![Picture](/uploads/5/8/1/2/58128107/jesus-monsterance-angels_orig.jpg)
5 Ways to Meet Jesus at Mass
He is present in the Eucharist, but are we present to him?
As a Catholic, you should know about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: Under the appearance of bread and wine, Jesus is substantially present – body, blood, soul and divinity – in holy Communion.
It’s a difficult teaching to explain fully, and today many priests and catechists don’t seem to bother. When was the last time you heard the word transubstantiation? The result is that, according to surveys, many Catholics do not know, understand or believe what the Church teaches about the Real Presence.
You can find the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist, which the Second Vatican Council called the “source and summit of the Christian life,” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1322-1344).
Jesus is present to you in holy Communion, but are you present to him? Do you prepare before Mass with reflection and abstain from food for an hour before receiving Communion? Do you pay attention to the readings and the prayers at Mass? Do you examine your conscience before going forward to receive Communion? Do you take Communion with devotion and “commune” reverently with Jesus as you kneel in the pew after receiving?
Miracle of Miracles
Imagine: If Jesus were to appear bodily on the altar of your parish church, you would sit up and pay attention! Well, the truth is that Jesus does just that at each Mass, at the consecration, in the most mysterious and miraculous way.
A miracle takes place at each Mass, when the priest says the words, “This is my body,” and “This is the chalice of my blood.” Listen up. Straighten up. Focus. The Lord is present, truly present, really present. Not only that, by a miracle within a miracle, he is present under the appearance of bread and wine so we can not only worship him but also receive him into our bodies. We consume him so we can be consumed by him and become more like him.
Yet where is your mind, where is your heart, what are you thinking and desiring when receiving the host? Reception of holy Communion should be the most important moment of your week. After all, Jesus warned, “Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. … For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (Jn 6:53, 55). St. Paul wrote, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27).
Here are a few suggestions on how to be more present and attentive at Mass:
https://ga.knights.net/cpages/lead-formation-resources-5-ways-to-meet-jesus-at-mass
He is present in the Eucharist, but are we present to him?
As a Catholic, you should know about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: Under the appearance of bread and wine, Jesus is substantially present – body, blood, soul and divinity – in holy Communion.
It’s a difficult teaching to explain fully, and today many priests and catechists don’t seem to bother. When was the last time you heard the word transubstantiation? The result is that, according to surveys, many Catholics do not know, understand or believe what the Church teaches about the Real Presence.
You can find the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist, which the Second Vatican Council called the “source and summit of the Christian life,” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1322-1344).
Jesus is present to you in holy Communion, but are you present to him? Do you prepare before Mass with reflection and abstain from food for an hour before receiving Communion? Do you pay attention to the readings and the prayers at Mass? Do you examine your conscience before going forward to receive Communion? Do you take Communion with devotion and “commune” reverently with Jesus as you kneel in the pew after receiving?
Miracle of Miracles
Imagine: If Jesus were to appear bodily on the altar of your parish church, you would sit up and pay attention! Well, the truth is that Jesus does just that at each Mass, at the consecration, in the most mysterious and miraculous way.
A miracle takes place at each Mass, when the priest says the words, “This is my body,” and “This is the chalice of my blood.” Listen up. Straighten up. Focus. The Lord is present, truly present, really present. Not only that, by a miracle within a miracle, he is present under the appearance of bread and wine so we can not only worship him but also receive him into our bodies. We consume him so we can be consumed by him and become more like him.
Yet where is your mind, where is your heart, what are you thinking and desiring when receiving the host? Reception of holy Communion should be the most important moment of your week. After all, Jesus warned, “Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. … For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (Jn 6:53, 55). St. Paul wrote, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27).
Here are a few suggestions on how to be more present and attentive at Mass:
- Prepare. The required fast before receiving Communion is one hour. Hardly a sacrifice! So we should prepare in other ways as well, especially by reviewing the readings for Sunday Mass. The night before, or on Sunday morning before heading to Mass, check for the Gospel reading and a meditation.
- Care. If you care about the state of your soul, you will take care to place Jesus at the center of your life. Knowing that you are unworthy to receive him, go forward with confidence that, if you are free from serious sin, he will receive you into himself as you receive the host.
- Prayer. After receiving, pray for true union with Jesus. Meditate on his death and resurrection with the assurance that if you were the only person on earth, he would suffer and rise just for you.
- Dare. Love of Jesus in the Eucharist should move you to risk everything to draw closer to him. Dare to believe that he is with you always. Dare to speak about the Real Presence to your children, family and friends. Dare to be dismissed as a zealot as you attend holy hours with Eucharistic adoration.
- Share. Mass ends soon after receiving Communion. We are sent to share the living presence of Jesus with others. They will know we are Christians by the love of Jesus in our hearts.
https://ga.knights.net/cpages/lead-formation-resources-5-ways-to-meet-jesus-at-mass
COSMIC POWERS OF THE EUCHARIST:
The Most Holy Trinity’s Mystical Powers
is received by the ordained Priest as he acts in the person
of Christ. By this Triune power the priest transforms the bread and
wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity …the Real Presence of Jesus.
REDEMPTIVE Power of JESUS is unleashed to forgives our sins.
CONSECRATION- Bread and wine is changed into Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus
by the words: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is My Body which will be given up for you." "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of My Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of Me."
ILLUMINATE Power of the GOD THE FATHER is unleashed which unites us with the Mystical Body in Heaven and on earth.
ACCLAMATION - Elevation Sacred Host and Precious Blood by the words:
"Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever."
SANCTIFYING Power of the HOLY SPIRIT is unleashed to nourish us with God’s graces and blessings.
COMMUNION – Elevation Sacred Host and by the words:
"This is the Lamb of God who take away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper”. “Lord, I am not worth to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed "
It is the Eucharist that defines us, it is the Holy Eucharist that makes us Catholic, it is devotion to the Holy Eucharist that puts us in the right relationship with God.
POPE ST. PIUS X- "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven. There are others: Innocence, for instance, but that is for little children. Penance, but we are afraid of it. Generous endurance of the trials of life, but when they come we weep and ask to be spared. The surest, easiest, shortest way is by the Eucharist."
One who lacks any faith, reverence, devotion and love of Our Eucharist Lord. Therefore is deprived of the many graces, blessings, forgiveness of venial sins.
The Most Holy Trinity’s Mystical Powers
is received by the ordained Priest as he acts in the person
of Christ. By this Triune power the priest transforms the bread and
wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity …the Real Presence of Jesus.
REDEMPTIVE Power of JESUS is unleashed to forgives our sins.
CONSECRATION- Bread and wine is changed into Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus
by the words: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is My Body which will be given up for you." "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of My Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of Me."
ILLUMINATE Power of the GOD THE FATHER is unleashed which unites us with the Mystical Body in Heaven and on earth.
ACCLAMATION - Elevation Sacred Host and Precious Blood by the words:
"Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever."
SANCTIFYING Power of the HOLY SPIRIT is unleashed to nourish us with God’s graces and blessings.
COMMUNION – Elevation Sacred Host and by the words:
"This is the Lamb of God who take away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper”. “Lord, I am not worth to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed "
It is the Eucharist that defines us, it is the Holy Eucharist that makes us Catholic, it is devotion to the Holy Eucharist that puts us in the right relationship with God.
POPE ST. PIUS X- "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven. There are others: Innocence, for instance, but that is for little children. Penance, but we are afraid of it. Generous endurance of the trials of life, but when they come we weep and ask to be spared. The surest, easiest, shortest way is by the Eucharist."
One who lacks any faith, reverence, devotion and love of Our Eucharist Lord. Therefore is deprived of the many graces, blessings, forgiveness of venial sins.
![Picture](/uploads/5/8/1/2/58128107/published/eucharist-on-tongue.jpg?1697334040)
THE EFFECTS OF HOLY COMMUNION
The primary cause of the growth of grace is the Eucharist, and receiving Holy Communion has many wonderful effects in us.
It comes as a surprise to many people to hear that the Eucharist is a cause, but realizing this simple truth helps us to receive the effects or fruits of Holy Communion. Just as food nourishes a child and causes the child to grow strong in the bodily life, so Holy Communion nourishes our souls and causes us to grow strong in the spiritual life – the life of grace. Besides causing growth, food also has many other effects on our bodily life. Food serves to recover us from sickness, preserve us from becoming sick in the future, and energize us when we have grown sluggish. Holy Communion works similar effects in the spiritual life of grace in our souls.
It is rather impossible to sum up all the effects of receiving the Eucharist, but it is common for the Saints to realize the grandeur of receiving Holy Communion even once. For the Saints, each Holy Communion is a big deal. Down through the centuries, they have composed many prayers to prepare themselves well for the event, and their prayers show us what they expect from the sacrament.
