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Leonardo da Vinci painted a mural of the Lord's Supper on the wall of a convent church in Milan, Italy over 500 years ago.  It is one of the most famous paintings in the world.

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It is always a special time when a family gets together to have a meal.  The last meal that Jesus had with his family of disciples is one that we remember as very special and important.  It is a meal that we continue to share as part of the family of God.

Jesus and his disciples traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover.  They found a place to stay and food to eat and sat down together for supper.

The disciples didn't know that this would be the last meal they would ever share with Jesus, but Jesus did.  He took the loaf of bread, blessed it, and passed to to his disciples. When he did so, Jesus told them to take a piece of the bread and eat it, for it was his body.  Later he shared his cup of wine with them, telling them it was his blood.  In sharing the bread and wine as his body and blood, Jesus told his disciples that he would always be with them.

Lutherans still remember and celebrate the Last Supper.  We call it the Sacrament of Altar, because the Altar is the table where we share in the great gift of God's mercy and the forgiveness of sins.  The tradition that Jesus began on that night so long ago in Jerusalem still brings together God's family.  Martin Luther called our Christian family "the royal priesthood of believers." 

When we share the bread and wine, the Holy Spirit makes us part of God's family and the royal priesthood, and connects us in a sacred way to Jesus, his twelve disciples, and all Christians wherever they are -- and whenever they lived.  We are part of a very big family!  

Martin Luther's Table Prayer Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blest.  Amen.

Saying Grace

Being invited to Jesus' table for Communion is a great honor that lets each of us join in a sacrament shared by the whole Christian church.  It means that we are part of a tradition that goes all the way back to the Last Supper. When we understand and accept the great gift of Jesus' resurrection, we are able to come to the Lord's table and share in his sacrifice with a thankful heart. 

Even if you have to wait until you are a little bit older to be invited to Jesus' table at Communion, you can invite Jesus to your dinner table when you say a table prayer. You can use the prayer that Martin Luther wrote or continue to use one that your family already likes to say. Saying a table prayer is a special invitation to Jesus, and a special way to remember the Lord's Supper and the great blessings of Communion every day.

The Sacrament of the Altar

"The Communion Song"

by Chris Sligh