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One Bread, One Body - Reflection for April 20, 2018

I BELIEVE IN THE GREAT MYSTERY

"Let Me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you." –John 6:53

When we receive Holy Communion, we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus. This is a great mystery. Like the Jews of Jesus' day, we cannot understand how He can "give us His flesh to eat" (Jn 6:52). Nevertheless, we believe Jesus' revelation of the Eucharist because:

• The Lord has given us the gift of faith.
• It is clear that Jesus meant to be taken literally when He said: "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood" (Mt 26:26-28).
• Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6).
• Jesus is the all-powerful God, as evidenced by His Resurrection from the dead.
• The early Church Fathers clearly taught that we literally receive Jesus' Body and Blood in Holy Communion.
• The Church, which is "the pillar and bulwark of truth" (1 Tm 3:15), has clearly and universally taught that in Holy Communion we receive "the body and blood...soul and divinity" of Jesus (see Catechism, 1374).

Therefore, let us center our life on our eucharistic Lord. Let us live for Mass and eucharistic worship. Let us die for our eucharistic Lord, if we are so privileged. "Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore. O make us love Thee more and more."

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Acknowledgement

Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:

· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College