Institution of the Eucharist

In the Fifth Luminous Mystery, we contemplate the Institution of the Eucharist.

From the Gospel of Matthew (26:26-28)
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Commentary by St. Leo the Great
Our participation in the Body and Blood of Christ is intended to transform us into what we receive. However, it is not enough to receive Him; we must make ourselves worthy by abandoning sin and walking the way of the cross.

Meditation 1
“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.”” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, warning them that divisions and inequalities within the community were compromising the true meaning of the celebration of the Eucharist and threatening the unity of the Church.

Without the Eucharist, there is no Church, and without the Church, there is no Eucharist. The Eucharist is, above all, the gathering of Christians, this community founded by Jesus and called the Church. As members of the Body of Christ, we Christians celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, as He taught us.

If one day the Eucharist ceases to be celebrated, then that day, the Church will cease to exist. Just like an association whose members never gather would disappear, the Church would similarly cease to exist without the celebration of the Eucharist—the living memory of the birth, life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. In the human body, the heart pumps the blood, sending it to the cells and then receiving it back. Similarly, the life of a Christian is a constant movement between the Eucharist and the world. In the past, at the end of the Latin Mass, the priest would say “Ite missa est,” which meant “you may go, the Mass has ended,” but also implied, “the Mass has ended, now the mission begins”.

Meditation 2
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25) Jesus interpreted His own death as that of a grain of wheat which, to bear fruit, needs to die; one must renounce oneself and understand that one’s life is not for oneself, but for others, in order to serve a greater purpose.

"No one has greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends," said Jesus. Just as a mother gives her life for her child, in the beginning, the baby's nourishment comes from the mother's body. In Portuguese, the word " mamã " comes from the word “mama” or breast, the source of nourishment; and as the child grows, the first solid food is “papa” or porridge made from the cereals grown by the father, whom the baby learns to call "papa”. 

The food chain is made up of living beings that feed on each other. Life only feeds on life. Living on this planet, we are subject to the laws of nature. Just as we need to “kill” to keep our bodies alive, we need to die to find meaning in life, like that grain of wheat.

In other words, to live a meaningful life, we must spend our lives in the service of something greater than ourselves. Beethoven was nourishment for music, just as Gandhi was for non-violence and Nelson Mandela was for the fight against racism. And what about us? What are we food for?

The Eucharist, in addition to keeping the Church as a community that continues Christ's mission on earth, also contains the meaning of human life. We participate in the Eucharist to become more eucharistic, giving our lives in service and love to others.

Prayer 
Lord Jesus,
You gave us the gift of the Eucharist at the Last Supper,
Your Body and Blood given out of love,
help us to live this living and transforming presence in our daily lives.

May we, as we partake of Your Body,
be transformed into Your image,
renouncing sin and embracing the path of the cross with humility and gratitude.
May we, like the grain of wheat, die to ourselves
so that our lives may bear fruit in love, service, and self-giving to others.

Teach us, Lord,
to be more eucharistic,
becoming instruments of Your peace,
witnesses of Your justice,
and living signs of Your Kingdom in the world.

May we, as we participate in the Eucharist,
be sent on a mission,
bringing Your light and love to everyone we meet,
so that Your Kingdom of fraternity, justice, and peace may grow among us. Amen.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC