When we start making the Eucharistic meal something to define membership instead of to proclaim grace and gift, we always get in trouble; that’s been the temptation of every denomination that has the Eucharist. Too often we use Eucharist to separate who’s in from who’s out, who’s worthy from who’s unworthy, instead of to declare that all of us are radically unworthy, and that worthiness is not even the issue. If worthiness is the issue, who can stand before God? Are those who receive actually saying they are “worthy”? I hope not. It is an ego statement to begin with.�In fact, we Catholics even say “Lord, I am not worthy” right before we come to the altar.�I guess we don’t really mean that, and it is just a pious bluff.

The issue is not worthiness; the issue is trust and surrender. It all comes down to “confidence and love,” as Th�r�se of Lisieux said.� I think that explains the joyous character with which many celebrate the Eucharist. We are pulled into immense love and joy for such constant and unearned grace. It doesn’t get any better than this! All we can do at Eucharist is kneel in love and then stand in confidence. (St. Augustine said that the proper posture for prayer was standing proud and erect, because we no longer have to grovel before God or fear God, if God is like Jesus.)

Adapted from Eucharist as Touchstone (CD, MP3)