I Think I Know

. . . the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).

And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement (Leviticus 17:10-11).

So Jesus said to them, "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 yourselves. He who eats 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. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:53-56).

I think I know

Why St. Paul told Christians at Corinth,

“Don’t participate in pagan communion.”

For somehow,
in some mysterious,

mystical way

their communion

joined them

with demons.

I think I know

why Moses warned Israel,

“Don’t drink sacrificial blood.”

For somehow,
in some mysterious,

mystical way

the life of the flesh

is in the blood,

and God did not want

His people

joined with animals.

I think I know

why Jesus commands us,

“Eat My flesh,

drink My blood.”

For somehow,
in some mysterious,

mystical way

Holy Communion joins the Christian

with Christ’s divinity.
It joins us with Christ’s

eternal life.