A Broken Bread and Contrite Heart

Why is it that we break the bread? 

Matthew 26:26-28

As I was sitting in church today waiting for the sacramental bread and water to come around I had a thought that inspired me to do better in my life and reflect more deeply on the sacrament each week.

Each week the boys with the priesthood take a piece of bread and carefully break off bite-size pieces much like Christ did when he was with his disciples. At home to make bite-size pieces I use scissors. Much more effective I think;) I guess it just caused me to reflect on the word broken. A few thoughts came into my mind.

Spiritually we are broken and need to be healed. Christ heals me.
The scriptures say that in order to follow Christ we need to have a broken heart and contrite spirit...


Moroni 6:2
Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.


Doctrine and Covenants 59:8-9

 "Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;"


Psalms 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.



And so to me, in this train of thought, once we have accepted that we are broken and are in need of our Savior's healing we then partake of the water which can be representative of our baptism which cleans us and makes us whole again through our Savior's grace. "

Every day we have cause for repenting. None of us are perfect and so we need constant cleansing and purging. I'm thankful that I am able to take the sacrament and reflect each week as I do. And although I think about these things throughout the week, it is a special thing to attend sacrament where they pray over and bless the bread and water for the purpose of bringing us closer to God and it truly has:)