On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its lead from some element of the day's liturgy. This evening we begin with Jesus' words in today's gospel:
They quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you... For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood remain in me and I in them."
The theme of tonight's prayer is treated at greater length in my homily for this weekend.
We spend a lot of time, Lord,
studying, discussing
and disagreeing about what you meant
when you spoke these words...
Indeed, Lord,
how can you give us your flesh to eat?
how can you give us your blood to drink?
Well, I'm among those, Lord,
who believe you meant what you said,
on the night before you died,
when you broke the bread and blessed the cup, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my body which will be given up for you...
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the chalice of my blood
which will be poured out for you and for all...
Lord, how can you give us
your flesh to eat, your blood to drink?
How do our gifts of bread and wine
become your body and blood?
The "how" is still a mystery, Lord,
but the "why" is plain and simple to me:
you desire to share your life with us,
you desire to be with us always,
you desire to be in communion with us,
a unity shared in body and soul,
bread and cup, flesh and blood,
here and now...
you desire to make your home in us
and for us to live in your holy heart...
You desire that nothing distance us, Lord,
from your word and your will,
your grace and your blessing,
your merciful, generous, self-giving love
and so you desire an intimacy
with us and our bodies,
with us and our souls,
with us and our faith and hope and love,
with us as guests at your holy table,
fed by your life in bread and cup,
your body and blood, given for us
that we might have life to the full...
I may not understand "how," Lord,
but I certainly, clearly see "why"
and I give you thanks for such a blessing,
I praise your name for such a grace,
the gift of your life, your body and blood,
in the bread and cup of communion with you
who desire communion with me...
Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake
and watch over me while I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Tonight's music is the same selection I chose for last Sunday's Night Prayer - I just can't think of a better song to accompany today's scripture and this evening's prayer...
Supper of the Lord by Laurence Rosania
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this protestant evangelical agrees with you!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, Eric (which I just saw) - you made my day!
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