- - -my reflection for the contest- - -
The following is the reflection which I submitted this morning:
The Holy Eucharist: Christ in Our Midst,
Peter Stamm
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’” (Mt. 26:26).
No words uttered by human lips have ever held such deep significance and power. In the space of a single moment, Christ instituted the greatest of all the sacraments, the Holy Eucharist. Though the bread held in His hands looked no different, its very being had been transformed into the body and blood of the Lord, which would be offered up for the redemption of all mankind. During His public ministry, Jesus often alluded to this sacrament which He would institute for the salvation of souls. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee the Lord proclaimed, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn. 6:56). This message confused His followers; it has become one of the most profound mysteries of our Catholic faith: the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is directly tied to the cross. Christ’s passion and death for the remission of sins and the Eucharist celebrated continuously around the world today “are one single sacrifice” (CCC 1367). The Priest and Victim are the same, offered now in glory rather than torment. By eating this true offering, as Jesus instructed, we realize our most intimate earthly union with God. Jesus enters our souls and makes His dwelling there, flooding it with His graces and drawing us nearer and nearer to Himself. The Lord wipes away venial sins and worldly attachments, making our souls ever more beautiful in the sight of God. Taking part in Eucharist, we also are in communion with the whole Church, transcending borders and time. In this way we are united with our brothers and sisters throughout the world, the triumphant saints in Heaven, and the first Eucharist celebrated in the Upper Room.
Aware of Christ’s Real Presence, Catholics logically should show great reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. The key to reverence is incorporating body and soul into an expression of love and awe at God’s greatness. Genuflecting is almost second-nature to Catholics. Because it is such a habitual position, we may not even fully realize our body’s motion. Saying a short prayer while genuflecting can make this traditional reverence a true moment of grace. The time of Communion is the most intimate and spiritually intense. Acts of reverence such as bowing, receiving carefully into the hands or on the tongue, and maintaining silence will serve as an unspoken reminder of the sacredness of this Communion, and it will help everyone experience Jesus without distractions. Outside of Mass, we can make visits to the Lord reserved in the tabernacle. He waits there for us with infinite love and mercy, ready to shower the soul with grace.
Words cannot do justice to the majesty of the Eucharist and the power it can have on our lives. Increasingly, I look back on the past years of my life and see things I did not realize at the time. Occasionally, Jesus goes to extraordinary measures to awaken a soul, as in the case of the apostle Paul; however, most of us are drawn to the Lord quietly and over a period of time. Looking back, I see how an occasional visit to the tabernacle gradually turned into a regular habit of Eucharistic adoration. I began going to Mass several times a week. Thinking more deeply on the nature of the Eucharist increased my own self-awareness, and I found myself seeking Him out in the sacrament of Reconciliation more often. Four or five years ago, I would not have imagined I could be as full of joy as I am today. With Christ as the center of my life, I am more truly alive. Though I am far from being the man Christ wants me to be, I know that, by the power of His graces, I am better than I once was. Strengthened and supported by the Eucharistic Lord, I will follow, stumblingly, wherever He leads.
Works Cited
The New American Bible. Washington, DC: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1987
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Citta del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997
Note: No part of the above essay is to be used without my permission. I don't know what the general livejournal regulations on intellectual property etc. are, so I just thought I'd better make it clear here.
Kairos begins tomorrow! I'll be on retreat until Sunday, so if you read this, please stop and say a short prayer for us!
The Holy Eucharist: Christ in Our Midst,
Peter Stamm
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’” (Mt. 26:26).
No words uttered by human lips have ever held such deep significance and power. In the space of a single moment, Christ instituted the greatest of all the sacraments, the Holy Eucharist. Though the bread held in His hands looked no different, its very being had been transformed into the body and blood of the Lord, which would be offered up for the redemption of all mankind. During His public ministry, Jesus often alluded to this sacrament which He would institute for the salvation of souls. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee the Lord proclaimed, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn. 6:56). This message confused His followers; it has become one of the most profound mysteries of our Catholic faith: the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is directly tied to the cross. Christ’s passion and death for the remission of sins and the Eucharist celebrated continuously around the world today “are one single sacrifice” (CCC 1367). The Priest and Victim are the same, offered now in glory rather than torment. By eating this true offering, as Jesus instructed, we realize our most intimate earthly union with God. Jesus enters our souls and makes His dwelling there, flooding it with His graces and drawing us nearer and nearer to Himself. The Lord wipes away venial sins and worldly attachments, making our souls ever more beautiful in the sight of God. Taking part in Eucharist, we also are in communion with the whole Church, transcending borders and time. In this way we are united with our brothers and sisters throughout the world, the triumphant saints in Heaven, and the first Eucharist celebrated in the Upper Room.
Aware of Christ’s Real Presence, Catholics logically should show great reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. The key to reverence is incorporating body and soul into an expression of love and awe at God’s greatness. Genuflecting is almost second-nature to Catholics. Because it is such a habitual position, we may not even fully realize our body’s motion. Saying a short prayer while genuflecting can make this traditional reverence a true moment of grace. The time of Communion is the most intimate and spiritually intense. Acts of reverence such as bowing, receiving carefully into the hands or on the tongue, and maintaining silence will serve as an unspoken reminder of the sacredness of this Communion, and it will help everyone experience Jesus without distractions. Outside of Mass, we can make visits to the Lord reserved in the tabernacle. He waits there for us with infinite love and mercy, ready to shower the soul with grace.
Words cannot do justice to the majesty of the Eucharist and the power it can have on our lives. Increasingly, I look back on the past years of my life and see things I did not realize at the time. Occasionally, Jesus goes to extraordinary measures to awaken a soul, as in the case of the apostle Paul; however, most of us are drawn to the Lord quietly and over a period of time. Looking back, I see how an occasional visit to the tabernacle gradually turned into a regular habit of Eucharistic adoration. I began going to Mass several times a week. Thinking more deeply on the nature of the Eucharist increased my own self-awareness, and I found myself seeking Him out in the sacrament of Reconciliation more often. Four or five years ago, I would not have imagined I could be as full of joy as I am today. With Christ as the center of my life, I am more truly alive. Though I am far from being the man Christ wants me to be, I know that, by the power of His graces, I am better than I once was. Strengthened and supported by the Eucharistic Lord, I will follow, stumblingly, wherever He leads.
Works Cited
The New American Bible. Washington, DC: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1987
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Citta del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997
Note: No part of the above essay is to be used without my permission. I don't know what the general livejournal regulations on intellectual property etc. are, so I just thought I'd better make it clear here.
Kairos begins tomorrow! I'll be on retreat until Sunday, so if you read this, please stop and say a short prayer for us!