One Bread, One Body

Yesterday we visited the Upper Room. It is a simple room, quiet and unassuming, yet it holds some of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture. In that room, Jesus reveals the very heart of God. This is where He gathered His disciples, washed their feet, and gave them the gift of Holy Communion.

Jesus took the bread in His hands. He blessed it. He broke it. And He said, “This is My body, given for you.” Then He took the cup and said, “This is My blood, poured out for you.” He didn’t just give them words to remember Him by; He gave them Himself. His body. His blood. His life.

This is a deep mystery. And every Sunday, when we gather for the Badarak, we begin by singing those very words: Khoroort Khorin - “Deep mystery.” We are not just remembering something that happened long ago. We are stepping into it again.

Here is the heart of that mystery: when we come to the Table and receive Holy Communion, we are united with Christ. And at the same time, we are united with one another. As St. Paul says: “ Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:17).

Communion is not only a private moment between you and God. It is a communal miracle. When we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we become what we receive. We become the Body of Christ—together. Different faces. Different stories. Different languages and cultures. Yet one body, held together by love.

That is why the word community itself carries communion and unity within it. You cannot have one without the other. The Christian faith was never meant to be lived alone. Jesus did not save individuals and leave them scattered. He formed a body. A living, breathing body of believers.

And every time we celebrate the Badarak, whether in Jerusalem, New York, Etchmiadzin, Sydney, or anywhere in the world, we are stepping into that same Upper Room. The Armenian Church, spread across the world, gathers as one body: one faith, one Lord, one love.

So when you feel isolated, remember the Upper Room. When you wonder if you truly belong, remember this mystery. You are part of something greater. You are part of the Body of Christ.