Rituals are a common everyday occurrence in our lives. There are academic rituals, such as commencements and convocations. Common civil rituals include inaugurations or speeches like the State of the Union Address. Family rituals are numerous, from birthday parties and Sunday dinners to tending the graves of loved ones on Memorial Day. Religious rituals are just as numerous and oh-so-important.

Rabbi Vanessa Ochs has written about the importance of rituals. She says rituals “offer ways for emotion to be contained and channeled … bring structure to complicated and dramatic social changes … offer a sense of belonging … affirm the identity of the individual within the community … connect us to groups … suggest a deeper world of meaning beyond the mundane habits of the everyday … transcend time, connecting us to our ancestors and to those who will come after us … address our need for belonging and emotional reassurance … help us to live out our values.”

Perhaps that last one – helping us to live out our values – is what Jesus had in mind in Paul’s memory of the Last Supper, when he wrote that Jesus took bread and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Paul goes on to share that in the same way, Jesus took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Paul explained that for as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

The Words of Consecration are the cornerstone around which every Mass is built. This was Jesus’ commandment to the twelve assembled with him, and each time they echoed his words, they not only reaffirmed their belief that Jesus died and rose again for our sins, but they shared with all gathered around them, their commitment to their faith, their beliefs and their values.

When we participate in this ritual of the Church and celebrate the Eucharist of the Lord, do we, as Ochs has suggested, find ways for emotion to be contained and channeled … bring structure to the complicated dramatic social changes … affirm our identity within the community … connect to groups … sense a deeper world of meaning beyond the mundane habits of the everyday … connect to our ancestors and to those who will come after us … address our need for belonging and emotional reassurance?”

For most of us, the answer would be yes. But Jesus wanted the Celebration of the Eucharist to be more than a ritual. He wanted it to have lasting impact, to continually motivate us to lead more Christ-like lives in service to others; to inspire us to be more forgiving of the weaknesses and faults of others, and of our own faults and weaknesses.

Through the Celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus wanted us to love and share our faith and beliefs with those around us, so they, too, could come to know the peace and understanding that fills our hearts and minds, and to live our values.