On the night before he faced his brutal execution at the hands of the Roman Empire, Jesus of Nazareth gathered his followers together for a meal. It was at that meal, commonly known as the Last Supper, that Jesus gave himself to those followers in the simple gifts of bread and wine.
His only instructions to those followers came in these words: “Do this in memory of me.”
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About the writer: Stephen J. Stahley resigned from the Catholic priesthood to marry in 1988, though he continues to officiate at weddings, funerals and baptisms upon request and serves the Catholic LGBTQ+ community, celebrating Mass at inclusive churches in Washington, D.C., and Pikesville, Maryland. While his work as a priest is not recognized as “official” by the Catholic Church, the Catholic tradition has always enshrined the principle “once a priest, always a priest.” This was written for the Baltimore Sun. Distributed by the Tribune Content Agency.
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