Just Some Memorabilia?

 

In my house, we are going through a project of cleaning out our attic.  This cleansing, if you will, has produced many garbage bags.  These garbage bags are full of “stuff” that at one point or another we felt was something we could just not got rid of.  These items range from our kids’ homework to ticket stubs and programs from places we visited years ago.  At the time we put these items in a box, we though they by keeping these items, we would make the joy of the original experience remain alive.  And yes, as we looked at these items, the memory of an event or a moment did indeed come back, but as fast as it came back, it disappeared.  You see these items, while nice because they invoke memories, they are just symbols of something that once was.

What a difference it would be if we could actually be back in those moments.  How wonderful it would be if we could once again really and truly experience a childhood moment for instance.  How great it would be to actually be back at a favorite vacation.  How wonderful it would be to actually be in the presence of family members who are no longer with us.  That is certainly a different experience than recalling a memory.  You see, pictures and memorabilia, while they are nice, are merely symbols or mere reminders of what once was.

So often, my friends, we treat the Eucharist, as a mere symbol of what once was.  And it is understandable, because other things of religion do serve to simply draw our attention to another reality.  Our rosary beads, for example, beautifully serve to help us recall the great mysteries of the life of our Lord and his mother.  A crucifix reminds us and brings to our attention the reality of the crucifixion.  These are important things, yes, but they cannot compare to the Eucharist.

Jesus himself made it quite clear, “This is my body.  This is my blood.”  And yet so many of us, and perhaps each of us, if we are honest, treat the Eucharist, just like any other symbol.  For a brief moment when the priest elevates the host and the chalice, we are reminded of God.  Or even at the moment we receive, our minds flicker a thought about God.  And yet it is meant to be so much more.

And we see that Jesus encountered that same skepticism when he walked the earth.  They questioned, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven’?” And so, we question, ‘It tastes like bread.  It tastes like wine.  How can it be Jesus?  How can it be from heaven?’

And so, we treat it like a mere symbol.  It goes in a box.  The box goes in the attic.  Perhaps one day, someone will go through the box.  At that point a decision will be made.  Do I keep this?  Do I start to use this and cherish it in my life?  Or do I simply put in a garbage bag with all the other memorabilia.

- The Servant