Approximately 40 hours before Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross, He gathered His inner circle of disciples around a table in an upstairs room to celebrate a Passover Meal with them. I believe that at that meal, Jesus started His 'passion' - His suffering, and in a real sense, His death. Ahead of Him was utter loneliness, horror, despair, unthinkable pain, naked humiliation and a slow agonizing death. Really, it was all a process of death. Jesus marked the end of His time with His disciples with a highly symbolic meal of bread and wine and told them to always remember Him with this meal.
Christians differ in understanding the timing of what He meant. Did He mean only every Passover meal (in which case we have Eucharist once a year), or every meal, or every meal where Christians gather for the purpose of worship - or some other periodicity?
As for me, I like to celebrate Eucharist every Sunday - because every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ - and His Lordship over all things.
I heard it said recently that for ever meal, something dies - an animal, a plant. Something has to die to feed us - to give us life. How appropriate that Christ chose a meal to mark His death which gives us real life.
Give us this day, our daily bread.
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