EUCHARIST IS LOVE, A SACRAMENT OF LOVE
THE TRUE LIVING JESUS –THE GOD WHO “IS Love” (1 John 4:8) and who loved us “unto the end” (1 John 13:1).
On the ALTAR the Infinite Love of Our Eucharistic Lord is received at the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this is the most powerful intercessory prayer, and surpasses every prayer, every penance and every good work.
ALTAR
A - ADORE our Eucharistic Lord
Worship, Praise, Honor , Bless Him .
L - LOVE our Eucharistic Lord
Father loved you into Existence
Son redeems you in His Love
Spirit sanctifies you in His Love.
T - THANK our Eucharistic Lord.
For offering you Eternal life
by eating His Body, Blood, Soul
and Divinity.
A - ASK our Eucharistic Lord.
To strengthen and increase
your love for Him and your neighbor.
R - REUNITED with Our Eucharistic Lord
as you repented, reconciled and
received Him in Holy Communion.
THE TRUE LIVING JESUS –THE GOD WHO “IS LOVE
THE TRUE LIVING JESUS –THE GOD WHO “IS Love” (1 John.4:8) and who loved us “unto the end” (1 John.13:1).
“The Eucharist,” said St. Bernard, “is that Love which surpasses all loves
in Heaven and on earth”.
“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love. It signifies Love. It produces love’.” St. Thomas
“To be possessed by Jesus and to possess Him – that is the perfect reign
of Love”. St. Peter Julian Eymard
“The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus. After this,
there is nothing more but Heaven itself.” St. Peter Julian Eymard.
“One merits more by devoutly assisting at a Holy Mass then by distributing all of his goods to the poor and traveling all over the world on pilgrimage.” St. Bernard.
“Martyrdom is nothing.” In comparison with the Holy Mass, because
Martyrdom is the sacrifice of man to God, whereas the Holy Mass is the
Sacrifice of God for man.” Holy Cure’ of Ars.
All good works taken together, “said St. John Vienne, “cannot equal the
value of one Holy Mass; because they are the works of men, whereas Holy Mass is the work of GOD"
“When we go to Holy Communion, all of us receive the same Lord Jesus,
but not all receive the same grace not are the same effects produced in all.
This comes from our greater or lesser disposition”. St. Anthony Mary Claret.
Ten Ways to Fall in Love with the Eucharist
FR. ED BROOM, OMV
The saints are the great lovers of Jesus; they were on earth and now are in heaven loving God for all eternity. In this article, we will give a list of what some saints have said in an excess of love for the most Holy Eucharist. Then we will give ten keys to unlock the gems to help you love the Eucharist even more! Let us read and meditate on the fire of the saints and the Eucharist:
“Holy Communion is the shortest and the safest way to Heaven.”
(St. Pius X)
“If the angels could be jealous of men, they would be for one reason: Holy Communion.” (St. Maximilian Kolbe)
“In one day the Eucharist will make you produce more for the glory of God than a whole lifetime without it.” (St. Peter Julian Eymard)
“How I love the feasts!… I especially loved the processions in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. What a joy it was for me to throw flowers beneath the feet of God!… I was never so happy as when I saw my roses touch the sacred Monstrance.” (St. Therese the Little Flower)
“When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
“From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.” (St. John Paul II)
“This is the bread of everlasting life which supports the substance of your soul.” (St. Ambrose)
“The longer you stay away from Communion, the more your soul will be weak, and in the end you will become dangerously indifferent.”
(St. John Bosco)
“The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life.”
(St. Thomas Aquinas)
Now let us dive into ten golden keys that can open up the infinite treasure house of jewels so as to derive countless graces and blessings from Jesus’ greatest Gift to the entire world: Holy Mass and Holy Communion, His Body, Blood Soul and Divinity!
1. Faith
Beg the Lord for a greater faith in the sublime mystery of the most Holy Eucharist. Let us say with the Apostles Saint Thomas: “My Lord and my God.” Let us also so the prayer of the man of the Gospel: “Lord I believe but strengthen my faith!”
2. Visit
Make it a habit to visit the most Blessed Sacrament as often as is possible. Hopefully when we die Jesus will not reproach us with these words: “Whenever I see a church I stop to make a visit so that when I die the Lord will not say: ‘Who is it!'” Friends meet to chat, talk, and enjoy each other’s company; so should we, in visiting and talking frequently to Jesus.
