May 1

And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” — Luke 22:19 BSB

A young man came to me one morning, holding a letter in his hand. He opened it and showed me some pressed flowers and leaves. “My sister gathered these from my mother’s grave,” he said softly, his voice full of tenderness. He then told me about his mother—her beautiful life, her self-sacrifice, her loving words, her prayers. He spoke especially of her long illness, describing how she faded away like a flower.

“It was ten years ago,” he said, “ten years ago today that she died; but it feels as if it were only yesterday.” The faded flowers and leaves from her grave had brought back all the memories as if no time had passed.

Perhaps you have something in your home—a memento of a loved one who has passed. Every time you see it, it reminds you of them. This is why Jesus gave us the Last Supper. He wanted to keep His love and His sacrifice fresh in our minds. “My people will forget Me and what I’ve done for them. As time passes, the memory of My sacrifice will fade. So, I will give them this memorial, so that whenever they take the bread and the cup, they may remember Me anew.” And so, for all these centuries, the Lord’s Supper has kept the memory of Christ’s love and sacrifice alive in the hearts of His people, making the world a gentler, sweeter place.