I went through a baking bread phase after a reading a book where the main character baked bread when she was stressed out or needed to think through something. I thought it sounded like a romantic way to deal with stress. Of course, as a completely inexperienced baker of bread, the process seemed to add stress to my life, rather than relieve it. But still I learned a lot and began to understand what the varieties of dough needed in order to rise and be ready for baking.
In some cases, there is kneading after the first rising and then it requires more time to rise in the pan or shape, it will be baked in. In other cases, little effort was needed after that first rising. (Honey oat became my favorite type. It seemed to be manageable and more cooperative than some of my other recipes.)
When I think about baking bread or breaking bread, I immediately think of Jesus in the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. This morning on a drive, I was thinking about how the Eucharist is in the form of unleavened bread, and initially, I thought such a shame that I can’t use the analogy of the dough taking time to rise, and the variety of conditions that make the rising most successful: the quality of the yeast, the amount of kneading that went into it, the oven or room needing a certain amount of contained warmth, possibly even a covering or veiling with a towel to grow in a way to prepare it to be baked and served to others.
Dough placed in a non-heated oven covered with a towel to multiply the heat containment to ignite the yeast to do what it should do seems a great analogy for allowing our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist to give rise to a deeper faith, which prepares us for sharing His love and words as “food” for others. Right?
However, I thought a bit longer wondering about how the Eucharist is actually in the form of unleavened bread without the yeast causing a rising. What is that about this unleavened bread? Why is Jesus in the form of unleavened bread? The idea of rising gave way to me thinking about Jesus’ rising.
Here was my aha moment. Is it possible that in taking Jesus into us in the form of unleavened bread, that we are experiencing His rising within us?
We receive the Bread of Life, Jesus, and within us, the glory of His Resurrection rises up, allowing us to be formed into His disciples, ready to share Him with everyone we meet.
Am I crazy? I don’t think I am. All this idea has caused is me wanting more of Jesus in the Eucharist. More of Him rising in me. More of His glory in me.
More of You, Lord, more of You!
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never have hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”” John 6:35 NAB
“Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate manna and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:57-58 NAB
Leave a Reply