3.Spiritual Communion
Highly recommended by St. Alphonsus Liguouri as well as Pope Benedict XVI in his document “Sacramentum Caritatis” is the frequent practice of the Spiritual Communion. It can be done in a simple manner and as often as your heart desires. You can say the simple prayer: “Jesus I believe that you are truly present in the Tabernacle in your Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Now I cannot receive you sacramentally but come at least spiritually into my heart.” Then enter into your heart and thank, praise and love the Lord who has come spiritually into your soul. This can fan the flame of love for our Eucharistic Lord.
4. Read John 6
The Gospel of John, chapter six has three parts: Jesus multiplies the loaves, walks on water, and then He gives a sublime discourse related to the Eucharist; actually it is a Eucharistic prophecy. Best known as the “Bread of life discourse”, Jesus promises to give us the Bread of Life. Also Jesus points out in no unclear terms that our immortal salvation depends upon our eating His Body and drinking His Blood, which obviously refers to Holy Communion. Read and meditate on this powerful chapter!
5. Fifteen Minutes
Years ago there was published a small booklet with the title “The fifteen minutes”. It is a little gem where Jesus encourages the reader to enter into simple but profound conversation with Him. Basically Jesus wants to be our Best Friend and challenges us to open up the secret mysteries of our heart to Him and only He can truly understand the inner secrets, wounds and mysteries in our heart. Read and pray through this booklet if possible in front of the Blessed Sacrament!
6. Holy Hour
Get into the habit of making a daily Holy Hour in front of the most Blessed Sacrament. It will transform your life if you persevere in the practice. The Great Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who made his Holy Hour faithfully for more than fifty years, called it The Hour of Power.
7. Adorn and Embellish Churches & the Eucharist
The woman lavished her expensive nard on the feet of Jesus; she wept and her tears came pouring forth on the feet of Jesus; finally she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair (Lk. 7:36-50). Fulton Sheen points out that this is symbolic of the gestures of love and attention we should manifest in the way we adorn, embellish and beautify the Churches and tabernacles where Jesus abides.
Known for his spirit of penance, fasting, and sacrifice, the Cure of Ars would travel long distances and expend big sums of money to purchase the best for his little Church. Why? For the simple reason that Jesus—the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords—abides in the tabernacle and descends from heaven in the hands of the priest in every consecrated Host. “O come let us adore Him!”
8. Holy Mass and Holy Communion
Of course, the greatest act is the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The greatest gesture any human being can accomplish is to assist at Mass and to receive Holy Communion with faith, devotion, reverence and awe but especially with a passionate love.
Whenever possible, go to daily Mass. Arrive early to prepare yourself. Offer your own private intentions. Participate in Holy Mass fully, actively and consciously. Receive Holy Communion as if it were your first Holy Communion, last Holy Communion, and only Holy Communion. Be exceedingly thankful for your faith in such a sublime and august mystery! Do not rush out of the Church after Mass, as if your pants were on fire! Rather, spend some time after Holy Mass to render abundant thanks to Jesus for such a sublime gift. Actually the word “Eucharist” means Thanksgiving. What a sublime gift, free of charge. The only condition is lively faith and a heart overflowing with love for Jesus the greatest of all lovers!
9. A.C.T.S
Remember the four principal ends or purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—A.C.T.:
A—stands for adoration. The primary purpose of Holy Mass is to offer adoration to God the Father, by the offering of Jesus the Victim and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
C—stands for contrition. Our hearts should be contrite, humble, and repentant of our many sins. It is a great practice to offer our Mass and Holy Communion in reparation for our sins, the sin of our families as well as in reparation for the sins of the whole world. “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
T—stands for thanksgiving. Everything that we have in this life—with the exception of our own sins—is a pure gift from God. Therefore we should be overflowing and abounding in the thanksgiving. “With the Psalmist let us pray: ‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; his love endures forever.'”
S—Stands for supplication; in other words we should offer prayers of fervent intercession and petition for the many needs of the world: the world at large, the Church, the conversion of sinners, the sick, the dying, our own personal family needs, the souls in purgatory, and much more.
