PRAYER

God of wonders, reveal to us today the mysteries of the Eucharist. Help us to live on the Bread of Life alone and to thirst no more. May the reading of Your Word spark in us a hunger to learn more and to follow more deeply in Christ's footsteps. Amen.

READING

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. ¹⁸ First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.¹⁹ But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

²⁰ When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. ²¹ For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. ²² What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

²³ For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴ and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.^[a] Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

²⁷ So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against^[b] the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. ²⁹ For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ,^[c] you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. ³⁰ That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

³¹ But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. ³² Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

³³ So, my dear brothers and sisters,^[d] when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. ³⁴ If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

REFLECTION

Saint Paul founded the church in Corinth but people's behaviour went bad after he left. They challenged his authority, abused the Eucharist, sued one another in court, allowed for unethical behaviour and some acted spiritually superior over others. This is why Saint Paul gives instructions on how to properly observe The Lord's Supper (The Eucharist). He warns that those partaking in the ritual must examine their hearts to ensure they are taking it with the right motives. In the Anglican tradition we offer a collective confession before we begin the celebration of the Eucharist. This is a time to examine our hearts, confess our sin and receive absolution so that we can eat the Bread and drink the Wine with a pure heart. We say:

Most merciful God,

We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Following confession and absolution we pass the peace because we have been forgiven. Reconciliation with God came from the Peace made through Christ's sacrifice. This is why we offer Peace to one another because God has made Peace with us.

Through the pandemic we have had to pause taking the Eucharist. Although when we meet in person, we can consume the bread, we cannot consume the wine. Many people miss the Eucharist because when we participate in the sacrament, we feel more connected to God and to the holy catholic church. We wait patiently for the time when we can eat and drink at the Lord's table, together, once again.

LENT CHECK IN

Consider listening to peaceful music, like a relaxation playlist. Take time to think about God's peace. What does it look like? What does it feel like?