Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
"This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22:19-20

   These words, spoken every day around the word, commemorate a ritual sacred to all Christians. It is the symbolic sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf – the body, the blood, our communion with Love. Almost always, there are at least two of us in this ceremony – one to give, the other to take. It is the original sacred encounter. And as this ritual is performed again on Palm Sunday, we may imagine this model for our lives. We give to others in need so that they may eat and drink God’s Love…

   We live our lives in communion as we go about our week. On this Palm Sunday, and during this holy week, we may remember a time two millennia ago, the final week of Christ earthly life. We can forget Love, or we can remember and honor her in each act of our lives.

His blood,
not yet shed, still
surges through his stunning
humanity.
One week to go.
One week.
After that
everything changes
so that, two thousand years
later, we still speak of him,
violate his teaching as we
sit astride our pews,
or live it in worship of
Love’s perfect carrier.

    Caregiving can be a sacred encounter, a holy communion, a joyful celebration.  Or it can be a meaningless transaction. The choice is ours.

-Erie Chapman