10. Eucharistic Missionary.
As Mary received Jesus in the Annunciation and promptly and quickly brought Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth, so should we bring Jesus to others, and others to Jesus. This can be done in a very concrete manner by encouraging Catholic lost sheep wandering in the wilderness back to the fold. The second largest religious group in the United States are non-practicing Catholics.
Find the time, manner, effort and initiative to invite some lost soul back to Church. Hopefully he or she can make a good confession and return to the reception of Holy Communion and to the loving embrace of God the Father. All this might take place if you simply trust God and take the initiative to welcome them back! God is so loving and good! Share the Good News to the entire world!
Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love
Only in Heaven will we understand what a divine marvel the Holy Mass is. No matter how much effort we apply and no matter how holy and inspired we are, we can only stammer if we would explain this Divine Work, which surpasses men and angels.
Mass is the Sacrifice of the Cross
One day St Pio of Petrelcina was asked, “Father, please explain the Holy Mass to us.” “My children,” he replied, “how can I explain it to you? The Mass is infinite, like Jesus. Ask an Angel what a Mass is, and he will reply to you in truth, ‘I understand that Mass is offered and why it is offered, but its value, its worth, are beyond my comprehension.’ One Angel – a thousand angels – all of Heaven knows this and thinks like this.”
The Altar is Calvary
St Alphonsus de Liguori went so far as to say, “God Himself cannot bring about an action holier and greater than the celebration of a Holy Mass.” Why? Because Holy Mass can be said to be a synthesis summing up the Incarnation and Redemption; It contains the Birth, Passion, and the Death of Jesus – mysteries which God accomplished for our sakes. The Second Vatican Council teaches that “at the Last Supper, the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus initiated the Eucharistic Sacrifice of His Body and Blood, in order to continue the Sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until His return.”
(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 47).
Pope Pius XII had also formulated this stupendous insight: “The altar on Golgotha is not different from the altar of our churches; even this is a mountain [like Mt Golgotha] on which stands a cross and the One crucified, where the reconciliation between God and man takes place.” St Thomas Aquinas, in an enlightening passage, wrote, “The celebration of Holy Mass has the same value as the Death of Jesus on the Cross.”
For this reason, St Francis of Assisi said, “Man should tremble, the world should quake, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.” Indeed, since it renews the Sacrifice of Jesus’ Passion and Death, the Holy Mass, taken alone, is great enough to restrain divine justice. “All the wrath and indignation of God yield before this offering,” writes St Albert the Great.
St Teresa of Avila said to her daughters, “Without the Holy Mass, what would become of us? All here below would perish, because that alone can hold back God’s arm?” Without it the Church certainly would not last and the world would become hopelessly lost. “Without the Mass, the earth would have already been destroyed by the sin of men many ages ago,” teaches St Alphonsus de Liguori. “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun that to do so without the Holy Mass,” said St Pio of Petrelcina. He was echoing St Leonard of Port Maurice, who had said, “I believe that if there were no Mass, the world would by now have sunk into the abyss under the weight of its wickedness. The Mass is the powerful support which sustains it.”
Sublime Graces
Wonderful are the saving effects which every Sacrifice of the Mass produces in the souls of those who participate. It obtains sorrow and pardon for sins. It lessens the temporal punishment due to sins. It weakens the influence of Satan and the untamed impulses in our flesh. It strengthens the bonds of our union in the Body of Christ. It protects us from danger and disaster. It shortens the punishment of Purgatory; and it obtains for us a higher degree of glory in Heaven. “No human tongue,” writes St Lawrence Justinian, “can enumerate the favours that trace back to the Sacrifice of the Mass. The sinner is reconciled with God; the just man becomes more upright; sins are wiped away; vices are uprooted; virtue and merit increase; and the devil’s schemes are frustrated.”
And so St Leonard of Port Mautice did not tire of exhorting the crowds which listened to him: “O you deluded people, what are you doing? Why do you not hasten to the churches to hear as many Masses as you can? Why do you not imitate the angels, who, when a Holy Mass is celebrated, come down in myriads from Paradise and take their stations about our altars in adoration to intercede for us?”
