Mind-blowing Miracle

(Our pilgrimage chaplain preparing to offer Mass on the Hill of Slane in Ireland)

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday, when we commemorate the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet, and the institution of Holy Communion. Our Lord gave us His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

“And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.” (Matt. 26: 26-28)

I read somewhere that it wouldn’t have even occurred to our imaginations that Our Lord would give us Himself in the Most Holy Eucharist, to be with us always. Not only could we never have imagined that God would send His Only-Begotten Son to suffer and die for our sins, but then that He would want to remain with us by giving us His Body and Blood in Holy Communion!

The Divine Love boggles the human mind.

Would we ever have conceived of such an idea, if we had been the Infinite Creators, and we had been so betrayed and offended? It shows us the

“breadth, and length, and height, and depth, to know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God.” (Ephes. 3:18-19)

His love is bottomless. We catch a glimpse of His immense love as we contemplate His words and actions in this holiest of Weeks.

Father M.D. Forrest, MSC, in his book Heart Afire: Devotion to the Sacred Heart, talks about Saint John, and his words about this:

"Even that privileged Apostle, that beloved Disciple, that heavenly Evangelist, though holding a pen or quill that was vibrant with the breath of the Holy Ghost, found it impossible to express adequately for mortal readers the Love that flooded the Heart of Jesus as He instituted the adorable Eucharist; and all that St. John could write of this sweet mystery was: 'Jesus, having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end.'"

Father Forrest goes on to say that not only did Our Lord love us to the end of His mortal life, but He loved us to the furthest degree, as it were, the end, of His infinite Love, by giving us the incredible miracle of the Mass and the Eucharist. To think that He loved us so much, worthless miserable creatures that we are, that He couldn't bear to leave us alone and helpless. St. John records His beautiful Words: "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you." (John 14:18)

He wanted to remain with us. He told us:

“Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.” (John 6:54-55)

He offered Himself, and then even commanded us to approach His holy banquet and receive Him. Like Peter, we may feel that we are too unworthy, but Our Lord tells us that if we don’t receive Him, we will have no part with Him.

In the book we are reading together this quarter, Piety and Personality: The Temperaments of the Saints, on pages 51-54, we read of Saint Teresa of Avila’s great devotion to the Holy Eucharist.

“The Choleric side of St. Teresa knew something Good — something Infinitely Good — could be found in the Eucharist, and she pursued It with determination. The Sanguine side of St. Teresa wanted to give and receive love, and she found that in the sweetness of Holy Communion.”

One time, a priest gave a sermon about the senses and Holy Communion. Using the text, “O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet” (Psalms 33:9), he encouraged us to really enjoy the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. From what I can recall from the sermon, he talked about seeing the beauty of the Mass, the altar, the vestments, candles, sacred vessels. He talked about the smell of the incense, the sound of the bells and the choir, the taste of Our Lord in the Host resting on our tongue. Not only can we “sense” Him in these ways, but we can also contemplate His Eternal Love in that He wants to be with us.

“With desire I have desired to eat this pasch with you.” (Luke 22:15)

Returning to Piety and Personality: The Temperaments of the Saints:

“The more often we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, the more we become like Him. Just as the Host dissolves and literally becomes a part of us when we consume It, our souls become one with Jesus Christ.” (p. 52)

As we celebrate this Holiest of Weeks, let us aim to be one with Christ. “So, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him”! (Romans 8:17)

Blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter, everyone!