The Communion

I’ve been doing some research into Catholic teaching, especially as it pertains to the Eucharist or Communion.  As you may or may not know, Catholic teaching is that once the bread and wine are consecrated by a priest, they become the actual body and blood of Christ.  Protestants generally believe that the bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ, with some variation of that among the high church Protestants.

Although I don’t believe that Christ’s body is actually present in the elements, I do believe that we Protestants many times approach the communion service with a less-than-appropriate attitude and thought process.  It is just something we do along with everything else on Sunday morning, and many times is relegated to second, third, or even a perfunctory place in our services.

We do, or should, understand the literal presence of Christ as we take the elements and celebrate the Communion.  Again, the elements are just that…bread and wine.  Christ’s presence is not in the form of his literal body and blood, but is indeed truth.  After all, he said that he would take it along with us in the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29).  Just how his presence manifests is and should remain one of the mysteries of the faith.  It is sufficient that his word said he would be with us.  We need not have a scientific explanation for it.

We need to remember that and approach the communion as if Jesus Christ was standing in the front of the auditorium, he himself offering thanksgiving for the elements.  Because somehow, some way, brothers and sisters, he is.