`Keep doing this in remembrance of me’

For many years on this day, though trying to be more secular, I would discuss the definition of “faith” as it is understood by devoted activist Christians.

Recall that since April 1994 – when this column was so “young” – I would quote Hebrews 11:1 from the Christians’ Holy Bible: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen”. Like the virgin birth, Christians just have to believe in the Resurrection after the Roman capital punishment execution known as the crucifixion. If they don’t, by pure conviction and faith, fully accept those two miracle like events, there is really little basis for the religion they chose.

That same portion of Hebrews challenges me a bit by going to “explain” that “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” wow! I’ll grapple with that later but today I invite believers of and in Jesus, the Christ to consider the Jehovah Witnesses’ position that at the final feast of the Jewish Passover, that last supper or dinner, Jesus asked his closest followers, the disciples to commemorate his death. (“Mischievous”/ fierce witnesses will continuously dare other Christians to find anywhere in the Holy Bible where any advice or instruction speaks about celebrating his birth.)

Since that last meal was used by Jesus to make some pivotal points even as he used bread and wine to symbolize his everlasting presence and to instruct about his need for his messengers to forever remember him – “this do in remembrance of me”, so to this day Christians commune through the body and the blood at various altars.

So in this special Friday offering I dwell a little more on how Christ used that meal – meeting.

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Luke, Jesus, (Pope) Peter

Of all the accounts by the four Gospel chronicles and others, I choose Luke the evangelist. Christian scholars have deemed his account – indeed his acts (of the other apostles) to be geographically accurate and as authentic as they come. As if he was actually there.

And interestingly, Luke is the patron saint of artists, physicians, surgeons, students and butchers! Significantly too Luke is regarded as a professional historian.

Luke’s style captures attention as he reports about Jesus revealing that one of his faithful breaking bread with him would betray him; would disown him for fear of the authorities and even the priests who all wanted the