One preparatory prayer from Saint Basil of Caesarea is particularly rich and tells of many effects of Holy Communion. The central part of the prayer goes like this:
“Show compassion, therefore, O Lord, and do not accuse me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Thy mercy; and let these Holy Things be for me unto healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and unto sanctification of soul and body; unto the driving away of every phantasy and evil practice and activity of the devil working mentally in my members; unto confidence and love toward Thee, unto correction of life, unto steadfastness, unto an increase of virtue and perfection, unto fulfillment of the commandments, unto communion with the Holy Spirit, as a provision for life eternal, as an acceptable defense at Thy dread tribunal, not unto judgment or condemnation.”
Saint Basil expects a great deal from Holy Communion. His list of petitions is extensive and repays meditation. When we consider it with care, we have to ask: is there anything he does not expect from the sacrament of the altar?
Holy Communion gives light. Saint Thomas Aquinas was known to lean his head against the tabernacle and beg God for enlightenment. Saint Basil hopes for light through the reception of Holy Communion.
Holy Communion heals us in the sense of forgiving venial sins. It purifies us in the sense of diminishing the tendencies towards personal sin. It also preserves us from future sins. Many people testify to a noticeable difference in their lives when they come back to Church, confess their sins, and begin receiving Holy Communion regularly. If patterns of sin persist in our lives, the question is not why the sins persist if we are receiving Holy Communion. The question is where you and I would be if we were not receiving communion.
Holy Communion drives away demonic activity. Many people seek out the assistance of exorcists, but exorcists spend a great deal of time simply urging those who come to them to receive Holy Communion more frequently and devoutly. The enemy does indeed prowl about like a roaring lion, but the sight of the Eucharist terrifies the enemy much more.
Holy Communion causes an increase of virtue. The key here is to ask for specific virtues to come to us through Holy Communion. Is it humility you seek? Greater patience and kindness toward others? Purity and chastity? Courage in the face of fears? Greater trust in God? When we are at Mass, we should pray for such good qualities to come to us through the sacrament. They will come. With the help of the sacrament, we will grow into them gradually.
Holy Communion provides us what we need to go into next life. It has always been the sense of Christians that the one thing a person needs most on the brink of death is Holy Communion. One’s first Holy Communion is a great event in the spiritual life, but so is one’s last Holy Communion. Traditionally, the last Holy Communion is called viaticum or food for the journey. Normally, it is received after one’s final absolution and final anointing. The anointing prepares the soul to be separated from the body in a death like Christ’s, and viaticum prepares the soul for the journey to God and to stand before him in one’s particular judgment. How blessed are they who die in his friendship!
Among all the wonderful effects of Holy Communion, however, one stands out above them all. Holy Communion sparks a renewal of charity in our hearts. Like nothing else, the sacrament animates, energizes, and vitalizes The Friends of God. In the words of Saint Basil, it produces “confidence and love toward Thee.” Each time you and I receive Holy Communion, we should expect new propulsion of love for God to break forth from the depths of our souls, and we should be on the lookout for it. A new surge of love is sure to come up from our hearts after Holy Communion. It might not happen immediately. It might be later in the day or when things quiet down. It might not be so noticeable as a great earthquake or a roaring fire, but perhaps be more like a gentle breeze (1 Kgs. 19:5-18). Yet, it will happen. New love will come. Guaranteed.
When we receive Holy Communion, the friends of God receive a renewal of love in our hearts. Since love unites people, the whole Church in heaven and on earth becomes more united. The union amongst us wrought by Holy Communion might not be so observable to our senses. The Church on earth appears rather divided in many ways. In the supernatural order of things, however, the situation is quite different than what meets the eye. Those who belong to Christ, those who belong to him not only in show but in reality by living in a state of sanctifying grace, are in fact being united more and more to Christ and to one another through every Holy Communion. Thanks to the mighty sacrament of the altar, the mystical body of Christ grows together. Together we grow in The Grace to Be Jesus.
Father James Dominic Brent, O.P. is a Dominican Friar who lives and teaches at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Several of his homilies, spiritual conferences, interviews, and radio spots can be found on his personal Soundcloud site. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute and appears on Aquinas 101.
This is part 26 of a series, “The Kingdom of Grace.” Part 25 can be found here. The Effects of Holy Communion - SpiritualDirection.com
The primary cause of the growth of grace is the Eucharist, and receiving Holy Communion has many wonderful effects in us.
It comes as a surprise to many people to hear that the Eucharist is a cause, but realizing this simple truth helps us to receive the effects or fruits of Holy Communion. Just as food nourishes a child and causes the child to grow strong in the bodily life, so Holy Communion nourishes our souls and causes us to grow strong in the spiritual life – the life of grace. Besides causing growth, food also has many other effects on our bodily life. Food serves to recover us from sickness, preserve us from becoming sick in the future, and energize us when we have grown sluggish. Holy Communion works similar effects in the spiritual life of grace in our souls.
It is rather impossible to sum up all the effects of receiving the Eucharist, but it is common for the Saints to realize the grandeur of receiving Holy Communion even once. For the Saints, each Holy Communion is a big deal. Down through the centuries, they have composed many prayers to prepare themselves well for the event, and their prayers show us what they expect from the sacrament.
One preparatory prayer from Saint Basil of Caesarea is particularly rich and tells of many effects of Holy Communion. The central part of the prayer goes like this:
“Show compassion, therefore, O Lord, and do not accuse me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Thy mercy; and let these Holy Things be for me unto healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and unto sanctification of soul and body; unto the driving away of every phantasy and evil practice and activity of the devil working mentally in my members; unto confidence and love toward Thee, unto correction of life, unto steadfastness, unto an increase of virtue and perfection, unto fulfillment of the commandments, unto communion with the Holy Spirit, as a provision for life eternal, as an acceptable defense at Thy dread tribunal, not unto judgment or condemnation.”
Saint Basil expects a great deal from Holy Communion. His list of petitions is extensive and repays meditation. When we consider it with care, we have to ask: is there anything he does not expect from the sacrament of the altar?
Holy Communion gives light. Saint Thomas Aquinas was known to lean his head against the tabernacle and beg God for enlightenment. Saint Basil hopes for light through the reception of Holy Communion.
Holy Communion heals us in the sense of forgiving venial sins. It purifies us in the sense of diminishing the tendencies towards personal sin. It also preserves us from future sins. Many people testify to a noticeable difference in their lives when they come back to Church, confess their sins, and begin receiving Holy Communion regularly. If patterns of sin persist in our lives, the question is not why the sins persist if we are receiving Holy Communion. The question is where you and I would be if we were not receiving communion.
Holy Communion drives away demonic activity. Many people seek out the assistance of exorcists, but exorcists spend a great deal of time simply urging those who come to them to receive Holy Communion more frequently and devoutly. The enemy does indeed prowl about like a roaring lion, but the sight of the Eucharist terrifies the enemy much more.
Holy Communion causes an increase of virtue. The key here is to ask for specific virtues to come to us through Holy Communion. Is it humility you seek? Greater patience and kindness toward others? Purity and chastity? Courage in the face of fears? Greater trust in God? When we are at Mass, we should pray for such good qualities to come to us through the sacrament. They will come. With the help of the sacrament, we will grow into them gradually.
Holy Communion provides us what we need to go into next life. It has always been the sense of Christians that the one thing a person needs most on the brink of death is Holy Communion. One’s first Holy Communion is a great event in the spiritual life, but so is one’s last Holy Communion. Traditionally, the last Holy Communion is called viaticum or food for the journey. Normally, it is received after one’s final absolution and final anointing. The anointing prepares the soul to be separated from the body in a death like Christ’s, and viaticum prepares the soul for the journey to God and to stand before him in one’s particular judgment. How blessed are they who die in his friendship!
Among all the wonderful effects of Holy Communion, however, one stands out above them all. Holy Communion sparks a renewal of charity in our hearts. Like nothing else, the sacrament animates, energizes, and vitalizes The Friends of God. In the words of Saint Basil, it produces “confidence and love toward Thee.” Each time you and I receive Holy Communion, we should expect new propulsion of love for God to break forth from the depths of our souls, and we should be on the lookout for it. A new surge of love is sure to come up from our hearts after Holy Communion. It might not happen immediately. It might be later in the day or when things quiet down. It might not be so noticeable as a great earthquake or a roaring fire, but perhaps be more like a gentle breeze (1 Kgs. 19:5-18). Yet, it will happen. New love will come. Guaranteed.
When we receive Holy Communion, the friends of God receive a renewal of love in our hearts. Since love unites people, the whole Church in heaven and on earth becomes more united. The union amongst us wrought by Holy Communion might not be so observable to our senses. The Church on earth appears rather divided in many ways. In the supernatural order of things, however, the situation is quite different than what meets the eye. Those who belong to Christ, those who belong to him not only in show but in reality by living in a state of sanctifying grace, are in fact being united more and more to Christ and to one another through every Holy Communion. Thanks to the mighty sacrament of the altar, the mystical body of Christ grows together. Together we grow in The Grace to Be Jesus.
