The Gray Monk

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June 10, 2004

Corpus Christi

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi - the commemoration of the institution of the Holy Communion. As you would expect, the Abbey marked this with a full High Mass and ended with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the site of the former Lady Chapel and the act of Benediction.

The Holy Communion (or "The Eucharist" or "The Lord's Supper") is one of the most distinctive acts of Christian worship, yet we differ on the "how" and the "what" and agree, possibly, only on the "why". The origins of it lie in the book of Leviticus, as the offering of fellowship, where the offering of bread and wine was brought to the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting and offered by the Priest to God - then shared between the person making the offering, his family, and any friends present, and the priest and his family. This action still forms an important part of certain meals in any Jewish household. After the bringing of light to the table by the women of the household, the Husband, father, or male head of the house offers a special prayer over bread - which is then shared. The meal proper is then eaten and finally the Cup is blessed by the eldest son (or the newest Barmitzvah son) and again shared by all at the table.

This is the action Christ converted to represent him here and which we commemorate in the Communion. Whether or not you believe in the transubstantiation, or follow the Orthodox belief that the sacrament cannot be abased or abused because it is only the sacrament if it is used as such, or the Protestant tradition that it is only a token, the underlying purpose and meaning is exactly the same - it is a meal consumed in fellowship.

The pattern of ritual has grown out of the early church's original fellowship or "agape'" meals which included Bible reading, psalms, and sermons, sometimes baptism and always the breaking of bread and the blessing of wine. It became too unwieldy to continue with this as congregations grew, so a separate act of worship was developed to allow for the "fellowship" part to become an act of worship - and then be followed by a meal. If you want to see the origins of the Western Rites that we use today you need to see the Liturgy of St James - all 4 hours of it - which is still in use in the Orthodox traditions. Or the Coptic service which is almost as old.

Whatever tradition you follow, the act of communion is the same - you are members of the Body of Christ and in sharing in the Body (Bread) and Blood (Wine) of Christ you are "in communion" or in fellowship with every other Christian of every persuasion and with Christ Himself.

If there is something that we should celebrate it is surely this - that He left us this physical token of His presence among us.

Christ is risen - he is risen indeed!

Posted by The Gray Monk at June 10, 2004 10:07 PM

Comments

Posted by: Brian Lewis at June 22, 2004 06:39 PM