Become What You Eat (Saturday, Week 23, Year 2)

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In most religions, there is a practice of offering some kind of food to the deity as a sign of communion. Something must be offered. It can be some produce of the land, or food or even an animal. At the end of it all, those present at the sacrifice partake of it to show that they are in communion with the deity and with one another. What is the logic behind this practice? Experience has shown that those who regularly eat together often tend to “stay” together. Even within the context of worship, a ritual meal is meant to foster some communion or unity with the god/deity and with the rest of the worshippers.

That is why St Paul gently reminded the Corinthians that “the cup of blessing which we bless is a participation in the blood of Christ and the bread which we bless is also a participation in the body of Christ” (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16). Simply, what he was saying is that “the Eucharistic meal which we offer at mass should be a means through which we unite ourselves more strongly with Christ and with others”. And that is why he went further to say that “since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread”. To neglect this fact and approach the Eucharistic meal is nothing short of idolatry. We should not forget that the Eucharist is called Holy Communion; in other words, we must eat become what we eat by fostering unity and communion wherever we find ourselves.

In the gospel reading (Luke 6:43-49), Jesus seems to be helping us better understand what St Paul is talking about or aiming at by saying that “No good tree produces bad fruit; and that the good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. If we are to bring this analogy closer to ourselves who consume the Body and Blood of Christ (the Holy Communion), do the Communion which we consume, which goes into us to form our hearts and consciences, make us agents of communion or unity? It is sacrilegious and idolatrous to consume Holy Communion and still keep malice, cause division and work against unity in our families and communities. Let us do what we hear from God; let us become what we eat!       



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