Freast of 'Corpus Christi' - 'A'

Saturday May 28, 2005

My Favorite Bread

The preparation for First Holy Communion at St. Joseph is very special as I am sure it is for every parish and for every family. However, the preparation at St. Joseph includes a special ‘family night’ during which a short video illustrating the meaning of Eucharist at an age appropriate level is viewed, followed by a short dialogue, the making of small banners on which the name of the first communicant is placed, and most important of all, the sharing of bread.

The meeting begins with first communicants identifying themselves and the name of their favorite bread for example, “My name is Billy Jones and my favorite bread is….”

When I was a child, the variety of bread was limited to plain white, whole wheat, rye, raisin and pumpernickel. Of course bakers were less entrepreneurial and we weren’t as health conscious then as we are now. The variety today is extraordinary. Perhaps their parents are behind the variety of favorite breads because some of the children have said, “My name is “Jill but I can’t remember the name of my favorite bread.” something exotic no doubt.

There is banana bread, pumpkin, zucchini, monkey bread, cinnamon raisin bread; white-mountain, Italian, French, Irish soda bread, potato pastarcio nut bread, and the list is endless.

The bread is blessed at the start of the meeting and, as I mentioned above, shared during the making of banners. The greatest challenge of the evening is getting the children to help their parents making the banners!

It takes almost as much effort to prepare for and execute this special event as it does the very celebration of First Communion. Jim Jungels, religious ed ‘pastor’ at St. Joseph is an extraordinary ‘shepherd’ of the religious ed community. However, everyone seems to agree, it is an essential part of the preparation the celebration of First Communion at St. Joseph Church.

One of the lessons the children learn is that the bread we share with one another during this session becomes part of us. Different though we all are, one from another, we are able to cross barriers through the sharing of different kinds of bread. Sharing a meal often has that effect. We are a family united in Christ.

The second lesson is that the bread that we share at the Eucharist table is different. It is plain unleavened flour mixed with water and it tastes flat. The children learn that it is not the taste that matters because this is bread for the soul. Moreover, at this table we become the bread that we eat and over time we are transformed into the body of Christ. That is the exact name that St. Paul used to describe the early followers of Christ. This is the bread that makes us truly one.

The third lesson the children learn in the course of their preparation is the importance of the Eucharist table and their family table. When I used to ask them, “Where is the most important table in the parish?” Pointing to the Eucharist table, they would respond immediately, “Right there!” “And the second most important table?” They call out, “Our family table!” Right on! and the third? “The table of humanity.” And we need to keep the three tables connected.

What would life be like without our family table? It is where the family memory bank is opened wide. Think of all the family stories that have been shared at your table-stories that made you laugh and stories that made you cry but all of them healing stories which kept you faithful and in touch with loved ones who have come and gone throughout the years. Video tapes can’t really capture the soul of the story-we need the story to be told live and unrehearsed.

Consider how often Jesus sat at table with his friends and even with sinners. The story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes appears six times in the four gospels. Take note of the eucharistic language in Luke’s narrative: “Then taking the two loaves and five fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crown.” Luke is preparing us for ‘The Supper’ during which Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke saying, ‘this is my body.’”

John the evangelists underscores the reality that this is truly the flesh and blood of Jesus not in a cannibalistic sense but in the sense that this is the very life of Jesus. In essence he was saying, “This is my life for you; this is my blood which now will surge through your veins.”

It is not surprising then, that Jesus would chose the table and the most basic of foods as the vehicle through which he would continue his presence among his followers.

We become what we eat at this table.

Just as we can’t do life without our family table so we can’t do life without the Eucharist.

It is a pity that our ancestors in response to the Reformation mandated attendance at the Sunday Eucharist under pain of mortal sin. What a sad commentary on the Church of those times. It is no surprise then that after Vatican II with the resurgence of independent Catholics taking responsibility for the practice of their faith many rebelled at the thought of forced attendance at Eucharist. We come to this table not out of fear of eternal damnation but out of the longing for personal and communal healing and renewal.

It is the most important thing we do every week not because the Church demands it but because we need it.

“Hi, my name is Kenny Lasch and my favorite bread is the Eucharist Bread.”

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