PERSONAL JOURNEYS - Communion

Communion is a sacrament that most Christian followers try to make sure they do at least once in a while. Different churches can do communion at different intervals. Some, like the Catholic and Mormon churches, perform this sacrament once a week. Others, like many Baptist or Lutheran congregations, once a month. And, still others do not perform it but twice a year, usually at the times of Easter and Christmas. The Catholic Church is adamant in teaching that only priests can perform this sacrament, while many Protestant churches believe only their ministers can perform it. There are others, however, that teach that anyone may perform the sacrament of communion, as long as their hearts are repentant and their minds open to the blessings.

            As a body of believers, we at Children of Father God and Mother Earth hold to the last position, that anyone may perform the sacrament of communion. However, we recommend that, if our fellow followers feel somewhat awkward doing it, there are many places where they may go online to have themselves legally ordained as ministers, and then they can rest assured that they have every legal right to administer this sacrament. The online site we usually guide our followers to is the Universal Life Church, or Universal Life Seminary. This organization will ordain anyone a minister, no matter what belief system they follow, complete with ordination credentials. This ordination also provides the legal ability in many states to officiate at weddings, baptisms, and funerals. There is no cost for this service, and it will provide reassurance in the ability of the follower to administer the sacrament of communion. (Please make sure you find the Universal Life Church that is based in Modesto, California, as there is another place called The Monastery that sometimes masquerades as this church for profit.)

            We have a communion prayer and ritual that we have found extremely helpful to the newer follower who wishes to administer communion to themselves and those in their household. It is based heavily on the Catholic Eucharist service that is conducted in Catholic churches all over the world once a week, but, once the follower becomes comfortable with their new role, they may make changes to fit their own preferences.

            For this sacrament, you will need the food and drink that will fulfill the requirement of the body and blood of Christ. Pieces of crackers and some fruit juice is usually used for this purpose, and will allow small children the opportunity to participate fully, where a glass of wine might prohibit their participation. However, any kind of food and drink that is readily available will be acceptable, as the ritual symbolically changes both of these items into the body and blood of Christ. These items should be placed on the altar.

The presenter will stand before the altar with any others arranged behind him/her in a semi-circle. The candles are lit with the dedications mentioned in the previous post titled “Personal Altars.” The presenter then conducts the following ritual (all words that are in italics should be said by all participants).

Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you, fruit of the Earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.

Blessed be God forever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation, for through your goodness we have received the drink we offer you, fruit of the Earth and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.

Blessed be God forever.

With humble spirit and contrite heart, may we be accepted by you. O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God. We now pray that this sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

May the Lord accept this sacrifice for the praise and glory of His name, for our good, and for the good of all His holy Church.

The Lord be with us. We lift up our hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God. It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere, to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, your Word, through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Savior and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin. Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, He stretched out his hands as He endured His Passion, so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the resurrection. And so, with the angels and all the saints, we declare your glory. You are indeed holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

This is the mystery of faith:

We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again.

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of His death and resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you. Humbly we pray that, partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit. Remember, Lord, your church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity. Remember, also, our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy. Welcome them into the light of your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that, with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with the blessed apostles, and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may merit to be co-heirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, with Him, in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,” look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, bring eternal life of all who receive it.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, your take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father, and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your death gave life to the world, free us by this, your most holy body and blood, from all our sins, and from every evil. Keep us always faithful to your commandments, and never let us be parted from you. Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.

Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

At the time He was betrayed and entered willingly into His Passion, He took the bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you.”

(The body of Christ is then shared with all participants.)

In a similar way, when supper was ended, He gook the chalice, and, once more giving thanks, He gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”

(The blood of Christ is then shared with all participants.)

            A hymn may then be sung, and the benediction mentioned in the previous post “Personal Altars” said to end the ritual.

We at Children of Father God and Mother Earth encourage those of our group to perform the sacrament of communion at least once a month, and also at Christmas and Easter. However, communion may be performed as much or as little as the individual requires. The important thing to remember is that this (along with prayer) is a way of becoming closer to the Creator, and that the mind and heart must be open to this blessing to receive its full benefits.