Father James Dominic Brent, O.P. is a Dominican Friar who lives and teaches at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Several of his homilies, spiritual conferences, interviews, and radio spots can be found on his personal Soundcloud site. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute and appears on Aquinas 101.
This is part 26 of a series, “The Kingdom of Grace.” Part 25 can be found here. The Effects of Holy Communion - SpiritualDirection.com
![Picture](/uploads/5/8/1/2/58128107/monstrance-altar_orig.jpg)
Is Our Eucharistic Lord the answer to all life's problems?
The Eucharistic Lord is indeed the answer to all life's problems. In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus invites us to receive him, saying, "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (CCC, 1384)1.
Through the Eucharist, we have the possibility of encountering the Lord Jesus and experiencing the power of his Paschal Mystery (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2. The Eucharist is a concrete way in which Jesus loves us and satisfies his thirst for us (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2.
It is through the celebration of the sacraments, including the Eucharist, that the salvific power of Jesus' sacrifice reaches us (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2.
Moreover, the Eucharist is the source of true consolation and a gift that we receive from the Lord (General Audience of 15 November 2017)3. In the Eucharist, the Lord encounters our frailty and leads us back to our first call of being in the image and likeness of God (General Audience of 15 November 2017)3. The Eucharist is an act of cosmic love that joins heaven and earth, embracing and penetrating all creation (Laudato Si, 236)4. It is the living center of the universe, overflowing with love and inexhaustible life (Laudato Si, 236)4. Through the Eucharist, creation is projected towards divinization and unification with the Creator (Laudato Si, 236)4.
The Eucharist is the sacrament par excellence of encounter with the person of Jesus (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. It contains the entire spiritual wealth of the Church, which is Christ himself (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. In the Eucharist, the eyes of the heart recognize Jesus, and the Church draws her life from him (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. The Eucharist is a mystery of faith and a "mystery of light" that allows us to relive the experience of the disciples on the way to Emmaus, whose eyes were opened and recognized Jesus (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5.
Therefore, based on these teachings, we can conclude that the Eucharistic Lord is indeed the answer to all life's problems. Through the Eucharist, we encounter Jesus, experience his love and forgiveness, and find consolation and strength to face the challenges of life. The Eucharist is a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, and it joins heaven and earth in adoration of God. It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation, and through the Eucharist, we are united with Christ and drawn into the mystery of his love.
References:
CCC 1384
Desiderio Desideravi 11
General Audience of 15 November 2017
Laudato Si 236
Vultum Dei quaerere 22
Magisterium AI is currently experimental and is trained on a limited, but growing number of Magisterial documents
The Eucharistic Lord is indeed the answer to all life's problems. In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus invites us to receive him, saying, "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (CCC, 1384)1.
Through the Eucharist, we have the possibility of encountering the Lord Jesus and experiencing the power of his Paschal Mystery (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2. The Eucharist is a concrete way in which Jesus loves us and satisfies his thirst for us (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2.
It is through the celebration of the sacraments, including the Eucharist, that the salvific power of Jesus' sacrifice reaches us (Desiderio Desideravi, 11)2.
Moreover, the Eucharist is the source of true consolation and a gift that we receive from the Lord (General Audience of 15 November 2017)3. In the Eucharist, the Lord encounters our frailty and leads us back to our first call of being in the image and likeness of God (General Audience of 15 November 2017)3. The Eucharist is an act of cosmic love that joins heaven and earth, embracing and penetrating all creation (Laudato Si, 236)4. It is the living center of the universe, overflowing with love and inexhaustible life (Laudato Si, 236)4. Through the Eucharist, creation is projected towards divinization and unification with the Creator (Laudato Si, 236)4.
The Eucharist is the sacrament par excellence of encounter with the person of Jesus (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. It contains the entire spiritual wealth of the Church, which is Christ himself (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. In the Eucharist, the eyes of the heart recognize Jesus, and the Church draws her life from him (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5. The Eucharist is a mystery of faith and a "mystery of light" that allows us to relive the experience of the disciples on the way to Emmaus, whose eyes were opened and recognized Jesus (Vultum Dei quaerere, 22)5.
Therefore, based on these teachings, we can conclude that the Eucharistic Lord is indeed the answer to all life's problems. Through the Eucharist, we encounter Jesus, experience his love and forgiveness, and find consolation and strength to face the challenges of life. The Eucharist is a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, and it joins heaven and earth in adoration of God. It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation, and through the Eucharist, we are united with Christ and drawn into the mystery of his love.
References:
CCC 1384
Desiderio Desideravi 11
General Audience of 15 November 2017
Laudato Si 236
Vultum Dei quaerere 22
Magisterium AI is currently experimental and is trained on a limited, but growing number of Magisterial documents
![Picture](/uploads/5/8/1/2/58128107/laultimacomuniondesanjosedecalasanzcrop_orig.jpg)
THE EFFECTS OF HOLY COMMUNION
The primary cause of the growth of grace is the Eucharist, and receiving Holy Communion has many wonderful effects in us.
It comes as a surprise to many people to hear that the Eucharist is a cause, but realizing this simple truth helps us to receive the effects or fruits of Holy Communion. Just as food nourishes a child and causes the child to grow strong in the bodily life, so Holy Communion nourishes our souls and causes us to grow strong in the spiritual life – the life of grace. Besides causing growth, food also has many other effects on our bodily life. Food serves to recover us from sickness, preserve us from becoming sick in the future, and energize us when we have grown sluggish. Holy Communion works similar effects in the spiritual life of grace in our souls.
It is rather impossible to sum up all the effects of receiving the Eucharist, but it is common for the Saints to realize the grandeur of receiving Holy Communion even once. For the Saints, each Holy Communion is a big deal. Down through the centuries, they have composed many prayers to prepare themselves well for the event, and their prayers show us what they expect from the sacrament. One preparatory prayer from Saint Basil of Caesarea is particularly rich and tells of many effects of Holy Communion.
The central part of the prayer goes like this: “Show compassion, therefore, O Lord, and do not accuse me, a sinner, but deal with me according to Thy mercy; and let these Holy Things be for me unto healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and preservation, and salvation, and unto sanctification of soul and body; unto the driving away of every phantasy and evil practice and activity of the devil working mentally in my members; unto confidence and love toward Thee, unto correction of life, unto steadfastness, unto an increase of virtue and perfection, unto fulfillment of the commandments, unto communion with the Holy Spirit, as a provision for life eternal, as an acceptable defense at Thy dread tribunal, not unto judgment or condemnation.”
Saint Basil expects a great deal from Holy Communion. His list of petitions is extensive and repays meditation. When we consider it with care, we have to ask: is there anything he does not expect from the sacrament of the altar?
Holy Communion gives light. Saint Thomas Aquinas was known to lean his head against the tabernacle and beg God for enlightenment. Saint Basil hopes for light through the reception of Holy Communion.
Holy Communion heals us in the sense of forgiving venial sins. It purifies us in the sense of diminishing the tendencies towards personal sin. It also preserves us from future sins. Many people testify to a noticeable difference in their lives when they come back to Church, confess their sins, and begin receiving Holy Communion regularly. If patterns of sin persist in our lives, the question is not why the sins persist if we are receiving Holy Communion. The question is where you and I would be if we were not receiving communion.
Holy Communion drives away demonic activity. Many people seek out the assistance of exorcists, but exorcists spend a great deal of time simply urging those who come to them to receive Holy Communion more frequently and devoutly. The enemy does indeed prowl about like a roaring lion, but the sight of the Eucharist terrifies the enemy much more.
Holy Communion causes an increase of virtue. The key here is to ask for specific virtues to come to us through Holy Communion. Is it humility you seek? Greater patience and kindness toward others? Purity and chastity? Courage in the face of fears? Greater trust in God? When we are at Mass, we should pray for such good qualities to come to us through the sacrament. They will come. With the help of the sacrament, we will grow into them gradually.
Holy Communion provides us what we need to go into next life. It has always been the sense of Christians that the one thing a person needs most on the brink of death is Holy Communion. One’s first Holy Communion is a great event in the spiritual life, but so is one’s last Holy Communion. Traditionally, the last Holy Communion is called viaticum or food for the journey. Normally, it is received after one’s final absolution and final anointing. The anointing prepares the soul to be separated from the body in a death like Christ’s, and viaticum prepares the soul for the journey to God and to stand before him in one’s particular judgment. How blessed are they who die in his friendship!
