All I Have to Give Is My Body

When I look at you,
the tiger who, at every pass over the hills,
promised not to eat anyone who gave it a rice cake
comes to my mind.
Give me a rice cake and I won’t eat you.
Yes, every time you said, help me just this once
and I will never live like this again,
I would give you a rice cake.
But how many times has it been now?
Now the rice cakes I had to give you have all run out.
However much you plead,
however much you beg,
I have no rice cake to give you.
Now the last rice cake left
is myself, given to you.
Giving my body,
giving you my blood,
how much I love you
is what I mean to show you.

What I have to give you is my body.
My blood, poured out for you,
which shows how much God loves you,
is the blood of the covenant.