Matthew 26:26-28 "While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
All of us are born into this world as vulnerable little bodies. The first year or two of our lives are spent depending on others to nurture us into being as our cognitive abilities continue to develop. As we grow older, many of us within the Western culture context become disconnected from our bodies as we learn to place a much higher value on our cognitive abilities. As a result, our bodies are often reduced to how we look (image driven), or how we can control it vs. can't control it, or view the interruptions to care for our bodies throughout our day as unwelcome. We learn to view our bodies as a distraction and reduce the sacredness of it's role in God's narrative. This prevents us from living out the fullness of our identity, as we are unable to experience ourselves as fully good and sacred, in the way we were created to be. Jesus' sacrificial act was meant to move us into a space of wholeness as he integrated a thoughtful practice with a physical demonstration. It is through the use of our own bodies as we partake in the experience of communion that we are led to practice the type of embodiment that leads us to reclaim the sacredness of our bodies.