“I am the bread of life.” -John 6:48
This Sunday our youth will receive Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time. The Eucharist is the last and greatest gift Jesus gave to us the night before he died for us – his very self.
May these words of Pope Francis help us approach Jesus in Holy Communion with the reverence, love and eagerness we see reflected in our young people today.
“The celebration of Mass…is organized around Communion, that is, being united to Jesus through Sacramental Communion: not just spiritual communion which you can have in your own home by saying: “Jesus I would like to receive you spiritually”. But sacramental Communion with the Body and the Blood of Christ.
During Mass, after breaking the consecrated Bread, that is the Body of Christ, the priest shows it to the faithful, inviting them to participate in the Eucharistic banquet. ….this invitation calls us to experience intimate union with Christ, the source of joy and holiness. It is an invitation which brings happiness and at the same time spurs us to an examination of conscience enlightened by faith. If in fact, on the one hand we can see the distance which separates us from the sanctity of Christ, on the other, we believe that his Blood is “shed for the forgiveness of sins”. We were all forgiven at Baptism and we are all forgiven or will be forgiven when we approach the sacrament of Reconciliation. And do not forget: Jesus always forgives. Jesus never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness. In this faith, we too turn our gaze to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we invoke him: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”. We say this at every Mass.
To nourish oneself of the Eucharist means to allow oneself to be changed by what we receive. Each time we receive Communion, we resemble Jesus more; we transform ourselves more fully into Jesus. As the Bread and the Wine are converted into the Body and Blood of the Lord, so too those who receive it with faith are transformed into a living Eucharist. You reply “Amen” to the priest who distributes the Eucharist saying “the Body of Christ”; that is, you recognize the grace and the commitment involved in becoming the Body of Christ. Because when you receive the Eucharist, you become the Body of Christ. This is beautiful; it is very beautiful. As it unites us to Christ, tearing us away from our selfishness, Communion opens us and unites us to all those who are a single thing in him. This is the wonder of Communion: we become what we receive!
After Communion, silence, silent prayer helps us treasure in our hearts the gift which we have received. To slightly extend that moment of silence, speaking to Jesus in our hearts, helps us a great deal, as does singing a psalm or a hymn of praise that can help us be with the Lord.
The Eucharist makes us strong in order to produce fruit in good works to live as Christians. Let us approach the Eucharist, receiving Jesus who transforms us into himself makes us stronger. The Lord is so good and so great!”
POPE FRANCIS, Wednesday audience, 21 March 2018
