Tuesday 11 April 2023

IS HE RISEN?




I wasn't sure whether this should be The Religious Curmudgeon's post or The Food Curmudgeon's so I'll write it here.
I keep seeing signs outside churches referring to Robert's Jesus. They say:


HE IS RISEN


I'm confused.
My understanding of Jesus, in the Eucharist form that Robert eats is that 'he' is made of unleavened bread - the host.


A Google search told me:

"A host is a portion of bread used for Holy Communion in many Christian churches. In Western Christianity the host is often thin, round, unleavened hosts.

                                                Catholic unleavened hosts of differing sizes.

In the Roman Rite, unleavened bread is used as in the Jewish Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Code of Canon Law requires that the hosts be made from wheat flour and water only, and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

Hosts are often made by nuns as a means of supporting their religious communities. However, in New Zealand, the St Vincent de Paul Society hires individuals with intellectual disabilities to bake, cut out, and sort the bread, thereby offering paid employment to those who would not otherwise have that option.


The host is a wafer of unleavened bread, made with wheat flour, usually circular in shape.

The term ostia derives from the Latin hostia, “Sacrificial victim”, which used to indicate, in a generic way, a sacrifice made to a deity.

In antiquity and until the discovery of yeast, unleavened bread was the only type of bread consumed by men. It was produced by mixing water and flour and then cooked on hot stones or ashes.

For the Jews, unleavened bread was of historical, social and religious significance that transcended the use made of it as food. In fact it was consumed to recall the ancient Feast of the Primizie, during which the old yeast was thrown out, which would be used for the bread produced with the flours of the new harvest. After the Escape from Egypt, unleavened bread became a way of preserving the memory of that terrible journey, during which the Jews did not have time to make bread rise, and were forced to consume it unleavened.

The Christians gathered the tradition of unleavened bread, attributing to it a meaning and a value that laid the foundations of religion itself.

In fact it was Jesus Christ who, on the occasion of the Last Supper, blessed a piece of unleavened bread and offered it to his disciples, presenting it as his own body.

“Then he took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body that is given for you; Do this in memory of me.” Luke 22-19)

At the end of the supper, he took a glass of wine and offered it as his blood.

Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you”. (Luke 22-20)
         - The Holy Blog

OK, we've got that. All the information I read skimmed suggests that unleavened bread is supposed to be used and that 'leavening' equates with sinning! 
If Jesus 'is risen' this suggests the use of yeast and, ipso facto, Jesus as present in the host, is leavened and therefore sinful. Maybe Robert could shed some light on this for me.


I use bread-maker yeast in all of the loaves I bake (three times a week) so I guess I'm a sinner and am going to Hell. Hell! I'll be able to catch up with Richard there.

6 comments:

Richard (of RBB) said...

Look forward to seeing you there. Remember that there's a 50% chance, according to the catholic church - one of the many made up churches.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Look forward to seeing you there. Remember that there's a 50% chance, according to the catholic church - one of the many made up churches.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Damn! I said it twice!

Robert Sees Things in Sky said...

I enjoyed that post, some bits I didn't know.
Interesting thought about the multiple meanings of 'risen'.
I vaguely remember Jesus mentioning leavened bread in reference to the pharisees too, maybe you could do a post about that.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Robert the apathetic sanctimonious sinner, toilet cleaner, threatener of eternal damnation, music snob, and 50% guy.

What do you think Rob?

THE CURMUDGEON said...

It sounds good but if Robert is 50 % guy then is he also 50% gal meaning he’s part of the LGBQT movement?