So, one day, I said to my mother: “Ma, what’s that pelican doing up there?” “I’ve been wondering about that myself,” she said

I did not pursue the theological/liturgical implications any further, but I did manage to get “sort of an answer” from the nun who taught us religion.

At any rate, I have often thought about that ceramic pelican on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast that we celebrate today. The pelican, as a symbol and a piece of art, plays an important role in helping us understand the meaning of Christ’s blood in the liturgy.

For those who may never have heard an explanation of the pelican in theology and liturgy, it is rooted in pre-Christian legend that during a time of famine or drought, a mother pelican would wound herself in order to nourish her brood and stave off their starvation.

I doubt the veracity of that story but when you think about it, blood has many meanings and applications. First, blood is, in fact, the source of life. Theologians would say, therefore, that blood is salvific (saving). It saves life and sustains life. That is why, for instance, blood transfusions are so important to those who need blood.

There are many analogies regarding blood and life. We say, for instance, that our troops shed their blood for their country, which, indeed they do. We also hear the phrase: blood, sweat and tears as a way of giving one’s all for the good of others.

In our theological catechesis we also hear the phrase, “Jesus shed his blood for the world.” That sounds implausible; in what way does Christ’s shedding blood save the world?

I have come to think that this is not simply an abstract theological statement. I believe that Jesus shed his blood on the cross as the last great act of his life. He hung on the cross with blood pouring from his wounds because of what had gone through during his life: What he stood for, what he fought for, what he believed in, what he taught us. It was for this reason that he was captured, tried, executed and that he shed his blood.

In short, shedding one’s blood is no small matter. If anyone sheds blood is must be for some significant reason, a reason, one that has immense effect on the world. That is the way I perceive the power of Jesus shedding his blood for the world.

The logical question that follows is this: Are we personally expected to shed our blood for the salvation of others? Physically, perhaps not, but if we think about Jesus’ life, there are countless ways that we can imitate Christ’s acts on behalf of others. None of these actions may “draw physical blood” but some will cause us pain. You see, there are different ways to shed blood.

If my dear mother were still among us, I’d tell her I finally got the pelican question figured out. I’m sure she would be happy to hear that.

The scriptures: Exodus 24: 3-8; Hebrews 9: 11-15; Mark 14: 12-16.