Gen 14:18-20 / Ps 109 / 1Cor 11:23-26 / Lk 9:11-17
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME
The bread and wine in the Bible have a great meaning, because they represent the necessary sustenance for life. Those same elements are the ones that Jesus offers to his disciples during the celebration of Easter, the last one that he would celebrate with them. But they are not given as simple food, but as the offering that is given in sacrifice; just as Jesus was about to give his life for the forgiveness of sins and for the salvation of all, he offers them in bread and wine, his body and his blood. That from that moment they are food not only for this life, but for eternal life.
Thus, from that moment on, the celebration of the Passover meal occupied a fundamental place in the life of Christian communities; This is how Saint Paul reminds us in the first letter to the Corinthians, in one of the oldest written testimonies we have of the Eucharistic Celebration. The words of blessing that Jesus pronounced at the Last Supper continue to be updated in each Eucharist that we celebrate at the request of Jesus: "Do this in memory of me" (Lk 22:19). "Take, eat; this is my body." "This (the bread) is my body" (the person of Jesus). He did the same with the wine, stating "This is my Blood."
Today it would be worth doing a personal and community examination of conscience, to review our celebrations, to see how we understand and how we live this sacrament every Sunday.
Σχόλια