(6/2 [6 6

THIS MORNING WE ARE CELEBRATING ONE OF THE ZSTABLISHBD SECRETED OF THE CHURCH
OF JESUS CHRIST. THE LORD'S SUPPER OR HOLY COMMUNION. IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT SETTER
UNDERSTAND HIM AND THAT ULTIMATELY WE MIGHT PERFECT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, JESUS
CHRIS? INSTITUTSD THE SIMPLEST MEAL IMEGINABLE, BREAD AND WINE. HE, HIMSELF, INSTRUCTED
US TO USE IT AS A REMEMBRANCE OF HIM, AS OFTEN AS Wz PARTAKE OF THE ELEMENTS HE US#o,
TO RECALL HIS LIFE, HIS PASSION, DEATH AND RESSURR2CTLON.
WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO INSERT UNINTENDED MZANING IN, THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY

|
COMMUNION, FOR AS IS SO OBVIOUS ON THE OCCASION OF cuRIST'S BREAKING BREAD WITH HIS

]
DISCIPLES THE VERY ESSENCE OF THE SACRAMENT IS COMPLETELY DIEP ENDENT ON TH SPIRIT OF
THE MOMENT. ALTHOUGH WE CALL THE SACRAMENTS " MEANS OF GRACB" WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT
TO IMPLY THAT A MECHANICAL REACTLON TAKES PLACE. THINKING a WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY sN#
RICHED UPON "TAKING COMMUNION" BECAUSE OF SOM# SUPER | MAGIC IS A GRAVE ERROR.
IF THE LORD'S SUPPER IS TO HAVE ANY MSANING AT ALL WE MUST APPROACH IT IN A STATE OF

|
PENETENCE AND REVERANT REMEMBRANCE.

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION, WHEN THE PARTICIPANT IS FULLY INWLVHo IN ITS

EVERY MEANING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL THe LITURGICAL AND RITUALISTIC ACTS wk
PERFOR! IN WORSHIP--FOR THIS SACRAMENT CONTAINS THE VERY ESSENCE OF CHRI STLANITY.
THE TRUS PARTICIPANT R.MEMBERS THE ENTINE STORY OF CHRIST AND BECOMES PERSONALLY

INVOLVED, THE ETERNAL LOVE THAT WAS THE REASON FOR HIS COMING, HIS TEACHINGS AND

Za

HEALINGS, HIS DISSAPOINTMENTS AND AGONT#S, THE EXTREME sicRt cE THAT wAS HIS
CRUCIFIXION AND THE GLORY THAT WAS HIS RESHRRN pESURRECTEON AND VICIURY OVER EVIL:
HIS CONCERN FOR HIS FELLOWS, FOR ALL HUMANITY FOR vou re HE--THLS IS WHAT IS INVOLVED
IN PARTICIPATING IN THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION.

TODAY, SUNDAY OCT. 2 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS WORLD 08 COMMUNION SUNDAY. THROUGHOUT
OUR NATION AND IN MANY PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD owas Tras ARH PARTICIPATING IN THIS SACRE
ACT. THIS FACT AnvS TO THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE ARE HER DOING——FOR IN THIS SYMBOLIC
ACT CIRISTIANS DO S2uH UNLFESD FOR ONCE THR CHURCH DUz3 si T) BE ONE. THE SPIRIT
OF WW, COMMUNION 15 BST TYPIFIED IN A PRAYER OF JHSUS, panna IN THt GOSPEL OF
JOHN, OUR SCRIPTURE READING THIS KRWING. THIS :AYER ou URS AT THE END OF THE FINAL
MSETLNG OF JHSUS AND HIS DISCIPLES immediately before his arrest and trial AW ITs
SIMPLE BEAUTY IS SUCH THAT DEEM IT APPROPRIATS OF coitstbaBan TOW AT THIS TI Mx.

OUR FRAYERS A'? TIMES Ani GLOOMY AND SAD, Wii CUMPLAIN wi ASK WAY wh HAVEN'T
RECEIVED MURE, WE ASK SATISFACTIGH FOR OUR SINFUL GREED sur IN THE FACH OF TRAGEDY,
IN DESPARATE DREAD THAT CAST ITS GLOOM ON THE LAS? He sting JESUS FOUND NO ROOM FOR
ANY OF THIS, HIS FRAYIR RATHER WAS ONE OF THAR cevntess! Santas AND ASOVE ALL
CONCERN FOR HIS DISCIPLES ».ND CHRISTLANS OF ALL TIM#S, sus AS THE BIRDS S3HM TO POHRR
OUT THEIR VERY SOULS AT PHS END OF DAY, JUST AS MATHRE'S N08 7 BEAUTIFUL PERIOD OCCURS

AT THE END OF SUMMAR WHEN DEATH AND STILLNESS ARE NOT FAR--SO JESUS POURED OUr HIS

3.

