Communion

The word “communion” is a blend of two “together” words - common and union. It can mean sharing your possessions with others or talking closely together with other people.

Thursday before Easter is a holiday called Maundy Thursday. In the Christian religion, this holiday celebrates a last meal that Jesus ate with his followers before he was arrested (also called “the last supper”). In that last meal, Jesus and his followers were celebrating a traditional Jewish holiday - Passover. Jesus and his followers experienced “communion” together. They also shared last instructions from their leader and a special ceremony with bread and wine that Jesus taught them. We call this special ceremony “Communion”.

Where do people in your native culture experience “communion”? Where do you experience a closeness and sharing with other people? If you are not lonely, you probably are experiencing communion with someone in your life. What group or situation or friend or family members provide a closeness and sharing of life for you? In the U.S. - away from your native culture - do you think it’s harder or easier to find that closeness and sharing between people?

Who do you have the most in common with? With whom do you agree the most on ideas, political views, religious beliefs, hobbies, interests, or goals?

Do you like to spend time with people that are very different than you, or people that have a lot in common with you or both? Please give examples.

A “commune” is a group of people who share everything they own - all their money and possessions. (Many marriages are communes!) In the 1960’s, many American hippies started communes. It’s very difficult for people to share everything they own. Would you want to live in a commune? If you did, what would you like about it, and what would you dislike about it? Could you make it work? If yes, how?

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave wine and bread to his followers and asked them to repeat this action after he was gone, as a way of remembering him.

“And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:19-20