Among all the wonderful effects of Holy Communion, however, one stands out above them all. Holy Communion sparks a renewal of charity in our hearts. Like nothing else, the sacrament animates, energizes, and vitalizes The Friends of God. In the words of Saint Basil, it produces “confidence and love toward Thee.” Each time you and I receive Holy Communion, we should expect new propulsion of love for God to break forth from the depths of our souls, and we should be on the lookout for it. A new surge of love is sure to come up from our hearts after Holy Communion. It might not happen immediately. It might be later in the day or when things quiet down. It might not be so noticeable as a great earthquake or a roaring fire, but perhaps be more like a gentle breeze (1 Kgs. 19:5-18). Yet, it will happen. New love will come. Guaranteed.
When we receive Holy Communion, the friends of God receive a renewal of love in our hearts. Since love unites people, the whole Church in heaven and on earth becomes more united. The union amongst us wrought by Holy Communion might not be so observable to our senses. The Church on earth appears rather divided in many ways. In the supernatural order of things, however, the situation is quite different than what meets the eye. Those who belong to Christ, those who belong to him not only in show but in reality by living in a state of sanctifying grace, are in fact being united more and more to Christ and to one another through every Holy Communion. Thanks to the mighty sacrament of the altar, the mystical body of Christ grows together. Together we grow in The Grace to Be Jesus.
Father James Dominic Brent, O.P. is a Dominican Friar who lives and teaches at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Several of his homilies, spiritual conferences, interviews, and radio spots can be found on his personal Soundcloud site. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute and appears on Aquinas 101.
This is part 26 of a series, “The Kingdom of Grace.” Part 25 can be found here.
The Effects of Holy Communion - SpiritualDirection.com
ADVANCE IN SANCTITY AND INCREASE IN MERIT, AND FOR A SUPERABUNDANCE OF SANCTIFYING AND ACTUAL GRACES BY OFFERING A MASS FOR A LIVING PERSON.
By Ann Barnhardt https://www.barnhardt.biz/
When a Mass is offered as intercession for persons while still alive and in the state of grace—i.e., no unrepented serious sin (1 John 5:16), these living persons receive three added benefits not available to the dead, namely:
1) Increase of merit (assigned heavenly joy and glory) forever—CCC 2010).
2) Added sanctifying grace (a deeper sharing in the life of God—2 Pet. 1:4).
3) Actual graces (conscience-nudges to do good and avoid evil—CCC 2000),
The dead cannot “grow spiritually”. Their level of holiness and resultant reward can be increased only before death: “Wherever the tree falls, there it will lie,” as Solomon proverbialized.
The state of one’s soul at death “decides its ultimate destiny, as the Catechism (1013) reminds us, for that’s when individual judgment occurs (Heb. 9:27), to be reaffirmed publicly at the Last global Judgment (Matt. 25:46).
Hence, while a Mass offered for a deceased person can provide great relief, a Mass offered for a living person can provide great growth.”
ADVANCE IN SANCTITY AND INCREASE IN MERIT, AND FOR A SUPERABUNDANCE OF SANCTIFYING AND ACTUAL GRACES.
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Unless you eat my body…”: Is John 6:53 Symbolic or Literal?
https://chnetwork.org/2015/12/10/unless-you-eat-my-body-and-drink-my-blood-there-is-no-life-in-you-symbolic-or-literal/
Jesus once said, “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, there is no life in you” but did He mean His words to be taken symbolically or literally? This text comes from the Gospel of John, 6:53, a text I never preached on as a Presbyterian minister. In fact, I pretty much avoided John 6 during my fifteen-plus years in Protestant ministry because I was uncomfortable with this very question: symbolic or literal. This chapter in John remained safely untouched up on the nice shelf.
I did not come to accept the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because of this text, and frankly, I don’t think any apologetic argument based on this text would have broken through my thick Evangelical, subtly anti-Catholic, shell. But in the end, it was this verse that sealed the deal on my convictions.
For the first forty years of my life, I at best considered the Lord’s Supper to be only symbolic. My first twenty years were as a baptized yet nominal Lutheran. To me, the monthly celebration of the Lord’s Supper was nothing more than a Sunday ritual. My mind was always elsewhere.
Then after a life-changing, born-again conversion, my second twenty years consisted of a variety of evangelical ministries, which included seminary and then nine years as an ordained minister. During these years, the Lord’s Supper was a very meaningful part of my faith life. Every month, I insisted that my congregation make this celebration special, because I took Jesus’ words seriously: we were to do this in memory of Him — as a reminder of what He had done for us on the cross. I believed the Lord’s Supper was not a symbol, but a reminder, just like the New Testament is; lifting up the bread was a reminder of John 3:16, that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.” In the busy-ness of our lives, we can forget what this is all about; the Lord’s Supper was a way of remembering and celebrating that we have been saved from damnation by His free giving of Himself on the cross, through the spilling of His Blood.
Then, a series of “verses I never saw” began changing my life. In this article, I’d like to go through, as chronologically as I can, how Scripture convinced me that Jesus was speaking very seriously when He said, “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, there is no life in you.” No Catechism or other Catholic Church documents would have impressed me; no skillful Catholic apologist would have bugged me; I had to see it in the Bible alone.
And the first verse that got my attention was 1 Timothy 3:14-15.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
This was what began my “journey home,” but it did not make me a Catholic. Rather, it began my thinking for the first time in my life that Scripture alone was not sufficient because the Church was the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.” But which church? It was in this that I began to see that being a member of a “church” was somehow necessary for at least knowing the truth, if not for salvation. How this led to the other verses that drew me toward the Catholic Church is another story, but for me, the issue of how to understand the Eucharist began as nothing more than a hodgepodge of opinions. I knew full well what the Bible said in the Gospels and Paul’s letters, but the wide breadth of contradictory opinions held by Christians on the topic only denuded any sense of urgency to reconsider my own opinion on this. So dealing with John 6 remained far back on the nice shelf.
Then during one of the last times I led my Presbyterian congregation in the Lord’s Supper, I was up front before the table, holding aloft a loaf of bread, and as I broke the bread, I recited, as usual, the words of consecration from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 11:23-26, as given in the official Presbyterian Book of Worship:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
As I said these words, my emphasis as usual was on “Do this in remembrance of me,” and not the more controversial passages, but I was struck by a thought that I was anxious to examine privately in my study: The Book of Worship did not use all the words that Paul had passed on in his letter. Why not?
So once in my study, I opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 and read the entire context:
17: But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
18: For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it,
19: for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
I had already become awakened to the problem of the divisions between Christians — how this was contrary to the prayer of Jesus Christ in John 17 — but here was evidence that already in the earliest days of the Church the devil was causing divisions. But over what issue? I read on:
20: When you meet together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
21: For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk.
22: What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
A few verses later Paul will demand:
33: So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another --
34: if any one is hungry, let him eat at home -- lest you come together to be condemned. About the other things I will give directions when I come.
In other words, the devil was causing divisions in the early churches by tempting the members to add-on to and expand the simple celebration of the Lord’s Supper into a feast, maybe even leading some to argue that this was necessary because otherwise the poor in the congregation had nothing to eat. It’s also clear that the wine they were using, if not abusing, was not mere grape juice!
Paul, though, was insistent on protecting the integrity of the Lord’s Supper, for he believed that this was serious. He warned, “lest you come together to be condemned.” How could this be, if this was nothing more than a merely symbolic reminder?
This he explained in the words immediately following the words of consecration, whose absence from the Presbyterian Book of Worship had bothered me. Listen to the seriousness of Paul’s words:
27: Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
28: Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29: For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
30: That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
There is much to consider in these verses, but what struck me there in my study was: If the Lord’s Supper is merely symbolic, then how would eating a piece of bread and drinking a little sip of wine “in an unworthy manner” make one “guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord?” If our monthly ritual was nothing more than a reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross, then what could Paul have possibly meant by “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself,” which Paul said was why many of them were “weak and ill, and some have died.” Did he mean that this lack of discerning the Body actually caused sickness and death, or did he possibly mean that celebrating the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, without discerning the Body, was what was causing many of them to be weak in their faith? Their faith had become sick, and some had even died spiritually, falling away into divisions. Were their very divisions caused by their not taking the Lord’s Supper seriously?
In my study, as was normally my habit, this led me to search elsewhere in Scripture for answers. So, I turned back to the previous chapter in 1 Corinthians, 10:14-22, where Paul was dealing with another cause for division within the church: some were unable to let go of the baggage of their pagan past and were slipping away to pay homage to idols:
14: Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols.
15: I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.
16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation [koinonia] in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Three things struck me here as important:
First was the phrase, “the cup of blessing which we bless.” The idea of blessing things meant to me as a Presbyterian little more than setting something apart or praising it. I could ask God to bless something, but what did this mean? But here Paul seemed to imply seriously that the cup of wine of the Lord’s Supper becomes a blessing through our actions or Paul’s or maybe the pastors of the Corinthian church — actions that he placed parallel with breaking the bread.
