Jesus' Words: A Reflection on the Holy Eucharist

The presence of God can be found in many places throughout the world, but none more directly and fully than in the Eucharist.  In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks to the crowd about the Eucharist as the bread of life saying, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them" (John 6:54-56). In this short passage Jesus explains His body and blood as being the source of eternal life which we receive through consumption. Just as Jesus asked Peter "Who do you say that I am?" So, too, when we look at the Eucharist during Mass or Adoration, Jesus is asking us, “Who do you say that I am?”

God could have given us any way to acquire the spiritual nourishment we receive through the Eucharist, but He specifically chose to use food and drink. This is a symbolic parallel between receiving physical nourishment from food and drink and receiving spiritual nourishment through the consumption of Jesus' body and blood. However, everything Jesus said was also meant in a literal sense: the bread and wine literally become His body and blood. Jesus knew we would have trouble understanding. He knew we would need some sort of comparison with something that already makes sense to us.  He took the idea of physical nourishment through eating and drinking and used it as a way for us to receive spiritual nourishment. 

God has done everything in order to help us understand and believe that He is truly present in the Eucharist, and yet it is still up to each individual to choose for themselves if they believe. The presence of God in the Eucharist is something that can only be understood fully through faith.  One of the greatest times to discern this belief and claim it as our own is during the time of Adoration. This is a time meant specifically for the acknowledgement and worship of Jesus in the Eucharist. In spending time with Jesus in Adoration, we have the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Him through prayer and increase our awareness of His presence in the Eucharist. With a better understanding of God's presence in the Eucharist, we will have a better understanding of the spiritual nourishment we receive from Holy Communion and a firmer grasp on the main focus of our Faith.

Come, Light a Candle, Pray​.  On July 9th, from 5:00pm - 9:00pm, our parish is holding a night of Prayer and Adoration at St. Peter Church.  Everyone is invited throughout the evening to light a candle and join together in prayer before the Lord, present to us in the Blessed Sacrament.  Candles will be placed at the foot of the altar as we pray for our unified parish and each other. Confession will be available through the evening. We will end with Night Prayer and Benediction at 9:00pm.  Take this chance to grow closer to our Lord Jesus Christ in Adoration.