Christian Communion Meditation

Communion means 'to come together', and it comes from the Latin word 'Communis'. It also means 'Thanksgiving to the Lord' for redeeming us from all the sins by enduring all the pain alone.

It is also related to the last Supper of Jesus that he had with all his disciples, and there he thanked people around him and distributed pieces of unleavened bread and wine. He told his disciples that night to do some of the acts that he was doing that night to remember him.

It is said that, this process is not for the great and the strong but for the sinful and the weak, celebrating and thanking the Almighty for his forgiveness and mercy.

It is also known as Eucharist or Lord's Supper, done by Christians as a ritual. The famous words of his are "This is my body which is for you" and "This cup is the new covenant in my blood". Eucharist refers to the bread and the cup and therefore Christians 'receive' the Eucharist. It is also known as the 'Holy Mass' or 'Breaking of Bread' or 'Agape'.

Its origin can be traced back to the pagan period and it is similar to the Passover followed by the Jews, wherein the supper has to be had in a reclined position, and the child of the family asks questions regarding the importance and significance of that particular event, and the father of the child or head of the family answers those questions.

It is a domestic affair wherein towards the close of the meal, the prayer is recited over a cup of the holy drink, and is then consumed by the participating members.

There are three main concepts behind it

1. The Theory of Transubstantiation according to which, the bread and the wine actually symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

2. The belief that Jesus is present in every communion, since these are the things that he did in his Last Supper, and wanted his disciples and followers to do them as a mark of remembrance.

3. For some of the Christian schools of faith, it upholds the spirituality and the sacrifice involved in the whole act of crucifixion.

It is a way of understanding that the Lord had sacrificed his life for all of us, and therefore there is something worthwhile that has to be done and not just indulge in the carnal pleasures. It brings peace to the mind and helps us understand this very fact about life, thereby investing it with more value.

It also reminds of the biblical event we have read of God wanting to get His chosen people out of the slavery of Egyptians, but none of the divine designs worked and thus a dark and rigid choice had to be made of killing the people who did not participate in the supper. Henceforth the meal was actually for all those special people who were the chosen ones.

So a lamb was sacrificed and it was eaten with unleavened bread, and these were the people (Israelites) who were left untouched by the death angel. Jesus wanted to hint us, his followers that even we are ensnared by the pleasures of the world and a miracle was needed for our redemption.

None of us are unworthy of communion, since the whole point of the former is to show a way to the lost souls to find God in their existence, and come back to the right path. Apart from all the other meanings, it also means being one with the Supreme, which one can also do alone.

These all are ways for ordinary people, who are too exasperated with the banal things in life to explore and realize, that there is immense strength in us, and there is no reason to be dogged down with the commonplace things in life.

So the next time when you buy that Mandarin tux or three-piece suit for your son or daughter to wear on their first Holy Communion, don't forget to tell them as well as yourself the reason behind going for the same.