Back in June, the CBS Sunday Morning show presented a feature about a hobby spawned by the Covid 19 lock down, one with devotees famous and non. It’s making and baking bread in your home kitchen. Housebound as we were in those early bouts with the virus, people had the time, if not the talent, but learned by doing of the fun involved in creating wonderful varieties of bread. This not to omit mention of those enticing aromas emanating from their ovens just shy of that first taste. This offset the imbalance generated by a paranoia over carbohydrates. After all, who can imagine a delectable sandwich without the bread?
With this weekend’s Readings in mind, especially Isaiah’s talk of a banquet and Our Lord’s miracle of feeding the crowd, it was natural for me to think about a link with this current fad. We human folk love our bread, as the supermarket aisle testifies to so many commercially made varieties of it. When it isn’t handy, some respond by making their own. Apply those thoughts to the special Bread, that of the Eucharist. While most of our parishes and other institutions delegate the chore of making and baking the unleavened bread to others, still we know the Holy Eucharist as bread par excellence after the Consecration at Mass.
Among the many lessons to be gleaned from the pandemic shutdown is the fact that our Christian life is weakened and left hungry without this Gift of His Divine Son. That Jesus chose this humble method of
identifying Himself with a host of bread and a cup of wine is remarkable, imaginative, and loving. In fact, it’s divine. No wonder that the Eucharist is called “the true treasure of our Church.” Hardly a hobby and never a fad.
God love you and give you His peace!