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CENTERED IN THE EUCHARIST

We are so pleased to ‘unveil’ our new outdoor sculpture of the Last Supper. When an anonymous donor approached me two years ago about having our parish grounds be the ‘host’ of this beautiful piece, my first thought was how it could remind us and all visitors that the Holy Eucharist is the center of our life here at St. Clare Church. It is a tribute to this great gift from Jesus…and an opportunity for evangelization, if we use it to talk to others about what the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist means to us.

The bronze sculpture was created by the artist Timothy Schmalz. The limestone table and stools were cut from a quarry in Wisconsin.

If you look closely at Jesus “breaking the bread,” you can see how it directly connects with the ritual of what we witness at Mass during the “Lamb of God.” We learn from Luke’s Gospel that the first Eucharist Jesus celebrated after his Resurrection was at Emmaus…and the disciples “recognized it was Jesus in the breaking of bread.” Years before it was called “Mass,” the Early Christians celebrating the Eucharist called it “Breaking Bread.” The ‘breaking’ symbolizes Jesus giving (breaking) his life for the salvation of the world.

It is meant to be an ‘interactive’ art piece, inviting you, family and friends to sit at the table and either talk about your faith with Jesus or have a meal…remembering that the Risen Christ is always in our midst. I look forward to hearing stories of your experience of time spent at the “Table” with Jesus.

In gratitude for you and your Eucharistic faith,
Fr. Jim Deiters