Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Discern the Body, Receive with Reverence

Bible Reading:   1 Cor. 11: 23-30

Key verse:“For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.” – 1 Corinthians 11:29

DEVOTION

Accepting the Holy Qurbana as Christ’s body and blood goes beyond a symbolic ritual.  It is a profound and living reminder of Christ’s unconditional love and sacrifice for mankind.
Apostle Paul during his missionary journey helped establish the Christian community in Corinth.   Paul’s letter details pastoral correction regarding their conduct of the Last Supper, which was influenced by division, self-indulgence, and spiritual carelessness.
The Holy Qurbana is a sacred moment where time and eternity converge. It’s a divine invitation to examine our hearts, reconcile with God and receive grace with awe and humility.  Christ’s past sacrifice, his present presence, and his future return all come into view.  It’s a divine mystery which requires a time of spiritual reflection, sacrificial remembrance, and reverence.  We are expected to partake in the Holy Qurbana with prepared hearts, humbled spirits, and surrendered lives, fully aware of its meaning and power.
On the night of his betrayal, Jesus transformed a simple meal into an eternal covenant.  This excerpt reveals that the Lord’s Supper was designed as a pattern of intentional remembrance and covenant renewal; not only recalling what Jesus was about to endure but also shaping how we live continually in response.
Paul warns in approaching the Lord’s table in an unworthy manner is not a call for perfection.  Instead, it reminds us of the true purpose of renewing the covenant with self-examination and repentance.  Receiving the Holy Qurbana with reverence helps realign us to live in a daily communion with Christ.  Let us also remember Christ’s promise of his second coming which not only acknowledges the past but reaffirms a future of eternal life with Christ.
May the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ renew our spirits, strengthen our faith, and anchor our hope in uniting together in love and reverence.

 

PRAYER

Lord every time we partake in your Holy Qurbana, help us to discern your body with reverence. We ask you to renew our hearts, unite us in love, and empower us to live as per your will with humility and awe.  Help us not to perceive this sacrament as a routine rather as a constant reminder that it is a sacred intersection of memory, worship, and mission.  Amen.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Let the communion table not be an altar of habit, but an altar of encounter.” (Leonard Sweet)

Rekha Samuel
St. Mathews Mar Thoma Church, Milton, Ontario, Canada

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