Ad manducandum | To eat

For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk (1 Cor 11:21).

Dear friends in Christ Jesus, the early Christian community shared everything in common. We read about it in the Acts of the Apostles 4:32 –"And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any one of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." At the same time, we can not say that they were perfect. They, too, had their shortcomings. In today's passage, St. Paul is reminding the Corinthians about their division, selfishness and indifference. It is true that they gathered together as one community to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Which is a really wonderful time of prayer, worship and communion.

The people used to bring along food and drinks from their home. When the time came to eat they ate alone without sharing it with others. There were also poor people who had no food. It was a very humiliating and painful experience for the poor who had nothing. The indifference and selfishness caused division among them rather than communion.

Dear friends, in our lives too, God is blessing us with a lot. Are we grateful to God and are we willing to share it with others? We all know that everything that we have is a gift from God. As long as we have them, let us be generous. It can be our time, energy, health, materials, money, knowledge, experiences etc. Let us not expect anything in return other than God's blessings. May God bless each one of you.

 

Bible Reflection on 1 Corinthians 11: 17-26 by Fr. George Joseph SVD.

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