Thought for 11th June 2020, the Feast of Corpus Christi

Scripture Extracts : Psalm 34, vv.8-10; 18

“O taste and see that the Lord is good!

 Happy is the man who takes refuge in him. 

O fear the Lord you his saints,

 For those who fear him have no want!

The young lions suffer want and hunger;

 But those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.….

………The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,

 And saves the crushed in spirit.”

Reflection

Today, traditionally, the Church celebrates the Lord’s institution of Holy Communion or the Feast of Corpus Christi. In the village of Arundel in Sussex, there is normally a procession to the Roman Catholic Cathedral, where a carpet of flowers is created to celebrate the occasion. Sadly, this year their celebration has been cancelled. 

At St Albright’s, we shall have our own lockdown celebration of thefestival this evening, broadcast live on Facebook. Members of our congregation will read the beautiful New Testament lesson from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians, recording the words and actions of Jesus as he interpreted for us the significance of the great sacrifice which he was about to make on the Cross for all humanity and commanded us, “Do this in remembrance of me”.  

Whether we celebrate with flowers or by tuning in to participate spiritually in the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper, the truth and meaning of the festival remain. If we taste of God’s love for us, if we take refuge in him, fear him and seek him, we shall find the source of everlasting goodness and sweetness. Jesus is the fulfilment of the words in Psalm 34. Through his death on the Cross, he not only came near to the broken hearted and crushed in spirit, he became broken and crushed humanity. These are the truths which the Eucharist reveals to us as we draw near to the Lord in spiritual communion. 

Taste, see, drink deep of God’s love and compassion. Bring him your troubles, hopes and joys and, as you do, pray. Pray for the broken hearted who mourn, for the crushed in spirit whose voices we hear, for the “young lions” who roar for a better world. Let us all be filled with the goodness and wisdom of God, with the sweetness of his life. 

Meditation: Madeleine L’Engle

Whether I kneel or stand or sit in prayer,

I am not caught in time nor held in space,

but thrust beyond this posture I am where

time and eternity come face to face;

infinity and space meet in this place

where crossbar and high upright hold the one

in agony and in all Love’s embrace.

The power in helplessness that was begun

when all the brilliance of the flaming sun

contained itself in the small confines of a child

now comes to me in this strange action done

in mystery. Break me, break space, O wild

and lovely power. Break me: thus I am dead,

am resurrected now in wine and bread. 

Music : Deep River    

Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into camp-ground.Ohchillun! O don't you want to go to that gospel feast, That promised land, that land where all is peace. Walk into heaven, and take my seat, And cast my crown at Jesus' feet.