive these words to further explain the words Jesus himself said.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 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.” 25 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.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes? Yet He told us to remember, oh, remember Jesus died for you. He saved you from every sin you have ever or will ever commit, you are declared righteous in the eyes of God if you have the faith that Jesus really did die for you and now He lives and He will return.
John 6:35-40 NIV
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Matthew 26:27-28 NIV
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Forgiveness
We have been forgiven. We remember in the eucharist, as we take communion, that Jesus died for us. He was raised from the dead and reigns forever more for the church. He controls it all because He has us held in his hand. He will never drive us away; never let go. He will have us, no matter the point in our lives right now, ready and standing on the “last day.”
Because accepting this gift, the gift He died to give you, gets you in on all the other faith benefits. But it’s the foundational point. You must believe Christ Jesus, the Son of God, came to live on earth, died to take away your sins and rose again to ensure your right-standing relationship with God the Father. And He reigns forever as Ephesians 1 says “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”
(Ephesians 1:21-23)
Faith, my friend, is all that really matters.
You just have to have faith.
Be thankful. Thank Him for the way to remember him being as simple as the eucharist. As simple as a small piece of sanctified bread eaten with a small serving, or dipped into a glass of, in our case, sanctified grape juice. Thank You, Jesus.
May every opportunity you have to partake remind you to be full of thankfulness for all He has done for you.