A few years ago, I went on retreat with some priests. One of us, who was born and raised in Ethiopia, took a group of us out for supper to an Ethiopian restaurant. It was a great experience- I learned so much in a place that uses no cutlery. We used very different bread to wrap the delicious food and laughed and learned so much about the fraternity we shared from such different lives and cultures.
Sometimes we take for granted how diverse our Church is- we think everyone has the same way of looking at the world as “we” do, and we’re confronted by how diverse this world is, but what brings us together is so much more amazing and beautiful. The Eucharist, the sharing of bread and wine that is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, changes us every time we receive it and unites the Body of Christ, the Church, which we are.
Every culture in our earth may have a different understanding of bread, yet we share the precious gift of the Eucharist. We may speak in different languages, different music, dance, expressions, but we together share one faith. Let’s rejoice in this precious gift of unity that we hold in our hands, our hearts, our souls, our lives… our Lord, our Savior.
Fr. John Sheridan