Un testo illuminante del compianto patriarca di Serbia Pavle. E' in inglese, ma ricordo che per tradurre in italiano i testi pubblicati in altre lingue basta aprire il post in lingua straniera (cliccando su "Continua a leggere") e selezionare nel traduttore di Google la lingua italiana. E' lì apposta...
What Holy Communion means to the spiritual life of a Christian is described in the words of our Lord: "I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever... unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."
With deep faith in these words of the Lord, the early Christians anxiously approached Holy Communion, not because of some requirement, but from an immediate awareness that there was no spiritual life without Him. Just as one is not ordered to breathe, but spontaneously knows that without air he would suffocate and die. The early Christians attended all the Sunday and Holiday liturgies and at the Deacon's invitation — with the fear of God and with faith, draw near, all the faithful lined up and received Holy Communion. They were convinced that they were attaining the deepest mystery of our faith and the holiest gift of God's mercy. They tried to approach the all-holy and most pure God in Holy Communion with purity of heart and soul.