A Long Island man went out for a walk alone on the beach. He saw some wildlife up ahead, wet and shimmering and moving near the water’s edge under the rays of the morning sun. The sand had a streaky path behind it from the thing. As the man got closer, he saw it was alive. It was on the move and leggy. It was a crab. He went in closer to check it out, but a seagull breezed in and scooped the crab up. The bird carried it off, but not far off. It made a soft landing a few feet away as the two animals struggled together in the sand. The man stopped and turned, deciding to silently sit and watch. He avoided the temptation to intervene with nature instead sitting back to appreciate the glimpse he was getting of the food chain ritual.
As he looked on, the seagull did battle with the fighting crab for a moment or two, but quickly lost to the hungry scavenger bird, and for a time the man felt remorseful. “Poor little guy. Should I have saved him?” And then the moment faded. “The bird needed food. The sea provided it.” The man sat on the cool sand, arms clasped together with each knee tucked under an elbow. He squinted into the morning light as the scene continued to unfold. The seagull, the easy victor, was no longer a champion, but just a hungry guy catching some breakfast. And the man’s mind wandered on about that.
“Three minutes ago, there were two animals on the beach: one crab and one bird. Now there’s just one animal eating a meal.” And he rolled that thought around his mind for a while as he kept his gaze on the scene. “At what point does the crab stop being a crab and start being part of the bird?” And he wondered it out loud to the salty breeze. And the salty breeze let him wonder.
The bird tore off another crab leg and gobbled at it. “Whose leg is it? The crab’s leg? Does the crab exist anymore? Or does the leg belong to the bird?” More salty wind. No answer. More squinting. More thinking. The man chuckled to himself as he realized the oddity of the question, but enjoyed the complexity of thought too much to let it go. He contemplated his own nourishment, his own meals and felt gratitude that he didn’t need to dismember them alive on the beach in order to eat. And laughed again.
And then his thoughts sobered and his heart felt grateful for the animals who had given their lives for his — like this crab had given its life for the seagull’s. And easily the man slid into thoughts about God, how Jesus gave His life. His eyes filled with tears at the thought of it, how he never noticed that in order to sustain one life, another one was sacrificed: a fish, a grain of wheat, an egg, a mushroom, a head of lettuce. In each case, a life was given to sustain another. He marveled at the design and the beauty in it.
And just like that, the scene before him had become a lesson on the wonders of communion. “When I ingest the Eucharist, at what point does the communion wafer stop being the body of Christ and start being a part of me, one body given up for another?” And the bird finished his meal. And the man got up to continue his walk. He watched the sun grow higher in the sky and outwardly thanked God.
********************************************************************************************************
The man on the beach is a dear, lifelong friend of mine who blessed me more than he knew when he told me this story –so much so that I’ve kept it in my mind since 2009. And I don’t know the answer to those questions either? When does the crab become the bird? When does the body of Christ become the person who is receiving it?
We have the opportunity every time we come to the communion table to become one with Christ. Doesn’t He invite us to do that? To come and taste and see that the Lord is good? To come and be in union with Him, communion with one another as we receive Him together? Do we see ourselves as transforming into Him? Can we even imagine doing that? Like the seagull and the crab, we ingest the Eucharist and become Christlike, still ourselves, but reflecting Him more and more. Even though we know the seagull doesn’t become a crab any more than I become a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after my lunch, it is true that the meal becomes the one who dines on it. The sandwich becomes part of me. The crab becomes part of the seagull. Christ becomes part of me.
This story is on my mind today because yesterday, at 55 years old, I received my First Holy Communion. I do not know when the Bread of Life becomes part of Catherine or just becomes Catherine, but I know that in the Word of God (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 3:2, and 1 John 2:6) it says that we will be “conformed to the image” of Christ “transformed into the same image”, that we will “be like Him” and that we should “walk in the same way in which He walked.” I think God is slowly making us able to reflect the character of Jesus and eventually become like Him.
Like the seagull and the crab, I don’t think it’s an instantaneous thing; it’s a process. I’m grateful to have made strides in my walk yesterday, and I’m very grateful for the patient mentors of faith — they know who they are — that walked it before me.
***THANKS FOR READING. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. I’D LOVE TO HAVE THE FEEDBACK.
Want to keep reading? More blog posts are available through the links on the home page. Be blessed.
Congratulations, Catherine! What a beautiful story and what a beautiful moment in your life. We don’t know each other but Mom and I were good friends in high school. From what I can tell from your story, you are very much like her. Caring & compassionate. Thank you for sharing this story which will give me and others something to think about.
Thank you, Angela. It’s nice to “meet” you. I’m so glad you enjoyed this.
Catherine..when Brian and I married I was Lutheran and he a Catholic. While he did not push me I know we could not get married at the altar at Mt. Carmel Church. So after we were married he attended church on Sunday by himself. I think he stopped going because of me. When we were married 4 years I became unexpectedly pregnant and I began thinking of conversion to Catholicism. Jaime being born in February, I decided not to Christen her until the warmer weather. His family thought I should do it by six weeks…but I decided to convert and had to see the Priest about my conversion secretly…my mother knew. So I went to classes and on the day my daughter was Christened, I was called up last and received by Communion and Confirmation. The entire church broke out in applause and my Dad did not fall on the floor. I felt religion helps a family and being of the the same faith makes a family one. I am probably the most religious than Brian but I never regretted my decision and Congratulations to you from us.🩷🩷🙏🙏⛪️⛪️
Wow, Aunt Cheryl! What a story!! I love it! Thank you for sharing that. And thank you for reading. 🙂
God has blessed you with a gift to articulate, in words, the human experience of receiving Holy Communion. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. I am reduced to tears of gratitude each time I receive. God bless you, Catherine!
Wow, Carolyn! I’m glad I’m not the only one! I brought an entire box of tissues into Mass with me, and I needed them! Hahaha I was very emotional throughout …and then a broadly smiling goofball for the rest of the day. Perfect, right? (Thanks for reading.)
Yes, we eat the body of Christ and drink the blood of Christ, as Jesus commanded us. We become like Him, and know him, and He introduces us to His Father, we three are then one.
It is not possible unless we eat his body and drink his blood. I believe we call that a “mystery!”
Jesus stands at the door and knocks . . . !
Oh, Bob..You are so right!
John 6.
I’m so grateful. Thanks for reading .:)
Girl! Nailed it.
To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to become more like Him. The more (frequently) we receive, the more we are transformed by grace.
So proud of you!
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