Eucharist as Symbol
As with words like “meal,” “sacrifice” and “memorial” it is important that we begin our reflection on the Eucharist as symbol by stating what we don’t mean.
Normally a symbol points to a reality beyond itself. So a flag is a symbol of our country, but it is not our country. A wedding ring is a symbol of marriage, but it is not a marriage. A shamrock is a symbol of the Blessed Trinity, but it is not the Trinity. However the Eucharist is a symbol (or a sign to use the word in the Catechism definition of a sacrament) which actually is what it signifies - the Body and Blood of Christ.
If we keep this in mind, we can explore the symbolism involved in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and not take away from the reality of Christ’s presence in the sacrament. In fact, it should give us a greater understanding of it and appreciation for it.
We all know that the Eucharist makes use of bread and wine as the vehicles of Christ’s presence. And we know that Jesus Himself chose these materials to become His Body and Blood at the Last Supper. But we need to ask why did the Lord choose bread and wine? Why not fish, or roast lamb or cheese or honey or goat’s milk? Bread and wine were not the only food and drink available to the Lord. There were other things on the “menu” for the Passover meal.
The answer is that the Lord chose bread and wine to become His Body and Blood because of their symbolic power. Let’s look first at what bread calls to mind.
Bread is made from wheat - actually many grains of wheat. The kernels of wheat are crushed into flour, mixed with water and baked into a single loaf of bread. Bread is a symbol of one from many. So those who partake in the bread of the Eucharist are many, but through the Eucharist we become one - one with Christ and with one another. But first we must be ground up (die to self-centeredness) mixed with water (baptism) and baked in an oven (the fire of the Holy Spirit).
In addition, the bread Jesus used at the Last Supper was unleavened bread, the “bread of affliction.” It is the poorest of bread, the bread of people fleeing persecution and death. So by using this kind of bread for the sacrament of His Body, our Lord was identifying Himself in a dramatic and real way with the poor of the world.
Next week we will reflect on the symbolic meaning of the wine used in the Eucharist.
Msgr. David Lockard
Quote for Thought:
“It is in this world that Christian hope must shine forth! For this reason too, the Lord wished to remain with us in the Eucharist, making His presence in meal and sacrifice the promise of a humanity renewed by His love. Significantly, in their account of the Last Supper, the Synoptics recount the institution of the Eucharist, while the Gospel of John relates, as a way of bringing out its profound meaning, the account of the ‘washing of the feet,’ in which Jesus appears as the teacher of communion and of service (cf. Jn 13:1-20). The Apostle Paul, for his part, says that it is ‘unworthy’ of a Christian community to partake of the Lord’s Supper amid division and indifference towards the poor (cf 1 Cor 11:17-22, 27-34).”
- Pope John Paul II in the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, #20