We want to
be healthy, especially during the “- ber”
months. Fever, cough and colds are common during this season and we don’t want
to get sick. That is why whenever we don’t feel well, feel weak, have body
pains or other symptoms, we immediately take medicines that will help us feel
better. It is good that we have access to capsules and syrups that help us get
rid of the harmful elements in our physical bodies that make us sick. But, what
about our Christian well-being? How can we get rid of the things that makes us
spiritually unhealthy? Every day we encounter temptations in this world that
leads us to sin. We commit sinful acts that make us live unhealthy lives. Sin
poisons our bodies. Is there an antidote for this poison? Is there a medicine
that can help rid our bodies of the poisonous effect of sin?
Gregory of
Nyssa, one of the early Christian teachers, described the Holy Eucharist as a
medicine. The Holy Eucharist, or what we commonly call the Holy Communion, is a
medicine that counters the deadly effect of sin. He said that the Holy
Eucharist is an antidote that heals us from the poisonous sin that leads to
death.
Every day,
in our work, in our school, in our offices we are tempted to commit sin. These
temptations make our thoughts, words and deeds acts of disobedience to God – we
sin. Sin poisons our Christian well-being. Sin leads us to an unhealthy life. We
need an antidote against this poison. The antidote must be something that has
power to overcome sin and death. That antidote is, of course, the body and
blood of Christ. This becomes the antidote because the body and blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate on Christmas overcame death when he
resurrected from the dead after three days. That body and blood of Christ is
present in the elements of the Holy Communion. Remember, Jesus said, “Eat this
bread for this is my body… drink from this cup for this is my blood…” Thus,
partaking in the Holy Communion allows our body to assimilate the “healing
effect” of the body and blood of Christ. Through the sacrament of the Holy Communion,
we receive the outward sign of the inward grace from God. John Wesley
emphasized that the Holy Communion is a means of grace. When we drink from the
cup and partake of the bread, we are actually receiving the grace from God and
the power that gets rid of the poisons of sin in our bodies. Isn’t that great?
We actually have a medicine that keeps our Christian well-being healthy. And
wouldn’t our bodies be healthier when we get rid of the poisons of sins
frequently? Wouldn’t we be healthier if we receive God’s grace through the Holy
Communion more often? After all, Jesus invited us to do it frequently when he
told us to drink from the cup of the new covenant, “Do this as often as you
drink, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:25)”
