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The Sacrament of Holy Qurbana
1 Corinthians 10:15-17
Vs. 17 "we who
are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. "
A four-year-old was in church when the wine and
communion wafers were passed out. He was very interested in this, and
started to get up. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not
old enough to partake in the Communion. Later, when the collection
plate came by, he ignored it. His mother again leaned over and tried to
coax the nickel out of him. He steadfastly refused, stating, “If I can’t
eat, I’m not paying.”
Often times, we take part in the Holy Qurbana without
truly understanding the depth of its meaning. It is a divine
experience where God blesses and reminds us of His sacrificial death, our
salvation and the calling upon the faithful.
Holy Qurbana, Commission
to sacrifice:
The word “Qurbana” means offering. In 1 Cor. 10:16 it
says, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving…participation in the blood of
Christ…”. That is, to eat of the bread and drink of the cup is to
participate in the sacrifice. The shed blood and the broken body of
Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of all
humankind. As such, when we participate in the Holy Qurbana we are
reminded of His divine love and the commission to break ourselves for the
life and nourishment of others. It is in the breaking that others
are fed through our lives. It is a most practical but difficult
message. It is the commitment to deny oneself; to suffer loss for
the gain of the other. Qurbana is also a reminder that our lives
and witness should never be about us and our dear ones alone but, that we
are sent to be His body in the world.
Holy Qurbana, Call to
unity:
It is perhaps common for us to see a sense of some unity
amongst diversity in various nations and cultures throughout the
world. However, verse 17 of this passage speaks to a deeper sense
of unity in that it states, “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many,
are one body…” The essence of unity here is not on finding a common
ground of ideals or even a position of compromise. Rather, it
highlights that at the very core there is only one Body of which all the
faithful are a part. Regardless of racial, socio-political
differences, we are all united in faith through Christ. Therefore,
just as spokes on a bicycle wheel, our relationship to each other is
inherently bound in our relationship to Christ. That is, unity is
the call to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ, as we grow in
our relationship with others. Society often dictates social
positons and strata to divide, but Christ brings unity. Next time,
as you kneel down to receive the Holy Bread and Holy Wine look around and
remember you are called to deeper relationship with those brothers and
sisters as you grow in Christ.
PRAYER
O Lord God, help us to testify the depth of Holy Qurbana
as an invitation to remember our Savior and commitment towards unity
in becoming a living sacrifice. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“The
Seven Social Sins are: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without
humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principle.
From a sermon given by
Frederick Lewis Donaldson in Westminster Abbey, London, on March 20,
1925.”
Rev. Jaisen A. Thomas, St. Thomas MTC Yonkers, NY
Christian Education Forum,
Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church
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