Instead, I just want to present my own experiences of and thoughts on the Eucharist and the ways in which Christ has come to me through the mysteries of His Body and Blood.
My Love Letter to God:
The Eucharist
A friend of mine once asked me a question about the Eucharist. She said that a friend of hers had been to a Catholic mass and saw that there were a lot of the hosts leftover after Communion. The friend had wondered what the priest did with the leftover hosts. Did he go in the back and eat them all and if so, why would he do that? My answer was basically this, Catholics believe that the Eucharist or the host/communion is the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. He is truly present in the flesh in a way beyond our understanding in that moment and in that place. The Eucharist is kept in a place fit for a king, a golden throne, the Tabernacle until the next mass when He is taken for the Faithful to again receive.
This led to another point that I can't remember how it was brought up. What would happen if someone stepped on the host? What would happen if someone spit on it? I said, I would still receive Him faithfully into my body. If we are truly to believe this is God and that God had meant for us to receive Him Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity into our bodies and spirits then nothing will keep me from receiving Him to honor and glorify Him the way he deserves to be honored and glorified.
If we are to believe that this is true, it should take all of Heaven and Earth to dare to tear us apart from this Blessed Sacrament. The God who created the whole universe humbled himself enough not only to come to us as a human like us but even more humbly to come to us as a tiny piece of bread that we have the absolute privilege to receive into our very selves uniting us to the God who created us in a way beyond our imagining. In a similar way to how spouses are united physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually through Matrimony and through the marital act, we are united to our great Lord physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually every time we receive Him in the Eucharist.
When I was about 18 and was regularly attending daily mass, I would pass by the tabernacle daily as I made for the old wing of the church to sit before the start of mass. I began to notice that people would bow before the tabernacle. Then some would genuflect just as we do before entering the pew. I began to pay particular attention to those that would genuflect. There was one woman in particular that caught my attention. She used a cane and obviously struggled to walk and even get around at all, but every day, faithfully, she would go to the ground and drop one knee before the Lord acknowledging that in the tabernacle resided her King and her God. After noticing that, I never passed by the tabernacle without genuflecting again.
In the past, I also had the habit of referring to the Eucharist as "it" or as just a piece of bread, but I desire in my heart to leave no room for misconceptions. The Eucharist is Him, our Lord Jesus not just a piece of bread.
At about age 23, I became an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and with that came an even greater admiration for the mystery of the Divine Presence of Jesus. Christ told the apostles and all of us to go out and make disciples of all nations. By this, the apostles would be sharing Christ with the world. From the first instance of giving Christ to others in the Eucharist, I knew that I was answering the call of Christ. As an EMOHC, I lift Jesus eye level with the person receiving Him and I say, "The Body of Christ" trying with all my heart to emphasize that this is indeed Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
I've shared two of these experiences before but for the purposes of this post, I feel it is important to share them again:
When Brandy and I attended Catholic Underground in New York together for the first time, Brandy had a vision of Jesus walking among all of us. As I was worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist, I felt compelled to bow. Brandy reported to me later that she saw Jesus put His hand on my back guiding me as I bowed before my God and King.
Another first, Brandy and I attended St. Dominic's in Southington. During mass when everyone was walking up to receive Christ, Brandy who was not Catholic at the time was talking to the Lord. He again appeared before her and ushered her forward to receive Him. At the time she didn't understand what this meant but later understood that He was calling her to become Catholic and to receive Him in the Eucharist as she had seen me do many times before.
When I was a Master of Ceremonies, I was serving at mass one morning, and I had my own mystical experience that I have not shared with many others. I was struggling with my belief at this time and was asking the Lord to strengthen my Faith. At this time, the consecration was taking place. Christ in the Eucharist had been lifted and now the cup of wine was to become His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The priest lifted the chalice, called the Holy Spirit, and spoke the words of Christ. As this happened I saw steam rise from the chalice like steam rising from an open wound on a freezing cold day. I knew in my heart that what rested before me in the chalice was indeed the Blood of Christ.
Finally, and this happened recently, I was attending a daily mass and I went up to receive Jesus. When I received Him, I tasted honey. It felt as if I had taken a spoonful of honey which had never happened to me before. Then as I was returning to the pew to kneel and pray, I felt God saying to me that His love for me was as sweet as honey and I felt a great sense of calm and peace come over me as I acknowledged for myself that I was truly, madly, deeply loved by God.
