Daily Meditation: Thursday, April 8, 2004

Host - its symbolic value is strengthened by the attitude of the faithful

04/08/2004

The Host that Christians receive at communion is intended to remind them of the bread Jesus gave to his disciples at the Last Supper, saying: ‘Take, eat; this is my body.' Since it contains more or less the same ingredients as bread, in the material sense the Host offers nothing more than a mouthful of bread. But it is a substance which has been given a symbolic function: it represents the body of Christ. Through his blessing, the priest communicates spiritual energies to this Host, and it is up to the believer who receives it to understand its sacred significance. Does not the believer, then, have the most important role? By his inner attitude, he can eradicate what the blessing of the priest has given him or, on the contrary, he can reinforce it, according to how he considers the Host he receives