Pastoral Reflection: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026
After the Lord’s Prayer, the clergy and people prepare to receive Holy Communion. The invitation, “With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near,” sums up the Orthodox attitude toward the Eucharist: deep reverence, trusting faith, and loving desire. Communion is not a mere symbol or a commemorative meal; it is true participation in the Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
In John 6, Jesus teaches this in no uncertain terms: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
This proved to be a difficult teaching, even for some of Jesus’ own disciples. But difficult is not the same as false. We accept with faith, even those things that we cannot reconcile with reason (that’s why it’s called faith).
The faithful approach in an ordered way, conscious that they are meeting Christ Himself. This is the most intimate moment of the Liturgy, when the promise of Christ’s presence is fulfilled in a concrete, tangible way. Having fed on Christ, the people are called to become what they have received—to live as His Body in the world, bearing His light and His love to others.
With love in Christ,
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