While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26)
Sadly, we live in a broken world. We can see this brokenness everywhere: In our bodies, our hearts, our relationships, our environment and our societies. One of the very first lessons children learn about this world is, in fact, its brokenness: Through the painful sensations of hunger, aches and ills, they first learn that their bodies are vulnerable and easily hurt. Then, as they interact with other human beings, they learn that their hearts are just as prone as their bodies to hurts, wounds, selfishness and injustice—these unfortunate traits of human nature will show themselves sooner or later in the form of an ignored need, a broken promise, a disdainful look, or even downright bullying and abuse.
As we grow up, we adopt various lifestyles and worldviews to deal with these innate fractures in ourselves and our societies. Some people seek wholeness through the pursuit of pleasure, opportunities and success. They reason that since life is so short and unpredictable, shouldn’t we use whatever time, enjoyment and good health that we have to enjoy ourselves while we still can? St. Paul summarized this epicurean approach in his first letter to the Corinthians: