Sources of The Sadness of

Sources of The Sadness of Christ

The Sadness of Christ is the title of the last book written by St. Thomas More as he awaited execution in the tower. One of the central theses he proposes in the book is that we have a choice of how we follow Christ. We can either choose to be like the apostles who fell asleep or like Judas who stayed awake and plotted. He encourages us to be like the former, only to stay awake as well. One of the points he makes is that we do not spend out time well. We are not only idle and lazy, but often we are downright vicious.

from The Sadness of Christ St. Thomas More

Alas, how different we are from Christ, though we call ourselves Christians: our conversation during meals is not only meaningless and inconsequential (and even for such negligence Christ warned us that we will have to render an accounting), but often our table-talk is also vicious; and then finally, when we are bloated with food and drink, we leave the table without giving thanks to God for the banquets He has bestowed upon us, with never a thought for the gratitude we owe Him. (p. 1)

Certainly More is talking about our ordinary eating, but how much more so might he be referring to how unworthily we receive the Eucharist? How many sit in the pews, minds wandering all over the place, while our Lord is unveiled on the altar? How many think to give thanks and praise after receiving the Eucharist. I'm sure all the regular readers of this page do so; however, you all know people who probably do not. What is to be done? Pray.

Prayer is the answer to all ills, but most especially for this one. Pray that the Church gets back on track and forcefully teaches and acts out its belief that the consecrated elements are indeed the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Ask God to reveal Himself to any who seem to show no respect for what has just gone before. Above all, remember to thank and give holy supplication to the Lord who has deigned to be with us in such an intimate and personal way.

The Eucharist is the great banquet to which we are all invited. None of us is worthy, but it is perhaps better not to make a show of our unworthiness.