If it is true that we all have need of graces for this life an for the next, nothing can win them from God like the Holy Mass. St Philip Neri used to say, “With prayer we ask graces from God; in Holy Mass we constrain God to give them to us.” The prayer offered during Holy Mass engages our whole priesthood, both the ministerial priesthood (even apart from that of the individual priest at the altar) and the common priesthood of all the faithful. In Holy Mass our prayer is united with Jesus’ prayer of agony as He sacrificed himself for us. In a special way during the Canon, which is the heart of the Mass, the prayer of all of us becomes also the prayer of Jesus, present amongst us.
The two Mementoes of the Roman Canon, during which the living and the dead are remembered, are precious moments for us to present our petitions. And in those supreme moments when Jesus in the priest’s hands undergoes His Passion and Death, we can beg also for our own needs and we can recommend both living and deceased persons who are dear to us. Let us take care to profit by this. The saints held this to be very important, and when they recommended themselves to the prayers of the priests, they asked them to remember them above all during the Canon.
It will be particularly at the hour of death that the Masses that we have devoutedly heard will bring us our greatest consolation and hope. One Mass heard during life will be more profitable than many Masses heard by others in our behalf after our death. St Joseph Cottolengo assures a holy death to whoever assists often at Holy Mass. St John Bosco also considers it a sign of predestination to participate in many Masses.
Our Lord told St Gertrude, “You may be sure that to someone who devoutly assists at the Holy Mass, I will send as many of My saints to comfort him and protect him during the last moments of his life as there will have been Masses which he has heard well.” How consoling! The Holy Curé of Ars correctly declared, “If we knew the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how much greater effort will be would put forth in order to assist at it!” And St Peter Julian Eymard exhorted, “Know, O Christian, that the Mass is the holiest act of religion. You can do anything to glorify God more, nor profit your soul more, than by devoutly assisting at it, and assisting as often as possible.”
Angel counts the steps
For this reason we must consider ourselves fortunate every time we have an opportunity to attend a Holy Mass. In order not to lose the opportunity, we should never withhold ourselves because it might cost us some sacrifice, especially on Sundays and holydays; indeed, on those days one is gravely obligated to participate in Holy Mass and whoever does not do so commits a mortal sin (CCC 2181).
Let us remember that St Maria Goretti would travel on foot by 15 miles to and fro to go to Sunday Mass. We should think of Santina Campana, who went to Mass while she had a high fever. Think of St Maximilian Kolbe, who offered Holy Mass when his health was in such a pitiful condition that one of his brothers in religion had to support him at the alter so that he would not fall. And how many times St Pio of Petrelcina celebrated Holy Mass while he was bleeding and had a fever!
When illnesses sometimes prevented the saints from taking part in Holy Mass, they united themselves at least spiritually to the priests who were celebrating Masses in all the churches of the world. This was what St Bernadette, for example, did when she had to be confined to her bed for a long time. She would say to her fellow sisters: “Masses are being celebrated in different parts of the world every hour. I unite myself to these Masses, especially during those nights when I cannot sleep.”
In our own daily lives, we ought to rank the Holy Mass ahead of any other good; for, as St Bernard says, “One merits more by devoutly assisting at a Holy Mass than by distributing all of his good to the poor and traveling all over the world on pilgrimage. And it cannot be otherwise, because nothing in the world can have the infinite value of one Holy Mass.
“Martyrdom is nothing,” the Holy Curé of Ars said, “In comparison with the Mass, because martyrdom is the sacrifice of man to God, whereas the Mass is the Sacrifice of God for man!”
All the more we ought to prefer Holy Mass to mere amusements that waste our time and bring no profit to our soul St Louis IX, King of France, attended several Masses every day. A minister of the government complained, remarking that he could better devote that time to the affairs of the kingdom. The Holy King replied, “If I spent twice that time in amusements, like hunting, no one would have any objection.”
Let us be generous and willingly make sacrifices so as not to lose so great a good. St Augustine said to his Christians: “ Every step one takes while travelling to Holy Mass is counted by an angel. One will be given a high reward for them by God in this life and in eternity.” The Holy Curé of Ars adds, “How happy is that guardian angel who accompanies a soul to Holy Mass!”
This article is adapted from a chapter in Fr Stefano Manelli’s book Jesus: Our Eucharistic Love.