Bread of Life (1)

Even on the streets of our cities, even on consecrated lands, within the distinctly un-pagan precepts of our churches, when we 'scratch the surface' we find that the Lughnasadh tradition and its equivalents, have made their way directly into the Harvest Thanksgiving ceremonies which are celebrated in many Christian churches, as Summer draws to a close.

When religion began to develop, the pagan love of the land and all that it provided, was incorporated into the new religious rituals. Bread, made from flour, ground from harvest-wheat, became a symbol of life. In both religious and non-religious contexts, bread represents Creation’s sacred life-force, giving life to us and through the life-giving earth, sustaining us. Across the Judeo-Christian world, bread has iconic importance. From the era of the Old Testament, right up to today, bread is eaten at the Feast of Passover by Jews everywhere. It was this ritual of the Passover that inspired Jesus to use bread at The Last Supper, making it the most potent symbol in the history of western culture. In the unleavened bread of the sacrament of Communion, which is celebrated every day in the churches of Christendom, we can trace the distant echoes, back through the millennia, of the pagan world beyond.
Blessings on your table!


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