The Host

I presided at a First Communion ceremony recently.  A child asked, "I wonder what the bread and wine will taste like."  They believe it was God, but the taste was a focus.  Times have changed, as they are want to do.  When I was a boy receiving communion, this was never my question.  The host was the host.  It was God, and we did not drink from the cup.  I was in awe of receiving God.  I did not eat the host.  There was no emphasis on it as "food."  I learned to swallow the host whole.  One does not chew God.  This is bad form.  And you will burn.  My sister Maureen would remind me, "Don't chew."  I needed no reminder.  I just swallowed God.  I wanted to kneel in my pew and be very quiet with God.  I am an introvert anyway, so I did not need to talk a lot to God after communion.  When people spoke of "Meditation" years later, it was an easy transition for me.  Even Maureen would be quiet after communion and not be bossy.  So I knew God must be very powerful to get her to be quiet and leave me be.  I learned lots of stuff about God from being around my Big Sister.  Do you think she made it to heaven yet?  Besides being awesome, I hear that God is pretty merciful too.  So who knows.