Sour Grapes No Longer

Ever since my days watching 'I Love Lucy', I always remembered certain episodes. These episodes were famous for Lucille Ball's humor, quirky behavior, with no shame added for a heightened laughter effect. These episodes were well known even to those who didn't watch 'I Love Lucy' or at least were not the loyal viewer of the redheaded comedienne and her Cuban husband, Ricky. I can't forget funny and classic episodes of Lucy like the one when she is working at a chocolate factory assembly line with her friend Ethel. They couldn't keep up the pace and soon had no other choice but to stuff the chocolate in their mouths and their shirts! Ethel and Lucy have comic situations like these, getting in and out of trouble.

Another episode that comes to my mind is when Lucy learns how to smash grapes in a big barrel to turn into wine. It's another famous episode for lovers or likers alike of the redheaded star. Last year, when I went to a wine tasting event with a local young adult ministry, the owners of the winery mentioned a smashing grape event coming up and my eyes lit up. For a while, I have wanted to participate in a smashing grape event. Something about being part of the process of making grapes into wine, and feeling the juicy fresh fruit beneath and around my toes sounds enticing and like an overall cool experience. I would still like to do that someday.

Upon reflecting about the funny thought of smashing grapes with your feet, I couldn't help but think about the deep meaning behind it all relating to the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus Christ. A couple of weeks ago, I finished a book by Fulton J. Sheen called The Life of Christ. It was a thick book that took me a couple of moths to finish, but I'm glad I pulled through because I learned a lot of the deeper meaning and messages regarding Jesus' life and ministry. One of them I had to write down and keep in my quote book.

  "Why did our Blessed Lord use bread and wine as the elements of this memorial? First of all, because no two substances in nature better symbolize unity than bread and wine. As bread is made from a multiplicity of grains of wheat, and wine is made from a multiplicity of grapes, so the many who believe are one in Christ. Second, no two substances in nature have to suffer more to become what they are than bread and wine...Grapes in their turn must be subjected to the Gethsemane of a wine press and have their life crushed from them to become wine. Thus they symbolize the passion and sufferings of Christ..." Life of Christ

It would be something else to be part of the wine making process. Not only that, but to reflect upon and witness what Fulton J. Sheen wrote about the humility and sufferings of grapes being made into wine and Jesus presenting Himself in it. What a beautiful thing.