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Eating and drinking are two things that we all need to do irrespective of our various differences. Of course, according to our cultures, we have different customs and rituals which are very powerful in conveying various meanings, which are real and down to earth. In a sense, it could be said that eating and drinking unite all human beings in a powerful manner.

On the night that Jesus was arrested he had a meal with His disciples. This was a Jewish ritualistic meal where they commemorated the journey of their ancestors from slavery to freedom - from Egypt to Canaan. Jesus celebrating this festival and having this meal with His disciples gave a new meaning to this old tradition and commanded His disciples to celebrate this meal until He comes again in glory. From that day till now, His disciples throughout the world celebrate this meal according to His command.

What are the implications of this meal for us today? How does it become meaningful in our times?

Apart from the Biblical records of the Last Supper, there are some very important documents which help us to understand the development of the meal we call the Eucharist. The second-century accounts of Justin Martyr and Irenaeus the Bishop of Lyons are valuable in this respect. Justin said, " For it is to us, not just bread and wine. Jesus Christ became flesh and blood to save us. And we are taught that this food, blessed by the prayer of words from him, is the flesh and blood of Jesus who became flesh"

These are the words of Irenaeus: "We offer to God the things which are His. Bread comes from the earth, but when offered to God it is no longer just bread. It is now something heavenly, as well as earthly. So when our bodies, which will die, receive the Eucharist, we have hope of the life eternal."

In his account, Justin has used the words of institution from I Corinthians 11:23-25 where Jesus said, "This is my body and this is my blood". Irenaeus used the Johannine concept of Jesus as the "bread of life".

Here we see how both of them emphasise the idea that when we offer something earthly - bread and wine, the fruits of the earth and human labour - they become something heavenly for our nourishment.

How can we make this meal meaningful today in a society where only about eight people in a hundred are Christians? Is it at all possible to make this meal meaningful to most people who live in this country? As I told you at the beginning, remember - irrespective of all our differences - that to live we have to eat and drink. Also, don’t forget that Jesus partook of this meal not in a church but in the upper room of a private house.

In the wider sense, all our meals are Eucharistic. This is true of the root meaning of liturgy as well. The word Liturgy comes from two Greek words - "λαός" (Laos) and "έργον " (ergon). Laos means people and ergon means work. Therefore liturgy means the work of people. What we eat and drink is the work of people.

By saying bread is his body and wine is his blood Jesus represented the fruits of the earth - the result of human labour - as his body and blood.

So we see it is not possible to confine the meaning of the Eucharist to the four walls of a church. It should be taken out into the wider world where people live and work.

In his poem "Hidden God" one of the greatest poets of India, Ravindranath Thagor, says, "When people pray in dark rooms and keep their doors shut God is not there. He is with the people who dig the earth, who repair roads in the scorching sun."

Often we come to the conclusion that when people don’t come to church they are not spiritual. Is this true? Our Lord and Master did not preach many sermons in so-called churches. He did not even take His last meal in a church or a temple.

This is a challenge for us today. How do we make Jesus’ body and blood meaningful in the places where people live and work? Many people today are concerned about the rights of workers. At the same time, there are many others who are dedicated to preserving the fruits of the earth in their natural form. Join them, because what they are doing is liturgical and eucharistic. Today some may think that people are not spiritual in the traditional way. But they could be spiritual in a very realistic and meaningful way.

Let us ask God’s grace to understand this spirituality of people which is both real and down to earth. For this purpose let us offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God who became flesh and blood to redeem us.