The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ(Click here for readings)
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Gift that never goes out of style. I heard today that Apple Inc. will be coming out with an electronic watch - the, you guessed it, iWatch. Reportedly, the going price will be around $200.00 a pop. As for me, I will wait for the demand to go down, as well as the price, just like it did for my first iPhone (I bought the iPhone 3 for 99 cents!).
Which brings me to the apple of God's eye: The Eucharist. Undoubtedly, the Eucharist constitutes the most amazing gift that has neither gone out of style or diminished in worth. Heck, even sinners are lining up every week to receive it!
McDonalds once boasted of having served billions of burgers since its inception. They have nothing to boast about. The Catholic Church serves billions every year!
The secrets to the Eucharist's longevity and appeal are found in its significance and simplicity, both of which never go out of style. As politicians and religious figures go out of style, the Lord never goes out of style. As movements and churches go out of style, the Catholic Church keeps on ticking. As modernity gives way to, well, modernity, the Church becomes more and more attractive and appealing.
The Church is the Eucharist. The only reason why the Catholic Church is not died is because the Eucharist lives forever. And the only reason why there is so much drama in the Church today (and yesterday and tomorrow) is because the Lord long ago rose from the dead. Just when you thought He was dead and gone, He comes back to life. Just when you thought the Apostles had returned to their former ways of life, they return to Jerusalem filled with the Holy Spirit.
All thanks to the Eucharist!
The Church is not its buildings, regardless of how beautiful they are. Beauty fades. The Church is not its Pope, regardless of how amazing he is. Popes die. The Church is not even the people of God, regardless of how in tune or out of tune they are in their sanctity. People change. No! The Church is the continuation of Christ's presence in the world - the sacrament of Jesus Christ. She is the visible sign of His body, blood, soul and divinity.
Come, let us adore Him and receive Him today!
But there is one last thing I need to mention. Not only is the Eucharist the sacrament of Christ's body, blood, soul and divinity, it is also the sacrament of His Love. The Bread of His life is none other than the Bread of His Love. No wonder why it is the gift that keeps on giving, regardless of how worthy the recipient is.
Come, let us love Him and receive Him properly today!
Father:
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to say this Fatima prayer when I was young. I believe it was the second prayer where they saw a vision of the chalice suspended in the air. Isn't it beautiful?
Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.
I feel like many church leaders are trying restore the importance of the Eucharist by talking about it, pointing to it, encouraging adoration. After so many decades of taking this sacrament for granted, with so many receiving it in ignorance, this is a welcome change. I'll sometimes wince when the priest or deacon has to instruct the parish that they're supposed to say "Amen" when they receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and that they actually consume it in the presence of the Eucharistic minister, but I know they probably make this announcement because people don't know any better. Hopefully, we can move past this.
ReplyDeleteThen, we should go further. People really need to understand the importance of Holy Communion to the best of their ability, understanding what it is, what it does, why it matters. This might prompt them to go to Confession more often and develop some spiritual discipline. If they partake in both of these vitally important sacraments, they will certainly grow in their faith and devotion, becoming better Christians, in large part because of the grace they will receive. This, in turn, will lead to renewed interest in scripture, prayer, and general involvement at their church.
The goal should be to elevate Mass to the "summit of all Christian life." I'd even reconsider the use of laypeople to distribute the Host, and make use of altar rails again. I know this return to tradition might disturb some people used to the liberal innovations of the 60s, but there's really no reason we did some of these things in the first place. Vatican II did not mandate the removal of altar rails, and the popes, including St. JPII, have specifically requested that parishes not use laypeople as Eucharistic ministers in the Mass. Some of these attempts to make the Mass more accessible only cheapen it and lead people to think that it is not important. We need to remember that we're dealing with heavenly things that will help us become heavenly as well.