Like most cats, Baxter purrs. In my opinion, he purrs when he is happy and content. I read somewhere that veterinarians are really not sure why and how cats purr. They seem to do so automatically. It can be clear and loud, or gentle and soft. It is provoked by a scratch behind the ear, a bowl of food or a deep sleep full of pleasant cat dreams. Whatever its source and however it happens, purring is contagious. The smoothing sound calms others. The relaxing rhythmic ripple mesmerizes companions into the same restful state. The effects of purring are shared. If Baxter purrs when I give him a friendly hello scratch on the head on my arrival home, the unsolved problems of the day or the stress of too many demands in too little time seem to dissolve in the feline serenade signaling simple pleasures. Purring is Baxter’s mood music to quiet the soul. It says that despite all the difficulties and struggles, all’s right with the world.
Holy Communion at the Eucharist says something very similar. Not from some physiologically generated sound, but from a deep peace originating in our hearts, the Eucharist creates a communion between God and humanity that is profoundly intimate and contains a clarity of truth that, while perhaps inexplicable, cannot be denied. God has become one with us in this worship, and so we become like God through our worship. The creative energy of God’s Spirit binds us to Him, by reminding us that God has conquered the destructive energies of our world and our egos through the death and resurrection of Christ. We eat the Bread of Life. We drink the Chalice of Salvation. This food passes through the body into the soul, and we are once again made whole. Without communion, the eucharist is spoiled like food left uneaten on the stove top. The Eucharist is meant to be shared, taken in, and consumed so that our souls can be nourished and healed by this special health food.
But this Holy Communion is not just a private affair between Jesus and me. Communion with God cannot be contained in a single relationship. It creates a network of relationships that grows and grows as we mature in the faith until it takes in the whole of life. We receive communion at the Eucharist so that we might become what we eat, other Christs. In turn, our shared identity in Christ binds everyone of us to each other as the Body of Christ in the world. We do this by sharing our communion with the world. We open doors to the holy for others by our witness to who God is in the way we are with each other.
Remember, our God purrs when we are around Him. He loves to have us close, sharing His life in its many signs of grace — forgiveness, generosity, justice, courage, humility, right judgment, hope, the truth of love and the love of truth. This is the source of the genuine peace we all desire, the contentment of a life well lived, and the happiness that nothing can take away. Holy Communion is not just a ritual act. It is how we came to be, why we continue in life, and the destiny to which we are called. It begins anew each week at the Sunday Eucharist, and is carried through the week in how we relate in our families, our work places, our recreation, and our civic responsibilities. Listen for God’s purr in the midst of all these other life sounds. It is the communion hymn sung in the streets, the living rooms, the offices, job sites and committee meetings where we live. It brings calming peace and soothing joy when we hear it in each other’s voices, preparing us for next week’s Eucharist.
