The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Fr. Leo

Today’s gospel teaches by way of juxtaposition.  The Jews take Jesus’ word literally, “How can he give us his flesh to eat?”  While Jesus refers to his mystical presence communicated through the elements of bread and wine.  We sometimes summarize our belief by saying Christ is present in the Eucharist, but not located.  To understand what this means, one must realize that one reality does not negate the other.  While God cannot be located in one place because God is located everywhere, does not mean that Christ is not fully present in our consuming of the consecrated bread and wine in our celebration of Eucharist.

To receive the Eucharist is to receive God into our bodies, minds and hearts.  The same relationship between the bread and wine of the Eucharist and the real presence of Christ, exist in our receiving of the Eucharist.  We, physical beings that we are, receive the Spirit in the Eucharist and share in a similar God-man relationship that Jesus had with God.  Jesus was human and divine, and in our receiving the Eucharist we, as adopted children of God, become united to God through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Celebrating the Eucharist is celebrating God in us, and us in God.  This is why it is a sacred sacrament and celebration.  We open our hearts as we extend our hands to receive the Eucharist that our consumption of the Body and Blood of Christ may unite us fully with God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I encourage all of us to reverence our reception of the Eucharist and do all we can do to be receptive to the mercy and redemption offered us through the bread of heaven received in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is real and can dramatically change all things. Let us not doubt but receive with all hope and expectation!