1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NRSV)
Read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 on biblegateway.com
Verse 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Verse 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Devotion
St. Paul describes Holy Communion as "sharing (koinonia) in the body and blood of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:16).
A parishioner once asked me, "When did you ask Jesus to come into your heart?" He was astonished when I answered, "I never have." I explained that Jesus became part of my life when I was baptized as a baby, long before I would have been old enough to "ask him into my life."
The popular idea of "asking Jesus into my heart" puts the matter the wrong way around: Rather than say "Jesus lives in us," it's biblically more accurate to say, "We live in Jesus."
As you receive the body and blood of our Lord today, think not only of the bond between you and those next to you, but picture yourself surrounded by Christians from every continent on earth—because they are all with you at this Supper of the Lord.
Prayer
Lord, help me realize that my family includes fellow Christians from all over the world. Amen.