Easter Wednesday
Acts 3:1-10 | Psalm 104(105):1-4,6-9 | Luke 24:13-35
In my mind, the theme for today is recognition, and we see two sides of this particular coin.
After Peter cured the crippled beggar, everyone at the Temple still recognized him (Acts 3:10). Perhaps they remembered the cut of his threadbare robes, or his craggy weather-lined face, or some combination of his physical attributes, but his sudden and miraculous ability to walk didn’t hinder others from going “hey, isn’t that Craig the Cripple?” His state was altered, but his appearance didn’t change.
Contrast that with the Emmaus journey in the Gospel, where something prevented Cleopas and his companion from recognizing Jesus (Luke 24:16). Might it have been His divinity shining through His resurrected body, that warped their perception of this stranger? Or was it simply that they were expecting an ordinary human, so they saw what they expected?
And if Jesus had not then spent a considerable amount of time teaching them about Himself (Luke 24:27), would they have recognized Him at the breaking of bread? (Luke 24:35)
✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
Each Sunday, I witness more than a handful of people waltz into church in the middle of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, receive Holy Communion shortly thereafter, then waltz out again without staying for concluding prayers.
I have no doubt that they truly received the Body of Christ, but I also have no doubt that they didn’t recognize it for what it was, and therefore derived no spiritual benefit from the plain white wafer they consumed. For all I know, they may view it as an edible talisman, a lucky charm to ward off evil from within.
I believe that the preceding Liturgy of the Word is precisely to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually to recognize the substance of His Body, broken for us all, in the appearance of a plain white wafer. After all, transubstantiation isn’t exactly a run-of-the-mill concept to most folks.
The modern world excels in reeducating us every day about the primacy of the flesh, about “what we see” being “all there is”, and thereby promoting the philosophy of hedonism. Through that tunnel-visioned lens, Holy Communion is…just bread.
But through the Liturgy of the Word, we open up our minds and hearts to the wonders of God, for whom all things are possible. When we then participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, instead of observing from a mental distance…
This bread that we share is the Body of Christ,
This cup of blessing His Blood.
We become for each other the Bread, the Cup,
The presence of Christ revealed.
Amen.