Daily Bread

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Today is what we, in the church calendar, call Maundy or Holy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin 'mandātum' via the old French word 'mande' which means mandate or command. We remember the night before Passover where Jesus took part in a meal, taking the shared bread and shared cup to symbolise his own body in remembrance of him, and his blood shed for all, and he commanded his disciples to continue to do this until he fully came again.

We don't know what Jesus ate at that 'last supper'. We do know that he and his disciples were reclining, likely on cushions, on the floor. We know that it was common to have shared bowls of food, and that there was wine in possibly more than one cup. The bread would have likely been unleavened — a kind of matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah — which is more like a cracker than the bread with which we might be more familiar.

In the church, this form of remembering Jesus moved from taking place in a meal to becoming what we call 'communion' or 'eucharist'. The form and format varies wildly, but typically involves a shared bread which is broken, and a single shared cup of red wine. Christians soon discerned that something special and spiritual happens when we do this together — that somehow Jesus becomes one with us and we become one with one another — and so it became what we call a sacrament — a thing we do through which God confers grace to us.

Personally, I don't think it really matters how or when we remember Jesus in this way, but that it's more important that we do it together and in whatever circumstances or situation we find ourselves in, we try and give it our best and give reverence and respect both to God and to each other. I also think it's good to be expectant and open to God ministering welcome, acceptance, love, and grace to us as we break the bread and drink the wine.

Holy God
Thank you that through broken bread and wine outpoured
you minister to us your grace, mercy, and love.
Thank you that through the Holy Spirit we are one with you,
and thank you that we are part of a community of Christians
who journey together and do our best to be Jesus to one another.
With Christ and in Christ and through Christ.