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What Do You Call This Food?
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I like to think of myself as adventurous when it comes to food. Some of my friends can attest to the fact that I don’t have a favorite dish but enjoy any and every good food. Whereas some people might be comfortable eating only particular foods they like, I like to try out new things, even at the same restaurants. My philosophy in this matter is that the world has so much to offer, why limit myself to only a few options? Many years ago, my bishop advised me that when I am at a restaurant or at someone’s home, I should eat only foods whose names I can pronounce. According to him, in that way I can tell the medics what I ate, should I have an allergic reaction. Last week I asked you, “What are you eating?” Do you know the name of what you eat every time you come to Mass?
The Israelites did not know what to call the miraculous bread God gave them in the wilderness so they named it, "Manna," which literally means "What is it?" What we call a thing informs the way we treat it. Humans do not typically give precious names to things of inferior value. No one goes to such trouble as to glamorously adorn trash. Even if they did, it would still be trash, and worthless. In the same way, the Church reserves the most exalted of names to this august meal, which we call the Eucharist. To express its inexhaustible richness, the church addresses it by different names (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 1328 - 1332 for more on this). Some of these include: The Eucharist (It is an act of Thanksgiving to the Father), The Lord’s Supper (evocative of the meal Jesus had with his disciples before his passion), The Breaking of Bread (one of the fourfold actions of Jesus during the Last Supper - took, blessed, broke, gave), The Eucharistic assembly (the Eucharist is the action of the assembly who are gathered by the Lord, and it gathers us into an assembly of God’s people), The Holy Sacrifice (It is the re-presentation of the one sacrifice of Jesus), The Holy and Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion (We enter into communion with Christ whom we receive, and with our brothers and sisters), the Most Blessed Sacrament (it is the Sacrament of sacraments), Bread of Angels (the Eucharist is food from heaven. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven - John 6: 51), etc. The sublimity of the names by which we speak of this sacrament points to its exalted and revered place in the life of the Church.
Although all seven sacraments of the church were instituted by Christ for our salvation and sanctification; although all sacraments are efficacious signs, meaning, they effect what they symbolize, it is only the Eucharist that contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch (CCC 1324). This sacrament enjoys a privileged position in the life of the church because it is not a mere symbol but actually Christ whom we consume in the forms of bread and wine. So, when next you are at Mass and eat the bread and drink of the cup, remember that you are consuming Christ. Remember also that this is a privilege and not a right. Left on our own, none of us would be worthy to approach such a great mystery. We would die in awe at the sight of the grandeur of this mystery had Christ not chosen to come to us in ways we could easily relate. He comes to us in the forms of sensible elements of bread and wine so that our human senses can appreciate. But we cannot remain at the level of the senses, faith helps us to see Christ present even in his absence, in the form of simple bread and wine.
It is said that what you eat says a lot about you. Do you know what your food says about you?
May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!