Fr. John's Reflection

Sharing the Real Presence of Christ . . .
“I am the Bread of Life . . .” “I am the living Bread . . . “ John 6

Our world is hurting and suffering. We all need healing, yet many of us are separated from the very source of our strength, the very summit of our faith, receiving the Eucharist. Jesus Christ invites us to return as He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). We take in the living Christ, His Real Presence when we receive the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival which began on the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, on June 19, 2022 continues with a Year of Parish Revival in our family of families from June 11, 2023 – July 17, 2024 where a NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS will be led on July 17 – 21, 2024.

The National Eucharistic Revival is a movement to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery of the Lord’s presence in our lives here in the United States. During this beautiful time of renewal and revival, we are blessed during the month of October, to be reminded of the first one who bore Christ to the world, Our Lady. We praise her and thank her for her role model as mother, as disciple and as one who deeply loved Our Lord. Our Dear Blessed Mother experienced the real presence of Lord in her life in an intimate and close manner as she lived life on earth with Him. We also are blessed and graced to experience the Real Presence of Jesus as will be presented today and in future bulletin writings.

Specifically, Catholic teaching says that the true presence of Christ exists most fully when the assembly, the priest (all of us), the Sacrament (the changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus), and the Word (Sacred Scripture) are together at the Eucharist. Yes. Christ is present during the Eucharist in various ways. He is present in the person of the priest who offers the sacrifice of the Mass. According to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, Christ is present in his Word "since it is he himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church." He is also present in the assembled people as they pray and sing, "for he has promised ‘where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them' (Mt 18:20)" ( Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 7). Furthermore, we speak of the presence of Christ under the appearances of bread and wine as "real" emphasizing the special nature of that presence. What appears to be bread and wine is in its very substance the Body and Blood of Christ. The entire Christ is present . . . and [we say real presence in the Sacrament] to indicate presence par excellence, because it is substantial and through it Christ becomes present whole and entire, God and man. (Mysterium Fidei, no. 39).

Therefore, we all make up the Mystical Body of Christ and we are all needed to bring forth the presence of Christ to the world around us, however, the sacrament Holy Eucharist contains the whole actual being of Our Lord, as Human being and God. Praise be to God!
During this time of revival and renewal, let us adore Him, let us be part of Him, let us share Him:

O Mary, give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours. A heart like yours, so full of love and humility. May we be able to receive Jesus as bread of life, to love him as you loved him, to serve him under the mistreated face of the [vulnerable]. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Teresa of Calcutta

Fr. John