Have you ever heard the saying, “I love you to death?” This simple phrase when spoken to another evokes in the one who receives it that he or she is loved so much, he or she will be loved into eternity. Nothing, not even death itself, will ever break the bond of love that exists between the couple.
We hear Jesus say the same words in today’s Gospel. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The love of Jesus for us is so great that he is willing to give us his Body and his Blood so that we may have eternal life.
In Sacred Ritual, we see this most strikingly in the Rite of Viaticum. The Rite of Viaticum is truly the “last rite” of the Catholic Church, not that which many remember as “Extreme Unction.” (The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick or Extreme Unction has been returned to its original intent, which is to anoint people at the beginning of/or during an illness so that they can become well. It is not meant to be given to people who are close to death.) The ancient Last Rite, Viaticum, is Holy Communion given to a person who is dying. Viaticum means “Food for the Journey.” When a dying person receives Viaticum, he or she is given the Sacred food that will strengthen them and accompany them into eternal life.
In Holy Communion, Jesus loves us so much that he wants us all to have eternal life. While we are young and our life abounds, in receiving Holy Communion, Jesus strengthens us so that we can devote our lives in loving others as he has loved us. As we grow older and life becomes more difficult, in receiving Holy Communion, Jesus assures us that his love and support for us is constant. As we get close to death, in Viaticum, Jesus becomes present to us as he takes us by the hand and leads us into eternal life.
When we receive Holy Communion, Jesus says more to us than “I love you to death.” Rather, Jesus says to us, “I love you for all eternity.”
