Eucharist and Community

Eucharist Should Bring the Community Together

The purpose of this paper is to show St. Paul’s development in his understanding of the how the celebration of Eucharist should bring the community together in the merits of the death and resurrection of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit within the body of the worshippers. 

In chapter eleven of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul praises the church for remembering the things that he taught about tradition and encourages the members of the community to remain steadfast in those traditions.  Paul is concerned about women exercising their role in the community and he reminds them why a woman’s head should be covered and a man’s head should remain uncovered and his hair worn short.  He writes about the status of man and his relationship with Christ and explains that Christ is the head of the man and man is the head of the woman and God is the head of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3-12).  He was writing this as a means of defining order in the community and pointing out that God is the head of the community. 

After his comments on women’s headdresses, Paul admonishes the community for other disrespectful and negative behaviors.  He gives two further examples of how the disrespectful and divisive members of the community are acting. First, he addresses the members of the community who strive to be recognized as important or who are seeking status from others which sets up the perception that some members are better than other members.  The second example Paul addresses concerns members of the community who are eating and drinking too much and leaving other members without food.  This is an act of selfishness.  Paul asks the community about these divisive actions and questions whether they are intentionally showing contempt for God’s Church by ignoring tradition and the Christ-like behavior expected of the community (Ch. 11-22).

He takes time to tell the community about the tradition and institution of the Eucharist and its importance within the community.  He asks the members of the community to remain worthy to participate in the Eucharistic celebration by avoiding behaviors that bring about judgment.  Paul warns the members that there are consequences if they eat and drink without first examining their behaviors and discerning whether or not they are worthy members of Christ’s community to participate in the Eucharist.  He writes; “therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and the blood”.   He continues; “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself”.   To add emphasis to his point Paul associates the illnesses, infirmities and even death among the members of the community as a direct judgment of God for failing to discern their worthiness to receive Holy Eucharist (Ch. 11:27-32).  Before Paul writes about spiritual gifts, he provides the community with instructions how they can avoid condemnation saying, “when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that your meetings may not result in judgment” (Ch. 11:33).

Paul explains to the community that spiritual gifts are given by God.  He encourages the community to accept the variety of spiritual gifts found within the community and by explaining; “there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit, there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone” (Ch. 12:4-6).  To further illustrate this point, Paul writes about the human body and its many parts and how each part works together as one.  He points out that in a healthy body there are no divisions and no part greater than another.  Therefore, like the body, the spiritual community is made up of many members and if one member suffers, the entire community suffers and if one member rejoices, the entire community rejoices.  In essence, he is telling the community that welcoming all the members regardless of their spiritual gifts, talents, or service strengthens the community not be jeopardizes it.  

Paul concludes his development of how the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit should being the community together by reminding the community that they are part of Christ’s body (Ch. 12:27) with each gift supporting the whole.  He tells the community about how God designated the church “to be first, apostles, second, prophets; third, teachers; then mighty deeds; the gifts of healing; assistance, administration and varieties of tongues” (Ch. 12:31) and that each member and their spiritual gifts has a place and a purpose.  He concludes by reminding the community that love is the greatest and most enduring of all gifts and love must be part of the community.