Amen!

That simple response says a great deal when we present ourselves to receive the Holy Eucharist. The priest holds our Lord’s most holy body or most precious blood and says to us “the Body of Christ” or “the Blood of Christ.” Our response affirms many things, all expressed humbly and fully by “Amen.”

Amen – *I* believe. This is the real presence of Christ. This is not a symbol. Jesus told us “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”   (John 6:53-56).

Amen – this IS the body of Christ. It is His body, blood, soul and divinity. It is all of Him, just as He said at the Last Supper in which we participate at every Sacrifice of the Mass.

Amen – in receiving the Eucharist I am joining my flesh to His, not to consume Him but to be consumed BY Him in order to share in His divine life. Through his grace, He will increase my holiness and lift my very nature to God.

Amen – I submit to you Lord Jesus, your true Church and all that she teaches. I am a faithful Catholic without qualifiers, exceptions or modifications. I profess the creed, the faith and beliefs expressed by Holy Mother Church…   not my own prideful, arrogant and sinful will.

Amen – I humbly present myself to receive in a state of grace. The words of St. Paul ring in my ears: Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.   (1 Corinthians 11:27,29)

Amen – through the Eucharist, I am joining my brothers and sisters in Christ – in this place and elsewhere. I am joining them at this time, at all times past and at all times future. This is the Body of Christ.

Amen!

Thank you Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Please, in the presence of our Lord, dress appropriately if at all possible. You are visiting and receiving God Himself. Wear tasteful, modest clothes which reflect that reality.

Be humble and acknowledge Who He Is. Bow deeply from the waist or kneel.

Our Lord is in every particle of the Holy Eucharist. Consider receiving on the tongue in order that you do not “handle” Him or risk leaving any part of Him in your hand. For a short time in the early Church, reception was in the hand but the hands were first washed and the fingers did not touch the Eucharist. Since then, reception has been on the tongue and that remains the universal norm of the Church. That is the only way in which the Holy Father offers the Eucharist. Fr. John Hardon observed “Whatever you can do to stop communion in the hand will be blessed by God.”

Finally, when you return to your pew, reflect on the awesome gift you have just received…

When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence.

St. Francis de Sales

Torn Curtain

The big story today is the torn temple curtain. An earthquake felt last Friday at 3:00pm triggered a complete tear of the heavy fabric separating the Holy of Holies within the temple complex.

Engineers speculate that poor workmanship may be to blame. The leading theory is that a manufacturing flaw near the top, stressed by the material’s weight and the quake shaking, may have led to the damage.

Repairs are expected to begin immediately. A temporary curtain has been erected and normal temple operations have resumed. No impact is expected on the Passover observance.

Blasphemer Silenced

In unrelated news, the blasphemous Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Only days before, many welcomed him into the city. Our priests identified his teachings as false and contacted authorities in order that action be taken. The claims of being God and “king of the Jews” were particularly offensive in this holy time of Passover.

This story ends on an odd note. Despite the posting of guards, unknown parties have reportedly stolen the remains of the crucified man.

Barabbas Freed

Local governor Pontius Pilate, honoring tradition and bending to significant public pressure, commuted Barabbas’ sentence and released him. Barabbas had been imprisoned for rebellion and was scheduled for execution. We commend the mercy of Pontius Pilate in freeing our brother.

Passover

Passover began last week with the traditional Seder meal. We remember God’s protection through the blood of the lamb and the meal He commanded us to receive. As Passover ends, our thoughts move from the past to the future. We eagerly await the Messiah’s coming!

Sometimes we (and by “we,” I mean “I”), without thinking, forget that we do not have the power to fix everything that is wrong or to right all that is unjust. We witness or hear of terrible suffering and our first thought is to do something about it. That impulse is good and should be acted upon, but we err (a more polite description than “are delusional”) when we think that we alone can save the world, even subconsciously. Our real hope rests with God.

Consider natural disasters such as experienced in Japan last week. Thousands have died, many more are heavily impacted and nuclear power issues continue to unfold. Remember Haiti too, with a quarter million dead and almost complete devastation. Pray for all these people.

Pray also for the persecuted Christians in the Middle East. There are more martyrs every day at the hands of Muslim extremists. Supposedly democratic revolutions seem to always result in death and displacement for Christians.

Pray friends for the poor and homeless, including those suffering financial hardships related to the prolonged recession. Many people have lost their jobs, their savings, their homes and the possessions earned over a lifetime (or several lifetimes). This has been especially difficult on children.

Always remember the children whose lives are snuffed-out in the womb of their mother. Over 3,500 die every day in the United States of America. A black baby in New York City has only a 40% chance of seeing daylight and taking a breath. Remember too the scar this tragedy leaves on the aborting mother and medical professionals who inflict it.

Pray brethren for politicians whose hard hearts relentlessly promote a culture of death and the destruction of the family. Pray especially for those who put on the cloak of faith, particularly those who profess the Catholic faith – yet so obviously serve a different master.

Finally, pray for our religious vocations. May God call more dedicated men and women to His service and bless their ministries. Pray too for those who lead their flocks along paths disobedient to Holy Mother Church or teach only subsets of her truth (as Pope Benedict recently warned). Do not forget to pray for the intentions of our Holy Father.

Pray brothers and sisters as God is the source of all good that can overcome such struggles. God turns tragedy into renewal, provides for the needy, heals the sick and softens hard hearts. He does all this, but we must ask.

This Lent, yes, pray for the needs of the world. Pray too for ourselves, that we open our hearts, grow closer to God and conform our will to His. Slow down. Be introspective. Set aside time for adoration and daily Mass. Pray. Convert.

Live Lent! The journey this season leads us to Christ and the cross. Through Him we are saved and through Him we receive eternal joy. The hope of Lent gives us life beyond the end of this earthly exile. Our pilgrimage on earth, while often difficult, is blessed by infinite grace. Thanks be to God!