“We all know when we look at the cross how Jesus loved us.  When we look at the Eucharist, we know how much He loves us NOW.” 

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Can you recall a memory when you felt extreme love from a loved one who has passed away?  Is there anything today that reminds you of that love that you can hold in the present moment?

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).  What does that mean to us? 

Good question!

This morning as I listened to Father Mike Schmitz, he quoted St. Teresa of Calcutta, “We all know when we look at the cross how Jesus loved us.  When we look at the Eucharist, we know how much He loves us NOW.” 

I invite you to ponder that quote for a minute.

Every Christian can look at the cross and know without a doubt that Jesus LOVED us.  He gave His life for us, for our salvation. 

We didn’t witness His crucifixion.  We can ponder it.  We can watch movies depicting it.  We can read about His Passion in the Bible.  But we weren’t there.    

Jesus, like our loved ones, loved us so much that he wanted to leave us with something more to show His love in the present moment. He gave us His body and blood to sustain us in this crazy journey we are on. Every day or every week, we have an opportunity to partake in this feast He gives us.

I realize it is difficult to believe that a piece of bread and a cup of wine can truly be Jesus’ body and blood.

Mystery

What about when Jesus tells us, “the bread that I will give is my flesh (John 6:51)”, will we believe it is Him present in the Eucharist? Or do we still need proof to believe?

We aren’t quite short of proof.

There are many phenomenal miracles of the Eucharist. One of the most recent happened in 1996 in Buenos Aires. A consecrated Host was left at the back of the church. The priest put it in water to dissolve it. Customary practice in treating a consecrated Host. Eight days later, when the tabernacle was opened, a blood like substance was noticed. This sample would later be tested and reveal that it was heart tissue that had suffered trauma.

I invite you to ponder the quote by St. Teresa of Calcutta again and watch the link below on the evidence of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.  He does love us and He reveals that love in the present moment in the form of bread and wine, “for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink (John 6:55).”

Categories: Eucharist, Faith

Tags: #Catholic, #Christian, #eucharist, #miracle, Love