We are all in fact loved so deeply by God so much so that He comes down as bread and wine to share in a relationship with us that is unlike any other. When Brandy and I go up to receive Jesus every mass, we always tell Daniel, "We are going to receive Jesus." Christ is always present with us spiritually as he promised that where two or three are gathered, He is there, but Christ comes to us in no more special a way than in the Eucharist that we receive into our bodies and into our hearts every mass.
Lord Jesus, please help me to remember that you are never far from me. You reside deep in my heart for I receive your very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every time I attend your mass. Please help me to share you fearlessly with the world as you have shared yourself so selflessly with me. I love you Jesus. We are one now and forever. You are mine and I am Yours forever my beloved Jesus. Amen!
When I was about 18 and was regularly attending daily mass, I would pass by the tabernacle daily as I made for the old wing of the church to sit before the start of mass. I began to notice that people would bow before the tabernacle. Then some would genuflect just as we do before entering the pew. I began to pay particular attention to those that would genuflect. There was one woman in particular that caught my attention. She used a cane and obviously struggled to walk and even get around at all, but every day, faithfully, she would go to the ground and drop one knee before the Lord acknowledging that in the tabernacle resided her King and her God. After noticing that, I never passed by the tabernacle without genuflecting again.
In the past, I also had the habit of referring to the Eucharist as "it" or as just a piece of bread, but I desire in my heart to leave no room for misconceptions. The Eucharist is Him, our Lord Jesus not just a piece of bread.
At about age 23, I became an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and with that came an even greater admiration for the mystery of the Divine Presence of Jesus. Christ told the apostles and all of us to go out and make disciples of all nations. By this, the apostles would be sharing Christ with the world. From the first instance of giving Christ to others in the Eucharist, I knew that I was answering the call of Christ. As an EMOHC, I lift Jesus eye level with the person receiving Him and I say, "The Body of Christ" trying with all my heart to emphasize that this is indeed Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
I've shared two of these experiences before but for the purposes of this post, I feel it is important to share them again:
When Brandy and I attended Catholic Underground in New York together for the first time, Brandy had a vision of Jesus walking among all of us. As I was worshiping Jesus in the Eucharist, I felt compelled to bow. Brandy reported to me later that she saw Jesus put His hand on my back guiding me as I bowed before my God and King.
Another first, Brandy and I attended St. Dominic's in Southington. During mass when everyone was walking up to receive Christ, Brandy who was not Catholic at the time was talking to the Lord. He again appeared before her and ushered her forward to receive Him. At the time she didn't understand what this meant but later understood that He was calling her to become Catholic and to receive Him in the Eucharist as she had seen me do many times before.
When I was a Master of Ceremonies, I was serving at mass one morning, and I had my own mystical experience that I have not shared with many others. I was struggling with my belief at this time and was asking the Lord to strengthen my Faith. At this time, the consecration was taking place. Christ in the Eucharist had been lifted and now the cup of wine was to become His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The priest lifted the chalice, called the Holy Spirit, and spoke the words of Christ. As this happened I saw steam rise from the chalice like steam rising from an open wound on a freezing cold day. I knew in my heart that what rested before me in the chalice was indeed the Blood of Christ.
Finally, and this happened recently, I was attending a daily mass and I went up to receive Jesus. When I received Him, I tasted honey. It felt as if I had taken a spoonful of honey which had never happened to me before. Then as I was returning to the pew to kneel and pray, I felt God saying to me that His love for me was as sweet as honey and I felt a great sense of calm and peace come over me as I acknowledged for myself that I was truly, madly, deeply loved by God.
We are all in fact loved so deeply by God so much so that He comes down as bread and wine to share in a relationship with us that is unlike any other. When Brandy and I go up to receive Jesus every mass, we always tell Daniel, "We are going to receive Jesus." Christ is always present with us spiritually as he promised that where two or three are gathered, He is there, but Christ comes to us in no more special a way than in the Eucharist that we receive into our bodies and into our hearts every mass.
Lord Jesus, please help me to remember that you are never far from me. You reside deep in my heart for I receive your very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every time I attend your mass. Please help me to share you fearlessly with the world as you have shared yourself so selflessly with me. I love you Jesus. We are one now and forever. You are mine and I am Yours forever my beloved Jesus. Amen!
