Become what you receive

One of the traditions in parts of the early Church at the time of giving Communion was for the person administering the bread and the wine to say to the one receiving.

Become what you receive

and the communicant would respond

The Body of Christ

In that sense the eating of the food of the Eucharist is different from our normal eating.

When we eat the piece of lemon cake, or steak

it becomes part of us

when we eat the Body of Christ

and drink the Blood of Christ

It does not become us

we are becoming Christ’s Body

This is God’s way of feeding us.

Not so that Jesus becomes like us

but so that we become like Jesus

We will do that today

and perhaps for the Easter season

As we give the sacred food

we will say

Become what you receive

and you might like to say

The Body of Christ

The Blood of Christ

or simply Amen!

Baptism

This of course is also what’s happening

in baptism.

When we are signed with the Cross

it is being signified

that we are beginning a journey

to become like the one whose mark we now bear

Jesus!

So as we recommit ourselves

today

I turn to Christ

I repent of sin

I reject selfishness

I renounce evil

We are saying

this is my heart’s desire

to become The Body of Christ.

The Body

As I share the Eucharist

I am asked what do I want become

When we come to be baptized

or to recommit

and my prayer is

The Body of Christ

I turn to Christ.

As I eat the food

and you eat the food

The food doesn’t become us

We become what we receive.

We become the same thing

this is a powerful understanding for

Communion and Baptism.

May we all become what we receive