Hocus Pocus

The priest lifts the bread of the Eucharist out and perhaps above his head. He prays, reciting the words of Christ in Latin, "Hoc est corpus." ("This my body.") He breaks it and eats, taking into himself the broken body of Christ. Then he takes some wine and some water and pours a bit of each into a chalice, lifts the chalice and prays, reciting the words of Christ, what is translated into English as "This is my blood." He then drinks from the chalice, taking into himself the poured out blood of Christ.

Jesus said of the bread, "This is my body given for you..." Of the cup he said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Christians believe that somehow the bread and the wine (juice) is the body and blood of Christ - more than just a representation, a symbol. Mystically, even though the they still look and taste exactly like bread and wine/juice.

At one time, pagans, too, came to believe that the bread and the wine became something else - body and blood. They, too began to recite the words "hoc est corpus" believing there was some magical power in the recitation of those words - an incantation. But like the game "Whisper Down the Lane," someone didn't get it quite right. The Latin became corrupted and what came out are the words we English speakers more familiarly know as "hocus pocus." The words are still used to today describe something mystical or magical - but often with a touch of cynicism.

It seems to be this way with many things that have originated in the Church. People who may indeed come "to church" but are not part of "the Church" frequently seem to come away from the Church with corruptions of what the Church does or teaches. Love - that wonderful determination to serve and care for someone regardless of cost to self - has been reduced to some kind of emotional "charge." Humility has become a nice personality characteristic but only if it doesn't keep you from getting what you want in this world. Justice has become a tool of political and financial convenience or promotion. Spirituality has nothing to do with one's own spirit being molded into the likeness of Christ by His own Holy Spirit - just a connection with the "All." Happiness has become the elusive goal of the earthbound who never realize that it is something like water. The more you try to grasp hold of it, the less of it you get - but if you simply prepare to received it (a container or cupped hands or an open mouth) you can then quench your thirst with it.

If only Christians would quit paying so much attention to what the rest of the world says is so important and real. Love God. Love your neighbor. And guess what happens. You can't just love your neighbor and forget about loving God. We're just not that good. And you can't just love God and forget about your neighbor. Love for God "spills out" to neighbors - even the enigmatic and troublesome ones.

We need to pay close attention to the Church - to what it has been teaching and practicing for 2000 years, despite what some in the Church have said and done during that time. If we would simply take into ourselves the brokenness of Christ and the spilled blood of Christ, if we would just love God and love others, what would happen? Perhaps something truly amazing and mystical and wonderful... hocus pocus! The kingdom of God here on earth.