Much as Baptism has lost almost all of its original sense of danger and risk evoked by references to drowning and the baptismal font being shaped like a coffin, womb, or cross, so too in many Christian communities the celebration of the Eucharist has been reduced to a quaint me ‘n Jesus moment of private devotion. Gone is any recollection that there was a reason the first Christians blessed, broke, and shared bread in the dark of night in subterranean burial chambers among the dead.

Our earliest forebears were intimately familiar with both the serious implications of this simple action and the penalty of being caught participating in such underground activities. To partake of the Eucharist is to dare to allow one’s life not just to be blessed but also to be broken and shared so that in and through the subversive grace of God all persons might have a place at the table of new life and be nourished by the radical, real, and risky love of God which flies in the face of every human caused indecency and injustice that keeps people hungry for food, shelter, dignity, reverence, love, peace, justice, opportunity, and hope.

I encourage faith-filled communities, families, couples, friends, and companions (com– with + panis- bread) committed to the Christ-life to prayerfully reflect on and dialogue about what Jesus meant by “THIS” when he said at his last supper with his friends before he was executed: “Do this in memory of me.” May you then have the audacity to enact what you come to realize together. And may I.

~ Dan

— Scroll down to see Panikkar’s words —

The great challenge today
is to convert the sacred bread
into real bread,

the liturgical peace
into political peace,

the worship of the Creator
into reverence for the Creation,

the Christian praying community
into an authentic human fellowship.

It is risky to celebrate the Eucharist.

We may have to leave it unfinished,
having gone first to give back to the poor
what belongs to them.

~ Raimundo Panikkar.