27 September 2019
Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Salvador Dali’s Sacrament of the Last Supper (1955) is a magnificent masterpiece that shows the glorified body of Christ present in the Eucharist. In the painting, Christ is seated at the center of the table in the upper room. The background is a seascape and glorious sunset. The apostles kneel around the table with their heads bowed in adoration. Christ’s left hand points to his own breast, but his right hand points up to another body of Christ that is ascending to heaven. On the table, we can also see the glowing and broken body of Christ on the table.
In the Gospel today, Jesus asks the disciples what they think about his identity. Peter immediately answers that Jesus is the Christ of God. However, Peter and his friends, like all of us, do not have an exact answer to the question of the identity of Jesus because Jesus is a mystery. Knowing who Jesus is, is a journey of discovery. The Eucharist is one way for us to know Jesus personally in our journeys. In receiving the Eucharist, we are invited to know Jesus personally. In his lifetime, Jesus was only present to a small group of men and women in Palestine. But through the Eucharist, Jesus is now able to be present to all men and women throughout the world. Through the Eucharist, Jesus offers himself to us as our friend. In other words, Jesus wants us to know him because He is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine.
In Dali’s painting, the apostles bow their heads in adoration as if there is a great power of beauty that is too great to look upon. So, when you bow down in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament or the Eucharist at daily mass, ask yourselves who Jesus is to you. Take a moment to respond to this question.