Building Memories

In old age, one often closes their eyes to reflect upon the past, a past composed of people- like stepping stones in a babbling brook. One remembers children, their birth and antics; loves, some whom have passed on. Happy memories keep one attached to other people; things and places aren’t sentient beings. Memories are things one gets to keep; remembering makes one present-as if their actions have just happened, just seen by us. Memories, remembering them are a great consolation in old age.

One too remembers Christ; His mercy, His consolation, His presence always within us. In the dark hours of evening, when troubles abound, one prays, “Draw near, O Lord, our God, graciously hear us, guilty of sinning before you.”

It has always been so.

During the Jewish Passover dinner, the father raises his cup and asks, “How is this night different from any other night?” It is the night of remembering the Exodus when the sacrificial lamb’s blood was poured over the lintel of each home, so the first-born would be ransomed from death, and the Lord led the families from slavery to freedom, to the Promised Land. For us, the sacrifice of the Mass is the same remembrance, as the Lord leads us from the slavery of sin and death. It is the memorial of His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Abraham and Sari too remembered the blessing of the bread and wine by Melchizedek, the non-bloody sacrifice offered to God. Abraham too. must have remembered his willing offering of his precious son, Isaac, as he said, “God will provide Himself the lamb, for a burnt offering.”

The Apostles too, remembered the words of the breaking of the bread at the Last Supper, as Jesus headed into His Paschal suffering of Death and Resurrection. Did they also remember Jesus’ order to them to feed the crowd the bread of life, as they were reclining along the isolated area of Bethsaida, just as earth is a deserted place until one reaches heaven?

“Do this in remembrance of me," Jesus commands. Remember my loving, obedient, bloody suffering for you and for your sins, which I took upon myself, so you could join my Father and Me in our abode.

And us, do we remember our first communion with Christ, whereby we were joined with Him through the reception of His body and blood, whole and indivisible? “Christ is whole to all that taste.” He is our offering to the Father. Do these memories inspire us to make a spiritual communion, a thanksgiving of the Eucharist, our daily bread, each day we are unable to receive Him at Mass?

Jesus remembers us, our names, our needs, our talents, and our love. His love and our love are joined in the work we do to promote “Thy kingdom come.” Our apostolic, priestly mission to feed others, as He has fed us, has given us strength by our receiving Communion. He has fortified us to be able to say at the end of our life: “ I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”(2Tim4:7-8)