Second, these actions he insists are a “participation” in the Blood and Body of Christ. What is this participation? The word is important: it’s koinonia, also translated communion or fellowship. Over the centuries, Christians have watered down this word to mean merely a sharing or close fellowship with others or with Jesus, but is that all that Paul means here? In John’s First Letter, he wrote:
“that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship [koinonia] with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 1:3).
Is this koinonia with the Father and Jesus, or with the Blood and Body of Christ, merely a close association? Or could it be something more?
The third thing I noticed in this text was the emphasis on “breaking” the bread. This would become important to me later.
St. Paul continued on in his argument:
17: Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
18: Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?
19: What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
20: No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.
21: You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
22: Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Here Paul emphasized that participation [koinonia] in the Body and Blood of Christ unites all Christians in the same sacrificial way that the Old Testament sacrifices united the Israelites with the altar and that pagan sacrifices unite them with demons. The partaking of the bread and wine of the table of the Lord is more than a symbol or a reminder; it is a blessed sacrificial participation or koinonia in the Body and Blood of Christ that unites us with Him and one another.
The words of these verses reminded me of another verse: Acts 2:42. This occurs after the Apostle Peter’s first Christian sermon and the resultant conversion and baptism of three thousand souls. Scripture reports that:
…they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Here again were the terms fellowship, or koinonia, and the breaking of the bread. I had always understood this to describe the four aspects of the early Church worship: the Apostles’ teachings, which I assumed became Scripture; fellowship, which was the gathering of believers; the breaking of bread, which I took to be the Agape meals, which I believed were separate from the occasional celebration of the Lord’s Supper; and the prayers, which were the continuation of the Jewish praying of the Psalms.
As I studied this, however, in relation to other things I was learning about the early Church, I remembered that there were no punctuation marks in the original Greek text. I also saw that there was no “and” between “fellowship” and “to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” What this suggested was that this could be interpreted as describing “the apostles’ teaching and koinonia” as the two aspects of their devotions when they gathered and that the koinonia aspect consisted of “the breaking of bread,” which would become the technical term for the Eucharist, and “the prayers.” In other words, this was a simple description of the two parts of the Mass: the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
But I was certainly not convinced yet. I remembered another place where these words were used, so I turned to Luke 24:27-35. This was the Emmaus road experience where the resurrected Jesus appears to two disciples who were not convinced yet in His resurrection. They did not recognize Him, and Scripture reports that Jesus “interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
28: So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further,
29: but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.
30: When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
31: And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32: They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?”
33: And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,
34: who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
35: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
There is certainly much that can be said about these passages, but I had always understood this experience to mean that by His acting out before them what He had done previously in the Upper Room, they all of a sudden recognized Him; in other words, like how I understood the Lord’s Supper to be merely a reminder. However, there is much more here. He explained to them all the typological references to Him in the Old Testament, but this was not enough to convince them; therefore, the Bible alone, even thoroughly explained by Jesus Himself (!), was not enough. It was in their reception and partaking, or as Paul said, their participation in the blessed, broken bread that “their eyes were opened” and “he was known to them.” This participation was more than a symbol or reminder.
I turned then to the actual words of Christ in the Upper Room in Luke 22:19-20. I was fully familiar with these from my many years as an Evangelical and as a pastor. I also recalled from my Lutheran childhood catechism how Martin Luther had insisted, his fist pounding on a table, that the words of Christ were literal though I had never taken them seriously. Luke wrote:
19: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20: And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Here again were the clear words, “THIS IS MY BODY.” Was Jesus merely speaking symbolically? Why would He be doing this, saying this, on the last night He would spend with His chosen Apostles, whom He would eventually send forth to make disciples of all nations through preaching and Baptism? And why would He insist that they “do this in remembrance” of Him — unless Jesus was insisting that this was something that was crucially important?
It would only be later that I would learn that the particular word that Jesus used for “remembrance,” “anamnasiv,” is a rare word in the Bible and only used in the context of a memorial sacrifice. There were other words He could have used to tell them to do this to remind them of what He was about to do for them on the cross. The use of this word, however, implies that this was essentially to have been a memorial sacrifice.
What also struck me as significant was the juxtaposition of the words “took bread,” “had given thanks,” “broke it,” and “gave it to them.” This was parallel with all the miraculous feedings of the crowds, which suggests that all throughout His ministry He had been demonstrating to His hand-chosen disciples that this would become central to their work as His Apostles. It was also in the phrase “had given thanks,” which in Greek is “eucharistasas,” that this memorial sacrifice would get its name.
You might be anticipating that by now I surely would have turned to John 6, but still I was not ready to bring this down from the nice shelf. Rather, through my readings I was becoming more and more aware of the importance of the early Church Fathers. So the question was, how did they who directly learned their faith from the Apostles understand all this? For them, was it merely a symbol or a mere reminder of the cross?
Jimmy Akin, in his great book, The Fathers Know Best, does a superb job of summarizing the views of the early Fathers on all aspects of our Faith. On the Eucharist, Akin writes:
The doctrine of the Real Presence asserts that in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present—body and blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. Evangelicals and Fundamentalists frequently attack this doctrine as “unbiblical,” but the Bible is forthright in declaring it (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16–17, 11:23–29; and, most forcefully, John 6:32–71).
The early Church Fathers interpreted these passages literally. In summarizing the early Fathers’ teachings on Christ’s Real Presence, renowned Protestant historian of the early Church J. N. D. Kelly, writes: “Eucharistic teaching, it should be understood at the outset, was in general unquestioningly realist, i.e., the consecrated bread and wine were taken to be, and were treated and designated as, the Savior’s body and blood” (Early Christian Doctrines, 440).
From the Church’s early days, the Fathers referred to Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.
So what did the early Church Father teach and believe about the Eucharist? There are, of course, entire books on this, but here are a few quotes:
The Didache is an ancient document for whom authorship is unknown. The majority of biblical scholars believe that it was written sometime between AD 50-150, with many believing it was written at the same time as the other New Testament documents. In the earliest days of the Church, many included this book in the canon of the New Testament. In chapter 9, we read:
Concerning the Eucharist, celebrate the Eucharist in this way. First, concerning the cup, we thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David your servant which you made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be the glory forever. Concerning the broken bread, pray like this: “We thank you, our Father, for life and knowledge that you have made known to us through Jesus your child. To you be glory forever. As the broken bread was scattered on the mountains and then gathered into one, thus let your church be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom because yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. Let no one eat or drink from your Eucharist except those who are baptized in the name of the Lord. For the Lord said about this, “Do not give holy drink to dogs.”
Here we see that the breaking of the bread and blessing of the cup is now being called the Eucharist, that it is understood as a means of unity, and that is to be partaken of only by those who have been baptized. In chapter 14, we learn a little more:
On the Lord’s Day, once you have gathered, break the bread [of the Lord], and celebrate the Eucharist, after having confessed your transgressions that your sacrifice may be pure.
In following Paul’s warnings, therefore, one must not partake unworthily, but first confess one’s transgressions. We also hear clearly that the Eucharist is a sacrifice, not merely a ritual symbol or reminder.
Ignatius of Antioch was born in Syria around AD 50 and was martyred in Rome between 98 and 117. Tradition has always held that he was a disciple of the Apostle John. In his letter to the Smyrneans, he wrote:
You have noted those who teach heterodox things about the grace of Jesus Christ which came to us. How they are contrary to the mind of God! They are not concerned about love, neither the widow, the orphan, the afflicted—whether bound or free, the hungry nor the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from [set times of] prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, that flesh which suffered for our sins but which the Father raised in his kindness. Those who contradict the gift of God with strife will die.
In the earliest days of the Church, those who taught heterodox things, in other words, contrary to the apostolic deposit of faith as handed down from Christ to and through His Apostles, were those who refused to confess that the “Eucharist is the flesh of our savior Jesus Christ.” And interestingly, he reports that those who denied this and, therefore, did not receive the graces of the Eucharist, no longer were concerned with love, with acts of mercy, nor even in the practice of their prayers.
Justin Martyr was a Christian apologist, born around AD 100 at Flavia Neapolis, converted to Christianity about 130, taught and defended the Christian religion in Asia Minor and at Rome, where he suffered martyrdom about the year 165. In his First Apology, he wrote a long section describing, in very familiar terms, the Mass of his day. Here’s a short portion:
We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [i.e., has received baptism] and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus. (First Apology, 66)
“Not as common bread nor common drink” but as “the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him.” Justin implies that the very prayers used for the consecration of the Eucharist were passed down from Christ Himself to His Apostles as a part of the deposit of faith. And this food, which is “the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus” nurtures our blood and flesh. It completes us; it completes our baptismal regeneration.
