BREAD AND WINE


This is Communion Sunday, when the Church celebrates what is known as
"the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper." You remember that on the night
before Christ was crucified He gathered His twelve disciples together
that He might have a quiet meal and talk with them. And it is that Last
Supper, as it is known, which we call to mind when we observe Communion
Sunday.

The first Christians did not have communion on Sunday. They used to have
a common meal together on weekdays, and at a neighbour's house. At these
meals they would recall the sayings of Jesus and His loving deeds.

But Christ not only had the Last Supper with His disciples, and taught
them to remember Him in the breaking of the bread: He also gave them the
lesson about the bread and the wine by which to remember Him.

You know how bread is made. Grains of wheat are put in the ground by the
farmer, and these grains give up their lives in order that other grains
may grow on the stalk at harvest-time. Then these grains are gathered
in, and finally ground into flour. Christ also gave up His life just as
those first grains of wheat in the ground. And He meant to tell us by
the bread at communion that if we are to help other people we must be
willing to give up our own selfish desires for their sake.

By the wine at communion Christ meant to teach us that just as the
branch of a grapevine must be attached to the stalk before there can be
grapes, so you and I must keep close to Christ in order to be able to