Jesus had a lot on his mind
at the Last Supper:
He knew that one of his closest friends
would soon leave the meal
to report him to the Jewish leaders
and lead them to arrest him.
He knew that his arrest would set in motion
all the events that would lead to his suffering
and death on the cross.
You would think he would have
more than enough concerns
to bother with other things.
Yet during this Last Supper
he was most deeply concerned about
those he was leaving behind.
He knew he would be taken away,
but he wanted to make sure
that no distance between them
would keep them apart.
So he took bread, blessed it,
and said, “This is my body.”
It was his way of telling them–
and promising us:
“I’m right here
in this bread and
all things ordinary,
every single thing
that earth has given and
human hands have made–
now offered, broken, and shared.”
The last thing Jesus made sure to leave for us
was his lasting presence
and proximity.
Yet when you think about it,
it’s a big ask:
By establishing the Eucharist,
the Lord is asking us to stretch
not only our imagination
but also our faith
so that we can accept an important truth:
What is real is not limited to the physical.
What is real goes beyond our senses.
What the world sees as a thin white wafer–
offered, broken, and shared
at the Eucharist–
becomes his actual body.
All appearances to the contrary
notwithstanding,
ordinary bread–when consecrated–
brings us his Real Presence.