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When I see the picture above, I see and feel joy.
When I lived the moment, there was joy. We finally had reached our
destination on a long trip. Why is this relevant? Read on.This weeks Sunday readings were particularly good. I read a wonderful take on this that I have quoted from below. There are lots of lessons in his commentary. I particularly like the point on joy and why Christ chose wine to turn into his Blood, and have quoted it below. I got this from the Zenit news service. I have only quoted parts - check out the entire posting by clicking on the link below.
From: Father Cantalamessa on Bread and Wine
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”
The Gospel passage continues the reading of chapter 6 of John. The new element is that to the discourse on bread Jesus adds that of wine; to The image of food he adds that of drink, the gift of his flesh and of his blood. Here, Eucharistic symbolism reaches its culmination and totality. But, why, precisely, did Jesus choose wine to signify his blood? Just because of the affinity of color? What does wine represent for men? It represents joy, celebration; it does not represent usefulness so much (as bread does) but delight. It is not only made to drink, but also to toast. Jesus multiplied the loaves because of the people’s need, but in Cana he multiplied the wine for the delight of the guests. Scripture says that “wine gladdens man’s heart andbread strengthens it” (Psalm 104:15).
If Jesus had chosen bread and water for the Eucharist, he would only have indicated the sanctification of suffering (”bread and water” are in fact synonymous with fasting, austerity and penance). By choosing bread and wine he also wished to indicate the sanctification of joy. How wonderful it would be if we also learned to live the joys of life in a Eucharistic manner, that is, in thanksgiving to God. God’s presence and look do not cloud our honest joys; on the contrary, they enlarge them.
Tags: Christianity, Catholicism, Eucharist, Blood of Christ, Wine, Joy