Irenaeus was the bishop of Lyons, in what is now France. His life spanned most of the second century. Tradition holds that he was a disciple of Saint Polycarp who himself was a disciple of Saint John and a friend of Ignatius of Antioch. In his book, Against Heresies, he wrote:
He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be his own blood, from which he causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, he has established as his own body, from which he gives increase unto our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup [wine and water] and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life—flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and is in fact a member of him? (5:2)
Here St. Irenaeus clearly describes the koinonia/participation that takes place when a baptized believing Christian partakes of the eucharistic Body and Blood of Christ.
I found many more references in the early Church Fathers to their belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but I was still not ready to face John 6. I was, however, drawn to it through the back door.
In preparing for one of my last sermons as a Presbyterian minister, I read one of my favorite texts, from John 15, where Jesus said:
1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2: Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3: You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Here Jesus teaches that it was not enough to be united with Him by grace through faith and through the waters of Baptism. This is how a person comes into Christ, begins his walk with Christ. Jesus was saying that a Christian must also abide, also translated remain or continue, in Him. How does one do this? To a certain extent the entire New Testament, as well as the whole of Sacred Tradition, is about how to abide in Christ, but in my study, I asked the question, “Does Jesus Himself anywhere explain specifically how to abide in Him?” And a search through the lexicon brought me to only one place, John 6:56, where Jesus declared:
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
The only place in Scripture where Jesus tells us how we are to abide in Him and how He is to abide in us is through our participation/koinonia in His Body and Blood. I had always assumed that Jesus dwelt in my heart by faith, or through Baptism, but here we see why the Church insists, “baptism is only the first sacrament of initiation and demands to be completed by the Eucharist.” Jesus remains in us through our koinonia in His Body and Blood. If we deny this, or as Saint Paul warned, refuse to “discern the body,” or as Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote, refuse to “confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ” and teach heterodox views of the Eucharist, there is no wonder so many today have weak if not sick faith, or have even died spiritually.
It had always puzzled me that, unlike the other Gospel writers, Saint John had not described the Last Supper. But I came to realize in my studies, that the entire chapter six of John is his way of emphasizing the central importance of the Eucharist. In this chapter, Saint John describes the winnowing effect of the Eucharist. The chapter begins with large crowds following Jesus everywhere, but as Jesus proclaims in serious unequivocal terms, “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, there is no life in you,” the crowds dwindle down to the Jewish leaders and then to His disciples until only the Twelve are remaining.
Several times Jesus had clear opportunities to explain to the crowd, the Jewish leaders, and His disciples that He was only speaking symbolically and they shouldn’t get so offended. But He never did this. Instead, He said boldly in verses 53-59:
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.
Scripture then reports, in verse 60, that “Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’”
Once again, Jesus had an opportunity to straighten out any misunderstandings. In other circumstances, He had admitted to His followers that to the crowd He often spoke in parables while to them He was clear, sharing with them the secrets of the kingdom of God (cf., Luke 8:9f). So, as with the parable of the Sower, He could have given them the keys to unlock His symbolism. But He wasn’t speaking in symbols. He only said, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you that do not believe” (61-64).
When I was a Presbyterian minister, I assumed that Jesus could only here have been speaking in images not literally. Yet, nowhere else in Scripture does Jesus use spirit to mean symbol. When he said, “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), did He mean that God is only a symbol? When He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5), was He only speaking figuratively? Hardly, but what is most revealing is that even His closest friends did not understand Him as speaking figuratively, for we read in verse 66 that “[a]fter this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.”
The winnowing process had separated the wheat from the chaff, leaving only the Twelve, to whom Jesus asked, “Do you also wish to go away?” (67). The winnowing process was not yet complete, however, for after possibly a moment of silence, only one of those remaining spoke up. “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God’”(68-69).
This is how, by grace, I became open to the Church’s teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The way I’ve related this, it may sound like this took place in one sitting, but it really took many months and involved many other influences, resources, and the witness of many Catholics and converts. But in the end, it was Peter’s answer that essentially became my answer: Where else could I go to find truth?
Marcus Grodi
Marcus received his BS degree from Case Institute of Technology in Polymer Engineering and worked for six years as an engineer. During this time, he was involved in a variety of Protestant youth and music ministries. He then received his Master of Divinity Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and was ordained to the Protestant pastoral ministry. During his more than fifteen years of youth, young adult, and pastoral ministry, his main emphasis was church and lay spiritual renewal. Marcus, his wife Marilyn, and their two older sons, JonMarc and Peter, were received into the Catholic Church on December 20, 1992. Their third son, Richard, entered through baptism.
Marcus now serves as the Founder / President of The Coming Home Network International, a non-profit, Catholic, lay apostolate aimed at helping other Christians, both clergy and laity, explore the Catholic Church. He also hosts The Journey Home, a weekly live television program, and Deep In Scripture, a weekly live radio program, both on EWTN. He is the author of Thoughts for the Journey Home, What Must I Do to Be Saved?, the novels How Firm a Foundation and Pillar and Bulwark, and the editor/author of Journeys Home and Journeys Home II. He has taught courses in catechetics, youth ministry, leadership, and theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Pontifical College Josephinum. He has written regular articles for Catholic Answers Magazine, as well as other Catholic publications.
Tags: Early Church FathersEucharistJohn 6marcus grodi
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NO OTHER FAITH HAS REAL MIRACLE EVIDENCE
EXCEPT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
1. OVER 100 WORLD EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES
http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/contact.html
Science, when called to testify, has confirmed what we have believed in faith and what the Catholic Church has taught for the last 2,000 years; echoing the words of Christ, "My Flesh is real food; my Blood real drink. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood dwells continually in Me and I dwell in him."-John 6:56-57.
2. OVER 100 INCORRUPTIBLE SAINTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
https://ng.opera.news/ng/en/religion/5550ad23b13f9d4a85cac6174f3c5692
The incorruptible saints which body miraculously preserved after death, going against the normal process of decomposition. In the mystery of our Catholic faith, if a body remains incorruptible after death or refuse to decompose, it is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint.
3. OVER 70 LOURDES-FRANCE UNEXPAINED MIRACLES PHYSICAL HEALINGS.
https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/miraculous-healings/
LOURDES FRANCE: Famous for its healing waters and miracles, Lourdes, France is remarkable…Spiritual energy breathes through this small village in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. To date, there have been 70 confirmed miracles at Lourdes since the first apparition appeared to a 14-year-old peasant girl in 1858. Not surprisingly; the pull of the city is powerful, encouraging six million people annually to visit Lourdes, many hoping to be the next miracle.
4. OVER 100’s MIRACLES ATTRIBUTED TO CATHOLIC CANONIZED SAINTS.
https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/how-are-saints-canonized.aspx
Canonization begins when a Bishop investigates the potential new saint for evidence of heroic virtue. Miracles are seen as proof that the person is in heaven and capable of interceding on behalf of other people. As such, two miracles must be the result of a specific request of the would-be saint and take place after their death, in order to finalize a person’s canonization. Once this has taken place the Pope officially canonizes the saint and declares that the person lived a holy life, is in heaven, and should be honored by the Roman Catholic Church.
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You Have the Words
of Everlasting Life
GOSPEL READING: John 6:60-69
Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65 And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." 66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."
Jesus told his disciples that his words were "spirit and life" (John 6:63) - his words came from the heavenly Father who is the Author of life and the One who breathes his Spirit into those who believe in him. Through the gift of faith Peter was able to receive spiritual revelation of who Jesus truly is - the Holy One of God, the eternal Son sent from the Father in heaven to redeem a fallen human race and reconcile them with God.
How does God help us grow in faith and trust in his word, even the hard sayings which are difficult to understand? Faith is a gift which God freely gives to those who listen to his word and who put their trust in him. Faith is a personal response to God's revelation of himself. Faith is neither blind nor ignorant. It is based on the truth and reliability of God's word. True faith seeks understanding.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, "I believe in order to understand, and I understand the better to believe." The Lord Jesus offers all of his followers his life-giving word and Spirit to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.
Eat Life - Drink Life, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"'Unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, you shall not have life in you,' says the Lord. Eat life - drink life. You will then have life, and life is complete. Then the Body and Blood of Christ will be life for each person under this condition: what is eaten visibly in the Sacrament be spiritually eaten and spiritually drunk in truth itself." (excerpt from Sermon 102,2)
Edit and condense: https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation copyright © 2022 Servants of the Word, source: dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager.
DEVOTION TO THE HOLY EUCHARIST ADVANCES DEVOTION TO JESUS' PERSON by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.
Most Catholics take for granted the intimate relationship between the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart. They have come to associate the practice of the nine First Fridays, when Holy Communion is received, with the promises of our Savior to St. Margaret Mary for the grace of a happy death. They have also come to associate the liturgical feast of the
Sacred Heart soon after the Eucharistic feast of Corpus Christi. Then, too, we have such expressions as the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, and the invocation of the Sacred Heart after Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
These and similar associations are commonplace in Catholic piety. So it is not surprising that, if a person were asked if there is any connection between the Sacred Heart and the Eucharist, he would spontaneously say, "Why, yes. I'm sure there must be." But he would most likely not be able to explain any more.
