Deacon Tom Writes,
“Become What You Receive”
The Solemnity of the Most
Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year B
“Behold what you are, become what you receive!” These words of wisdom from St. Augustine are intended to help us thoughtfully receive Holy Eucharist. They have been used to help us understand this central mystery of our faith from as far back as the middle of the fourth century. It is a daunting command. It gives us cause to stop for a moment and reflect upon the reality that is takings place at that very moment. The ineffable Godhead comes into the fabric of our being to become united, to become one with the Christ in this most Blessed Sacrament. Our “Amen” is our saying yes that “we believe” and that we aim to become “Christ like” in all of our thoughts, in everything we do and in all that we say. When we receive the Eucharist we commit ourselves to following in the footsteps of Christ and living our lives as faithful, loving and trusting disciples.
Our Catholic Faith puts the Eucharist at the center of our faith. It is, according to our teaching, “the source and summit of our faith.” This is made evident in the Feast we celebrate today, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also referred to as The Feast of Corpus Christi.
We are a sacramental people. Our spiritual well-being depends upon our participation in the sacramental life of the Church and the grace that is derived from its sacraments. The image of Jesus gathering his disciples into a table fellowship is pure genius. We come to the table when we are hungry, when we need to be nourished. This is the reality of our human existence. Jesus takes the ordinary and gives it an extraordinary meaning by calling us to the table to be spiritually nourished, to have our spiritual hunger satisfied and to be united to him in a communion of hearts and desires….
Our unique Catholic understanding of the Eucharist is that it is fully the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present." CCC 1374.
When we receive Holy Communion worthily, we truly become one with Christ. It is a very special moment, a time for us to reflect on Christ dwelling within us, for us to be in awe that the maker of heaven and earth would come and abide in us. Even more amazing is the fact that this is his plan, not ours!
Yes, “we are what we eat,” nutritionist tells us. The challenge we face as Catholics is to follow the instructions of St. Augustine and to “behold what we are and to become what we receive,” members of the one body of Christ who has become for us our spiritual food, the Bread of Life and who sends us into the world to spread the love of God to all we meet along the way.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Image credit:Flickr.com
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