The Eucharist
Hi! This is John Nemmer again. I would like to talk with you about The Most Holy Eucharist. As Catholics we believe Jesus Christ is really, truly, and substantially present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in The Eucharist. This is not just a symbol of Jesus to remember Him by. It’s the real deal.
At The Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus took bread, then after He had given thanks, He broke and blessed it. He said, “Take this, all of you and eat it. This is my body, which will be given up for you.” Then, He took a cup of wine and after blessing it He said, “Take this and drink, this is my blood of the new covenant, which will be poured out for many for the forgiveness for sins. Do this in memory of me.” What I love about God is how He never changes. He first came to us as a vulnerable little baby in a manger. Now, He comes to us hidden in the form of bread.
When Jesus first appeared on Earth, He did it in the humblest way. Now, He still comes to us in a quiet and hidden way in The Eucharist. He does this so that we won’t out be afraid of Him. Imagine if a great light, bright as the sun was around the tabernacle in church. No one would go near Him because we would be too afraid. That is why He willingly hides Himself in The Eucharist. This is in the same manner as when Jesus was on Earth many years ago. There wasn’t anything special about how He looked. People saw Jesus as an any other person. He appeared that way to form a relationship between Men and God. You see, since the beginning of time, God knew that to have a true, loving relationship with us, He would have to get down to our level with all humility. He did this through Jesus Christ, who is now doing it again in The Eucharist.
When Jesus was on Earth, He performed miracles to show people He was the true Messiah. Now, He does the same thing in The Eucharist. There have been so many Eucharistic miracles in the history of the Catholic Church. When God allows a Eucharistic miracle to happen, it’s His gentle way to say to the world, “Believe in Me!”
Do you truly believe in the real presence of our Lord in The Eucharist? When was the last time you went to Adoration and visited Him? Let us ask The Holy Spirit to help us be more aware of Jesus in the holy Eucharist. May the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the help of the Holy Spirit, and, the glory of God the Father, be with you all! Amen!
John is a regular writer for SGYM3 and shares insights and prayer language from the heart. He is a parishioner at St. Greg's and you can find John faithfully at Mass every week with his loving family. Feel free to say "hi" when you see him!
