Do this in memory of me

In the parish hall at Gidea Park on the evening of 22nd March 2023 Fr Adrian Graffy gave a talk entitled ‘Do this in memory of me’. It explored what the New Testament has to say about the Last Supper and Jesus’ gift of the sacrament of the Eucharist. He also presented what St Justin Martyr wrote about the celebration of the Eucharist in Rome in the second century, noting how the format corresponds closely to the Mass as celebrated today. It was also possible to examine some verses of the hymn of St Thomas Aquinas Adoro te devote, and the way it invites us to a deeper appreciation of the presence of Christ in the sacrament. There was a look also at the modern hymn of Bernadette Farrell Bread for the world, with its encouragement to Christians to share bread with the hungry as they ‘do this in memory of me’. Finally, Fr Adrian read some extracts from Pope Francis’ document of 2022 Desiderio desideravi. There was a good crowd attending in person on the night, and many others viewed the presentation by live stream. The recorded talk and the slides accompanying the talk are now available via the website.