Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Sacrament of Holy Qurbana
John. 6:55-59
Rev Denny Philip

Carmel MTC, Boston

56.Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57.Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.
  
The Holy Qurbana plays an important part in the life of a Christian, whether they take it seriously or not. For some it’s a spiritual experience with a specific meaning. Some others find in it a satisfaction which they don’t bother to describe or verbalize. For still others it is an often repeated ritual. However, on the one hand, it’s an experience beyond description but on the other, the attempts of description enrich the experience.
1.  It’s an experience of communion with Christ.
Through the incarnation, God shared his Son with the world. Through his life and death,  Jesus himself opens up an opportunity for the world to experience eternal life by participating in his life- his body and blood. This participation should not be seen as limited to the taking of bread and wine but  as leading us to the elevated experience of abiding in Christ or being one with Christ. As the bread and wine becomes an inseparable part of our body, the abiding in Christ experience denotes a state where it would be impossible to draw the distinction between us and Christ. The usage “…abide in me, and I in them” points to this symbiotic relationship. It’s the relationship in the Trinity. The expression “I live because of the Father” shows the intensity of relationship in the Trinity”. Jesus expects such an intense relationship from those who participate in his body and blood. It’s also a willingness to participate in the death of Christ.
2.  It’s an entry into the life eternal.

Eternal life is the theme around which the fourth gospel revolves. The purpose of incarnation, as John puts it, is eternal life for all humanity. It should not be seen only as life after death, but as the abundance of life, experienced in this world, that transcends death. It’s a life that death cannot conquer. A mundane life concentrated on the material world seeks the bread of this world to nurture it. Such a life will be totally engaged in satisfying the need of the body. Jesus, however, offers a life that looks beyond the mundane and transient affairs to that which is everlasting. The bread from heaven enriches us with the potential to rise beyond the priorities of this transitory world so that we inherit the glorified life. For John, Jesus’ glorification was the crucifixion. Invitation to the Lord’s table is an invitation to that glory.

PRAYER

Lord, help me to be immersed in you so that those who see me, see God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
What are the priorities in our life? Transient or eternal.

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