MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Today, we are asked to focus on Gift of the
Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which Jesus gave as a
precious gift to us. The Eucharist is central to our faith it is what we
celebrate every day as Catholics, especially on Sunday where we gather in
community to share that common bond that unites us as Christians and remember
the sacrifice that Jesus Christ offered so that we all may obtain eternal life.
The Eucharist is that Spiritual Food which gives us strength to confront the
daily obstacles and challenges that we will encounter every day. Through it,
Christ is present in the physical sense. We consume Him and unite ourselves
with him. Yes, He is always with us spiritually but, through the Eucharist, the
spiritual, mental, and physical become one. Not only does it offer us strength
but it also offers us hope and encouragement. Nothing can oppose the Eucharist.
Nothing can overcome its presence.
The
Eucharist is Jesus Christ. This is a fact. When Jesus Christ gathered his
disciples together on the night before he died, he explicitly said, “ Take it:
THIS IS MY BODY.” He then took the cup and said, “THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE
COVENANT WHICH WILL BE SHED FOR MANY.” He gave this to us to offer himself to
us. Since that moment, we have all celebrated and experienced this moment for
over two thousand years. Through this celebration, we receive Him and He
receives us. Our sins are forgiven and He is united to us. Even though it is a
moment in time and space, God is beyond the limitations of time and space. It
is eternal as is God. We receive Him and He receives us. We are invited to go
back to the Book of Genesis to read when Melchizedek went out from Salem
to receive Abraham. He brought out bread and wine. This represents an earlier
personification of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Melchizedek, a
priest, prophet, and king. Melchizedek, a priest forever who has no beginning
or end. Christ is revealed through Melchizedek and through His interaction with
Abraham Jesus Christ is revealed.
The Crucifixion is eternal. In
the physical sense there was a definite time and place where this occurred.
Yet, Christ is eternal. He is the alpha and the Omega. With that, the Crucifixion
has and always will take place bringing salvation and glory to the entire
universe. When we celebrate mass, we celebrate the Crucifixion. We participate
in everything from the Last Supper, Jesus’ death, and His resurrection. We are
united to Him in everything from His love, death, and resurrection. It is a
constant reminder of what He did for us. Our lives are centralized with Him and
for Him. Through the celebration of the mass, we are brought to a higher
awareness of who we are in relation to Jesus Christ. The mass becomes the most
important hour of our lives through our interaction with Jesus Christ. It is
there that we discover ourselves and who we are in relation to Jesus Christ We
cannot separate ourselves from the mass. It defines who we are and invites us
into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. It is through the mass where we
can begin to explore our relationship with Jesus Christ, coming forward in our
broken nature to seek and receive forgiveness through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Take a moment this week to
meditate on the mass and the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Take a
moment to understand what we are all missing when we do not participate in our
Christian life.
Deacon Tom
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