There are several ways we could approach this subject and prove, as it were, that the two mysteries are intimately related.
We might, for example, trace the historical relation of the apparitions of Christ to Margaret Mary with her own great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She would spend hours lost in adoration before the tabernacle, often rapt in ecstasy so that
sometimes she had to be physically shaken to bring her back to secular consciousness, as we might say.
There is also the remarkable fact that all of Christ's appearances to His saint were when she knelt before the Eucharist. He would literally replace the Sacrament on the altar when He showed His physical heart to this devoted mystic, as much as to say, "When you see the Eucharist, you see me; and when you see me, you behold my Sacred Heart."
All of this and more could be pointed out and the observations would be very useful. Most noteworthy is the simple fact that the Sacred Heart, as we may identify the Savior, particularly urged Margaret Mary to promote devotion to the Holy Eucharist as the most effective way of advancing devotion to His Person.
My purpose here is more refined and, I hope, more immediately useful in the spiritual life. I wish to explain how, in the devotion to the Real Presence, we are paying homage to the Man, Christ Jesus, and specially honoring His physical, human heart.
THE EUCHARIST AS THE WHOLE CHRIST
When we speak of the Holy Eucharist, we can mean the Eucharistic Liturgy or the Mass; we can mean Holy Communion as the sacrament of the Lord; or we can mean the Real Presence of Christ, present under the sacramental veils.
For our purpose, we concentrate on the third of these aspects, namely, the Eucharist as the abiding presence of Jesus Christ on our altars after the Sacrifice of the Mass is over and between receptions of Holy Communion.
What, or better who, is the reality of which we speak when we talk about the real Presence? This reality, as the Church has solemnly defined the truth for the faithful, is the <totus Christus>, the whole Christ: body and blood, soul and divinity. This is not a rhetorical expression nor a verse of poetry. It is an article of the undivided Roman Catholic Faith.
There can be no doubt what the faithful are told when they are told to believe in this mystery. Once the words of consecration have been pronounced by a validly ordained priest, what used to be bread and wine are no longer bread and wine. Only the appearances or, rather, only the external physical properties of the former elements remain. There is now on the altar Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, full God and full Man.
Does this mean that Jesus is present in the Eucharist? Yes. Is it Jesus in His divine nature? Yes. Is it Jesus in His human nature? Yes. But if Jesus in the Eucharist is really and truly present, is He there with all that makes Him not only man, but makes Him this man? Yes. After all, when God assumed human nature, He assumed this nature as a particular single human being. The divine Person of the Son of God did not merely in some abstract sense become human. He became a definite, historically specific human being.
Thus in the Eucharist is present the Jesus of history: the one who was conceived of His Mother Mary at Nazareth; who was born in a stable at Bethlehem; who lived for thirty years in Palestine; and who walked and talked and wept and slept and ate and drank; who shed real red blood on the cross and who rose from the grave and after His resurrection had the incredulous disciples put their fingers into His pierced side.
THE SACRED HEART IN THE EUCHARIST
Having said all of this, some marvelous corollaries follow. Since the Eucharist is simply and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then He is present in the Eucharist with the fullness of His humanity and this means also with His physical, human heart.
That is so. No less
Most Catholics take for granted the intimate relationship between the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart. They have come to associate the practice of the nine First Fridays, when Holy Communion is received, with the promises of our Savior to St. Margaret Mary for the grace of a happy death. They have also come to associate the liturgical feast of the
Sacred Heart soon after the Eucharistic feast of Corpus Christi. Then, too, we have such expressions as the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, and the invocation of the Sacred Heart after Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
These and similar associations are commonplace in Catholic piety. So it is not surprising that, if a person were asked if there is any connection between the Sacred Heart and the Eucharist, he would spontaneously say, "Why, yes. I'm sure there must be." But he would most likely not be able to explain any more.
There are several ways we could approach this subject and prove, as it were, that the two mysteries are intimately related.
We might, for example, trace the historical relation of the apparitions of Christ to Margaret Mary with her own great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She would spend hours lost in adoration before the tabernacle, often rapt in ecstasy so that
sometimes she had to be physically shaken to bring her back to secular consciousness, as we might say.
There is also the remarkable fact that all of Christ's appearances to His saint were when she knelt before the Eucharist. He would literally replace the Sacrament on the altar when He showed His physical heart to this devoted mystic, as much as to say, "When you see the Eucharist, you see me; and when you see me, you behold my Sacred Heart."
All of this and more could be pointed out and the observations would be very useful. Most noteworthy is the simple fact that the Sacred Heart, as we may identify the Savior, particularly urged Margaret Mary to promote devotion to the Holy Eucharist as the most effective way of advancing devotion to His Person.
My purpose here is more refined and, I hope, more immediately useful in the spiritual life. I wish to explain how, in the devotion to the Real Presence, we are paying homage to the Man, Christ Jesus, and specially honoring His physical, human heart.
THE EUCHARIST AS THE WHOLE CHRIST
When we speak of the Holy Eucharist, we can mean the Eucharistic Liturgy or the Mass; we can mean Holy Communion as the sacrament of the Lord; or we can mean the Real Presence of Christ, present under the sacramental veils.
For our purpose, we concentrate on the third of these aspects, namely, the Eucharist as the abiding presence of Jesus Christ on our altars after the Sacrifice of the Mass is over and between receptions of Holy Communion.
What, or better who, is the reality of which we speak when we talk about the real Presence? This reality, as the Church has solemnly defined the truth for the faithful, is the <totus Christus>, the whole Christ: body and blood, soul and divinity. This is not a rhetorical expression nor a verse of poetry. It is an article of the undivided Roman Catholic Faith.
There can be no doubt what the faithful are told when they are told to believe in this mystery. Once the words of consecration have been pronounced by a validly ordained priest, what used to be bread and wine are no longer bread and wine. Only the appearances or, rather, only the external physical properties of the former elements remain. There is now on the altar Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, full God and full Man.
Does this mean that Jesus is present in the Eucharist? Yes. Is it Jesus in His divine nature? Yes. Is it Jesus in His human nature? Yes. But if Jesus in the Eucharist is really and truly present, is He there with all that makes Him not only man, but makes Him this man? Yes. After all, when God assumed human nature, He assumed this nature as a particular single human being. The divine Person of the Son of God did not merely in some abstract sense become human. He became a definite, historically specific human being.
Thus in the Eucharist is present the Jesus of history: the one who was conceived of His Mother Mary at Nazareth; who was born in a stable at Bethlehem; who lived for thirty years in Palestine; and who walked and talked and wept and slept and ate and drank; who shed real red blood on the cross and who rose from the grave and after His resurrection had the incredulous disciples put their fingers into His pierced side.
THE SACRED HEART IN THE EUCHARIST
Having said all of this, some marvelous corollaries follow. Since the Eucharist is simply and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then He is present in the Eucharist with the fullness of His humanity and this means also with His physical, human heart.
That is so. No less
Was Jesus' Body on the Cross Real...or Symbolic?
In John 6:58, Jesus says, "He who eats this bread will live forever." And, in verse 51 He says the same thing, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." Now, what bread is He talking about? Well, He tells us what “bread” He is talking about in the second half of verse 51, "...and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
Jesus is talking about the flesh that He will give for the life of the world. The question you need to ask is: “Was the flesh that Jesus gave for the life of the world real...or symbolic?” And, when did He give His flesh for the life of the world? On the cross. So, the flesh that Jesus wants us to eat and the blood He wants us to drink is the flesh that He gave for the life of the world...in other words, the flesh that was nailed to the Cross and the blood that was spilled on the Cross. That is the flesh that He wants us to eat and that is the blood that He wants us to drink.
The question I ask of you, and of anyone who says Jesus is speaking symbolically in John 6 or that Jesus is speaking symbolically at the Last Supper, is this: “Was Jesus' death on the cross real...or symbolic?” Was the body on the cross...the flesh on the cross...real...or symbolic? Was the blood shed on the cross...real... or symbolic? If you believe Jesus is speaking symbolically in John 6 when He says eat my body and drink my blood, then the conclusion you come to is that Jesus did not really die on the cross...it was only a symbolic representation of the Body and Blood of Christ, not the real thing.