HIS SOUL TO GOD IN HEAVEN IN THE FACE OF CERTAIN DEAN. syDUGHOUT HIS PRAYER HE vIS-
PLAYS ADORATION AND THANKFULNESS THAT HE IS ABLE TO OFFER snSRLe AS A SACRIFICH-~AS dE
SAID HIMSELF "NO MAN TAKES MY LIFE FROCK ME, CUT I LAY IT Doxa OF HYSELF, He WAS NO
UNWILLING VICTIH, HE HELD BACK NOTHING, Hi GAVE HIMSELF incoNuL TLOKALLY.

A LARGE PORTION OF JESUS! PRAYER 1S INVOLVED IN A PETITION FOR HIS DISCIPLES,
REALIZING FULLY WELL THT THEY WERE ALL ON Tie VERGE OF pESaTING HIM, THAT THELR
QOUBTS HAR BEEN ENLARGED BY THE APPARENT DEFEAT OF THE on THEY CALLEDLORD—-H
NONETHELESS EXPRESSES UMISTAKABLE PHIDE IN THEM "I AM GLOREFLED IN THEM HE SAYS
ALTHOUGH TO US THEY SEEM LIKE BUNGLERS AND COWARDS-~-HE WAS PROUD OF THEM AND EVEN MORE
THANKFUL FOR THEM. ALL THROUGH THE PRAYSR HE TAHNKS GOD P0R WTHOSE WHOM THOU WAST
SIVEN ME." PONDER THE SITUATL ON FOR A MOMENT, JESUS canst, THE LAMB OF GOD, THE WORD
MADE PLESH-~THANKFUL FOR A GROUP OF MEN LIKE YOU AND I, s1.0u TO ACT, HESITANT TO BELIEVE,
SOMz LAZY, SOME OVER ENTHUSIASTIC AND LIKE YOU AND I 50 VERY, VERY SINBIL. PERHAPS HERE
Wit CAN SE THAT LOVE THAT FILLED HIS SOUL, THAT DIVIMG Ponts THAT COMPELLED HIM To
GIVE ‘ISLIFR THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSSAND, PERHAPS IN J2505 cnrsr's PRIDE IN A GROUP
OF SHOODY FISHE RMSN WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE UNITY AND LOVE ws sxBOTS OF US.

Ih HIS PRAYER HE HEAVILY EMPHASIZiS UNITY, Hit ASKS co TM GUARD THEM AGATKST

DISUNITY AND FALLING// APART, KEEP THK THAT THEY 2LGHT BE ON IN HEART, MIND AND

AND PURPOSE. THAT THEY MAT BE ONE—HE PARNS. Jesus SAW ov OND BEIWEEN GELIZVERS TO
BE SO GLOSS THAT HE COMPARED THEIR ONENESS WIUH HIS UNITY «Tt THE FATHER--AND WHAT
HAVE WE DONE, STARTING IN THE BOOK OF AGTS AND FOLLOWING Dow THROUGH TH CENTURIES
CHRISTIRN MEN HAVE CONSIS TANTLY DISTINTEGRATED INTO A MOB oF ANGRY, SNARLING, SECTS,
CONDEMNING ONE ANOTHER, OPPOSING ONE somuim —-AXCaUMmUNTe ATING ONE ANOTHER. THERE Was
TROUBLE BETWEEN THE FOLLOWERS OF PAUL AND THOS® OF PETER-—HVEN AS CHRISTIAN MEN TODAY
HAVE CREATED SEEMINGLY UNBRIDGEABLE GAPS BETWEEN THEIR Subic DENOMINATIONS.

LOOKING BACK NOW WE CAN S#S How WIS JESUS, WAS FOR PRAYING YHOLD THEM TOGETHSR,
HELP THE TO PRESERVE THEIR UNLTY" IT 1S A CONSOLING rHOUCII THAT FOR US TOO HE WAS
PRAYING "HOLD THR TOGETHER"--BUT AT THE SAME TIME A BIT bis mutt We.

THLS MORNING AS WE PAR TAKS OF THE SLEMENTS GF HOLY cose uN TOGETHOR, LET US
NOt FAIL TO R MEMSER THAT JESUS CHRIST INPENDED PELIEVERS 0 BE ONE+-AS His WAS ONE
WITH THE FATHER: AND LET THIS CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT BE GHARECTERIZ&D BY HsAkTt

FELT UNITY--COMMUNION WITH CHRISTIAN BROTHERS EVERYWHERE. |
‘e\ us nv Eee \ Ao realiz« AW > prsde J + low .
Yor isegles % YS 0 ON e\ the eke beak. be hye 4

Ys tak chin &

Eyer 4 Van