The inmates at Lansing Correctional Facility don’t have the
opportunity to participate in Holy Week liturgies, so I developed a prayer
service in which we walk through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday
at our regular gathering on Wednesday night. In past years a priest was not
available to preside at mass on this night, so I obtained permission to bring
in a loaf of bread to break and share as part of our remembrance of Holy
Thursday. This ritual makes a deep impression on the inmates; they thank me
profusely for bringing the bread and mention it often throughout the year.
I believe this ritual means so much to them because they
hunger both for “real” bread and for affirmation that they are included in the
Body of Christ. In Spanish, the word “companion” means “with bread,” so by
sharing Christ’s body in the form of bread, we become companions on the
journey.
As we anticipate our celebration of Holy Thursday at the
Mount, I’m grateful for the companionship of the community. It is easy to take
that companionship for granted. This Holy Thursday, I will pray especially for
those who hunger for the bread of life and someone to share it with.
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