Vessels as Vessels

Whatever definition one wants to use for the word “vessel” it will indicate that a vessel carries something. The word came across my mind right after I said Mass the other day. The communion vessels (chalice and ciborium) do, indeed, carry something. They carry the most precious things of all…..the body and blood of Christ. They are temporary containers because they only hold our Lord’s body and blood for a very short time until they reach their proper destination…..US.

When the body and blood of our Lord enter us we also become vessels…vessels of Christ. What a great thing to be his vessel; him dwelling in us and enabling us to minister to others. We are vessels in a different way, however, because we contain Christ, but it’s a two way street because since “…he dwells in us and we in him…” we are more than just vessels. Generally a vessel is a lifeless, inanimate object that simply carries its cargo to a place. When Christ enters us we are miraculously changed…unified with him in every way through the miracle of the Eucharist. We are not just the vessel, but we are also the destination. As both vessel and destination we are ourselves one with Christ, but we also have the responsibility for living the Gospel and carrying it to others. Think about that the next time you're about to receive our Savior at Mass.