After all, the bread He is talking about us eating is the flesh that He will give for the life of the world. If He’s talking about giving us His symbolic flesh to eat, then He is talking about giving us His symbolic flesh for the life of the world. Again, if you believe Jesus is talking symbolically in John 6, then you must also conclude that the flesh that Jesus gave on the cross for the life of the world was only His symbolic flesh. You cannot have it both ways... This IS my Body. This IS my Blood. http://www.biblechristiansociety.com
In John 6:58, Jesus says, "He who eats this bread will live forever." And, in verse 51 He says the same thing, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." Now, what bread is He talking about? Well, He tells us what “bread” He is talking about in the second half of verse 51, "...and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
Jesus is talking about the flesh that He will give for the life of the world. The question you need to ask is: “Was the flesh that Jesus gave for the life of the world real...or symbolic?” And, when did He give His flesh for the life of the world? On the cross. So, the flesh that Jesus wants us to eat and the blood He wants us to drink is the flesh that He gave for the life of the world...in other words, the flesh that was nailed to the Cross and the blood that was spilled on the Cross. That is the flesh that He wants us to eat and that is the blood that He wants us to drink.
The question I ask of you, and of anyone who says Jesus is speaking symbolically in John 6 or that Jesus is speaking symbolically at the Last Supper, is this: “Was Jesus' death on the cross real...or symbolic?” Was the body on the cross...the flesh on the cross...real...or symbolic? Was the blood shed on the cross...real... or symbolic? If you believe Jesus is speaking symbolically in John 6 when He says eat my body and drink my blood, then the conclusion you come to is that Jesus did not really die on the cross...it was only a symbolic representation of the Body and Blood of Christ, not the real thing.
After all, the bread He is talking about us eating is the flesh that He will give for the life of the world. If He’s talking about giving us His symbolic flesh to eat, then He is talking about giving us His symbolic flesh for the life of the world. Again, if you believe Jesus is talking symbolically in John 6, then you must also conclude that the flesh that Jesus gave on the cross for the life of the world was only His symbolic flesh. You cannot have it both ways... This IS my Body. This IS my Blood. http://www.biblechristiansociety.com
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Jesus' sacrificial love humbly provides us
with a Eucharistic Miracle at every Holy Mass
Jesus humbly lowered Himself in the form of a human in order to save us.
Jesus humbled presented Himself as a baby born in a stable and placed in a manger.
Jesus humbled Himself as a carpenter, remained with his mother for thirty years.
Jesus humbly allowed Himself to be beaten, scourged, and humiliated.
Jesus humbly suffered with excruciating pain, bleeding in agony by being nailed to the Cross.
Jesus still humbly accepts and forgives all our sins by His dying on the Cross.
Jesus humbles and offers Himself in the Most Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass as we humbly join Him in His offering to His Father.
Jesus humbled Himself in the Bread and Wine which becomes miraculously the Real Presence Our Eucharist Lord.
Our Eucharistic Lord desires us to be humble, repented, reverent and loving when receiving His Sacred body, Precious Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion.
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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
MY DAILY BREAD
Do any of you have Spiritual Director to help you in your life in becoming a Saint?
You could have a Holy Priest or Deacon, regularly assisting you on your journey of faith.
You should have someone you could see or talk to about issues, concerns, and questions you may have regarding your Spiritual life.
It isn’t uncommon to not have a personal Spiritual Director. In fact, most of us do not have a Spiritual Director. Think about asking a trusted Priest or Deacon, but until then, there is one publication that can help you and it’s called, MY DAILY BREAD which provides a series of short daily reflections.
Each daily reflection begins with Jesus speaking directly to you, kindly, patiently, and with great love. The next part of the reflection asks you to consider the truths presented in the words of Jesus. The final part consists of a prayer asking for God for the help to receive His wisdom and use it fruitfully in your life.
Each chapter follows this simple plan:
1. Listen to Jesus
2. Think about what he says and
3. Answer Him.
About 5 minutes to read and mediate on a chapter.
Amazon.com, and Tan Books, price range is between $10.95 to $12.95, even as low as $7.98 on Kindle. It isn’t a Spiritual Director, but it will help you on your own journey of faith.
MY DAILY BREAD
Do any of you have Spiritual Director to help you in your life in becoming a Saint?
You could have a Holy Priest or Deacon, regularly assisting you on your journey of faith.
You should have someone you could see or talk to about issues, concerns, and questions you may have regarding your Spiritual life.
It isn’t uncommon to not have a personal Spiritual Director. In fact, most of us do not have a Spiritual Director. Think about asking a trusted Priest or Deacon, but until then, there is one publication that can help you and it’s called, MY DAILY BREAD which provides a series of short daily reflections.
Each daily reflection begins with Jesus speaking directly to you, kindly, patiently, and with great love. The next part of the reflection asks you to consider the truths presented in the words of Jesus. The final part consists of a prayer asking for God for the help to receive His wisdom and use it fruitfully in your life.
Each chapter follows this simple plan:
1. Listen to Jesus
2. Think about what he says and
3. Answer Him.
About 5 minutes to read and mediate on a chapter.
Amazon.com, and Tan Books, price range is between $10.95 to $12.95, even as low as $7.98 on Kindle. It isn’t a Spiritual Director, but it will help you on your own journey of faith.
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THE POWER
OF THE MASS
THERE IS SO MUCH GOD’S LOVING POWER IN THE MOST HOLY MASS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US
“The Hidden Treasure – Holy Mass” by St. Leonard of Port Maurice.
Do you know…? At the hour of death, the Holy Masses you have heard devoutly will be your greatest consolation.
Do you know...? Every Mass will go with you to Judgment and will plead for pardon for you?
Do you know…? By every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due to your sins, more or less, according to your very strong beliefs.
Do you know…? By devoutly assisting at Holy Mass you render the greatest homage possible to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord.
Do you know…? Through the Holy Sacrifice, Our Lord Jesus Christ supplies for many of your negligence’s and omissions.
Do you know…? He forgives you all the venial sins which you are determined to avoid. He forgives you all your unknown sins which you never confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.
Do you know…? By piously hearing Holy Mass you afford the Souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.
Do you know…? Through Holy Mass you are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you. You shorten your Purgatory by every Mass.
Do you know…? Through the Holy Mass you are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.
WHAT DO YOU LOSE WHEN YOU MISS ONE HOLY COMMUNION?
1. You lose a special increase of Sanctifying Grace,
that grace which makes your soul more pleasing to God.
2. You lose the sacramental grace which entitles you
to special help in the time of temptation and in the discharge of your duties.
3. You lose a precious opportunity of having all your
venial sins wiped away.
4. You miss the special preserving influence which
each Holy Communion confers against the fires of passion.
5. You miss the opportunity of obtaining remission of
a part or of all Temporal punishment due to your sins.
6. You lose the spiritual joy, the sweetness, and the
particular comfort that come from a fervent Holy Communion.
7. You miss a personal visit with Jesus, the Author of
all spiritual energy and of all holiness.
8. You lose a greater degree of glory that would be
yours in Heaven for all eternity.
9. Also, You may lose :
a. Complete victory over some fault or passion.
b. Some particular grace long prayed for.
c. The conversion of salvation of some soul.
d. The deliverance of a relative or friend from
Purgatory.
e. Many graces for others, both the living and
the dead.
Of what riches you deprive yourself daily by neglecting Holy Mass! The Mass is the best preparation for Holy Communion. At the hour of death your greatest consolation will be the Masses you have eard and the Holy Communion you have received.
(By Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.)
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Eucharistic Presence of Jesus has the power to transform YOU.
The Eucharistic Presence of Jesus has the power to transform us, a spiritual energy waiting to be released in the Consecrated Host. God Himself initiated this source of grace and extends to us a pleading invitation to receive him in this Sacrament.
St. Augustine said, “There is only one thing God does not know. He does not know how he could give us a Gift greater Then Himself – and he has given us the Gift of Himself in the Most Holy Eucharist.”
Holy Communion involves a physical, spiritual, and emotional intimacy in which God, who the heavens cannot contain, is totally contained within our heart and our body. This is a supernal marvel that only God could design. When the Supreme Gift is fully embraced by a human heart bursting with love, this power is available to us.
Unfortunately, most people do not respond appreciatively, that is, devotionally, in a faith-filled way. Jesus abides in us, but we do not really abide in Him as we should. By not responding to the transforming power available in the Eucharist, we cut off the healing power that we would otherwise receive; therefore we deprive ourselves of God’s power and we deaden God’s work within us.
Four ways we can stymie the release of God’s power in our lives, when we received Jesus in the Eucharist.
First Way to stymie the release of grace in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is receiving with only limited love, reverence and devotion.
Second way to stymie the grace available to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist is by receiving Communion infrequently.
Third way we restrain the action of grace is by simply not receiving Communion at all.
Fourth way in which we can inhibit the flow of grace, by receiving Communion sacrilegiously in state of serious, unrepented, and unconfessed sin.
References: The Healing Power of the Eucharist by Fr. John Hampsch, C.M H...F. The Incredible Catholic Mass – Fr. Martin von Cochem.