The Holy Eucharist

So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died.  But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”     John 6:53-58
 
 It is difficult for us when reading from this Gospel to question Jesus teaching.  His words are clear and he repeats them often to make sure that His message is understood.  Believe in Me : Eat and Live Forever.  Yet many of his followers could not accept his words and rejected His teachings.  The disciples that remained with Jesus were confused by His words until after His resurrection when it finally all made sense.  There are many Christians today who are unable to accept the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. 

 For those of us who accept and adore Jesus in the Eucharist, we are greatly blessed by our divine communal meal.  For as Jesus said “Those who eat my flesh, and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”  Through the Eucharist we become united with Jesus, and He with us.  If each of us is united with Jesus, we naturally become united with all believers.  We are the Body of Christ!

 If we eat an apple or some other nutritious food we don’t feel an immediate change in our bodies, and so it is when we eat of the body and blood of Christ.  Jesus is our spiritual food, he nourishes and sustains us bringing us ever closer to Him.  You may not feel a physical difference but you can be sure that Jesus Christ is Spiritual Super Food!

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Challenge of the Week

If you are old enough to receive the Eucharist, be sure to go to Mass as often as you can in order to feed your soul with the spiritual nourishment of Jesus.
  If you have not yet had your First Communion you can prepare your heart for Jesus by paying close attention to the part of the Mass where the bread and wine are consecrated.  Pray often and trust in the Lord.
 
Be like St. Peter who announced, even when he was confused about Jesus’ teachings, “Lord, to whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:68-69

John Chapter 6 is a powerful reading.  Read it and Believe!

Memory Verse

“I am the living bread
that came down from heaven. 
Whoever eats of this bread
will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
for the life of the world is my flesh.” 
John 6:51