Consecration in a Bakery

 If a priest goes into a bakery and says the words of consecration, what would happen?

NOTHING.  

Absolutely nothing because it's not the words, by themselves, that change the bread into the Body of Jesus.

The priest isn't saying magic words that create change.  It's the prayer of the Church, the congregation, the faith of the people--the Church, expressed in the words Jesus used at the Last Supper, that empowers the priest to act as Jesus.  It's the liturgy in prayer, not a formula of words.  

This is difficult.  We can see natural, concrete, worldly bread and wine. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit communing with these natural substances, transubstantiation occurs.  The term Transubstantiation was first used at the Lateran Council IV (1215).  Thomas Aquinas explains that the natural substances aren't reacting to physics but deeper, rather metaphysics.  It's the inside that changes, not the outside (the accidents).  Surely, it is a miracle of faith. 

When we offer the gifts at the oblation of the Mass, we are joined by Christ.  That's the only offering we can give to the Father--His Son, who is transforming not only bread and wine but all of us as the Body of Christ for the salvation of the world.

Lesson One

 How did my lesson plan go?  Well....I'm not sure.  I don't know whether to be disappointed or not.  I'm teaching my grandchildren their faith.  One is 10 the other 6.  

I started by explaining God.  He created everything.  He is great.  I was only talking for a couple of minutes and I could see that the youngest was bored.  So I started talking about their parish church.  I gave them each a picture of their church.  On the facade are six statues.  I told them what each one was and showed them other pictures of that statue that were clearer.  When I showed them St. Paul, I said that he is holding a sword because he was killed with a sword.  The older one said, "Grandma!!! She's only six."

If they are upset because Paul was beheaded, what can I say about Jesus' crucifixion!!!

So I changed the subject to explaining the Mass.  I told them the Mass is the reenactment of Jesus' Last Supper.  Then I showed them Da Vinci's Last Supper.

Next was prayer. We tried to teach the 6-year-old how to bless herself.  It wasn't easy.  She kept skipping "The Son."  I told the big sister to help her every night.  

We finished by singing "Down in the River."

It took 20 minutes.  I worked days--Days, on this lesson plan and we completed it in 20 minutes.  But I won't be able to judge how it went until next week when we meet again.  I'll see how much they retained.  

As I was leaving I heard big sister say, "See, there was nothing to be afraid of."  This sentence made me reflect on the six year old.  What did she learn?  I'm not sure. I think she was confused; she didn't know what to think.  And now I know that she was nervous and afraid.  Poor kid.  No wonder she had such a terrible time learning to bless herself. May the good Lord help her and me.

Surely it is not I, Rabbi?

All my life, I've gone to Mass.  I've heard the story of the Last Supper, all my life.  Today, I heard and learned something new.

The disciples never used the title, "Rabbi," when addressing Jesus.  He told them not to.  Others who were not close to him, called him Rabbi, e.i., Pharisees and Sadducees.

So when Judas asks "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" everyone at the table must have perked up.  Something's amiss.

Yes, this is a foreshadowing of Judas' separation from the disciples.