Have you ever thought of the Eucharist as a banquet? This picture might sound a bit strange or flippant to some, but that is what it is. The Eucharist is a banquet, a glorious meal, a time for happiness and celebration, but it is more than that. It is a moment in our lives when competition is put aside, when aggression is left at the door, and when we can be at peace with ourselves. When we are at peace with ourselves we can be at peace with others. A simple meal can be a peak experience in a family as men, women and children relax and enjoy each other’s company without having to prove anything except their love for each other. They have nothing to fear when they are bound by love and friendship. The Eucharist is like that, but it is a lot more.

Jesus is a kingly party-giver, a generous host who has prepared an incredible feast for us. His invitation is pure gift. He has invited us to take part in this banquet in which He is our food and our drink. If we are to take our places at this feast, we must first admit our hunger and thirst for righteousness, and then commit ourselves to satisfying the hungers and thirsts of others. We need to do this each time we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist, the re-enactment of the last supper which Jesus celebrated with His disciples before His passion and resurrection.

Every Holy Thursday, Catholics celebrate the institution of the Eucharist within the Eucharist itself. Jesus’ life was all about service. He was the man for others, par excellence. So the first thing He did before the banquet began was to wash the feet of His disciples. He performed this meaningful act to impress upon us the need to be of service to one another, and to emphasize that people will know we are His followers by our love ( Gospel of John 13 : 15).

The Eucharist demonstrates that Jesus’s life and the lives of His true followers are all about love. He came, not to be served, but to serve. The Eucharist is the new Passover sacrifice that replaces the old Passover sacrifice of the old Testament. In it, Jesus offers His very self for the forgiveness of sins while becoming for us our spiritual food. Sacrifice and Communion all wrapped up in one in the Eucharist! When we consume the consecrated bread and wine we are taking Christ into ourselves so as to become a living temple in which He tabernacles Himself. Thus God makes Himself intimately present to us in the Eucharist. He is not only outwardly present in the miracles of creation or in His word or in the community of faith when two or three are gathered in His name or in the poor and destitute of the world. He is now miraculously present in the bread and wine whenever we consume them worthily.

May we all learn to experience the true gift of the Eucharist that unites us to the Lord and to one another and impels us to put into practice the true love of Christ.

Fr Hugh Duffy