Day 193: Communion Forever in Heaven (1402-1405)
It’s Day 193!!
The Eucharist is a MYSTERY
IN FACT…
THE EUCHARIST - “PLEDGE OF THE GLORY TO COME”
Jesus is TRULY SUBSTANTIALLY AND REALLY PRESENT in the Eucharist
He FEEDS us
He has this INTIMACY with us that FORGIVES SINS and also PRESERVES US FROM FUTURE MORTAL SINS
He STRENGTHENS us
He STRENGTHENS OUR RELATIONSHIP with Him
All of that points towards the FUTURE GLORY that we are meant to participate in Eternity
Let’s say a prayer!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise every day. Every single day, Lord God, you give us as a gift. Every heartbeat you give us as a gift. Lord God, help us to not be blind to your gifts. Help us to not be deaf to your gifts or even numb to your presence and your blessings that are in our lives this day and every day. We ask you to please be with us and reveal yourself to us. Lord God, help us to love you the way you deserve to be loved. Help us to worship you the way you deserve to be worshiped. Help us to be the people that you’ve created and redeemed us to be. Help us to enter into the Eucharist in such a way that it’s a foretaste of heavenly joy that awaits us. And we make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”
So there we have it!!
Fr. Mike has experienced such grace, such gift of being able to spend time reflecting on and being fed by the Church’s teaching when it comes to the Eucharist
There are libraries of books on this topic of Jesus in the Eucharist
Books about the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the Sacrificial Banquet that the Eucharist is
Books about the intimacy we experience with Jesus when we receive Holy Communion
St. John Chrysostom says in Paragraph 1397 from yesterday, “The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren: You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, yet you do not recognize your brother…You dishonor this table when you do not judge worthy of sharing your food someone judged worthy to take part in this meal…God freed you from all your sins and invited you here, but you have not become more merciful.” 🤯 🤯 🤯
We need to increase our growth in MERCY AND CHARITY every time we come to God
The Eucharist is MEANT TO CHANGE US
The Eucharist is MEANT TO TRANSFORM US
So that we can enter into God’s heavenly presence in God’s Kingdom
Fr. Mike is telling a story about St. John Henry Newman so let’s listen…
If we don’t cultivate hearts on this earth that LONG to be with Jesus and LONG to give God worship and LONG to praise Him then will our hearts be ready to enter into Heaven?
Will our hearts be ready to love God the way He has called us to love Him?
Will our hearts be ready for Heaven?
The Eucharist grows our LOVE
The Eucharist grows our HEART
Fr. Mike is quoting Paragraph 1397 here but I cannot find this quote in my Ascension Catechism book…
“Grow our love for the poor, to become more merciful to those who need mercy around us.”
Paragraph 1404 says, “The Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his Eucharist and that he is there in our midst. However, his presence is veiled.”
There’s something so good about the fact that Jesus hides
Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s story…
Fr. Mike’s youthful experience of receiving Holy Communion was not overwhelming and did not blow him away with its Divine Presence
His experience was underwhelming, maybe even disappointing
It really bothered him
Ok let’s continue with the story…
Here’s the point…
If we lived 2,000 years ago walking the streets of Nazareth or Jerusalem and saw Jesus, He wouldn’t obviously look like God, right?
He wouldn’t be floating 6 inches off the ground with light streaming out of His hair
AND YET…
HE WAS GOD!!
BUT…
HE WAS GOD HIDDEN!!
God hidden to the people around Him
BUT…
HE WAS TRULY FULLY GOD!!
FULLY THE SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY!!
That divinity was hidden for many reasons
One reason was that so people could approach Him and He could approach them
That is why Jesus hides Himself in the Eucharist
If He just revealed His divinity, His fullness of goodness, His love, His Truth, His beauty, then we would not approach Him
We would think that’s for someone else who is good and who is made for beauty
We would think that’s for someone who is better than we are
AND YET…
Jesus hides Himself so that WE DON’T HAVE TO HIDE
Why is His presence veiled?
SO THAT WE CAN COME CLOSE!!
SO THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO HIDE!!
There have been numerous times when He has revealed His Glory
There are DOCUMENTED MIRACLES about the Eucharist (Ok so HERE is where I should have put Blessed Carlo Acutis’ website!!! http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/list.html 😃)
Jesus actually REVEALS that this TRULY IS HIS BODY BLOOD SOUL AND DIVINITY
The Miracle of Lanciano http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/lanciano.html
The Miracles of Buenos Aires https://fargodiocese.net/news/the-eucharistic-miracle-of-buenos-aires-argentina
THERE ARE MANY MANY MIRACLES OF THE EUCHARIST!!
Have you heard of the scientific experiments they have done on these Eucharistic species?
Here is what they found…
The flesh of the bread LITERALLY BECAME FLESH
IT PHYSICALLY BECAME FLESH!!
The flesh was from the MYOCARDIUM
Flesh from the HUMAN HEART
IN FACT…
It was the part of the heart from the DEEPEST PART OF THE HUMAN HEART that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body
The Eucharist is LITERALLY TRULY THE HEART OF JESUS
The heart of Jesus that pumps His divine life to the rest of the body
EVERY EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE THAT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO SCIENTIFIC SCRUTINY HAS BEEN THIS MYOCARDIAL MUSCLE FROM THE HEART!!
When we receive Holy Communion, we receive the love of God
We are receiving the pledge of glory
BUT…
IN THIS MYSTERIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, POETIC, AND TRULY REALLY SUBSTANTIAL WAY, WE ARE RECEIVING THE VERY HEART OF GOD!! 🤯 🤯 🤯 🤯
God is giving YOU His heart at every Mass
Our invitation is to give Him OUR HEART at every Mass
For all Eternity, we are destined to receive the love of God and to give love in return
For all Eternity, to experience that joy and dwell in that joy, to have that joy increase and NEVER DECREASE
BUT TO ALWAYS GROW!!
It can start right now
He gives us His heart in EVERY SINGLE MASS and we give Him our heart in EVERY SINGLE MASS
Heaven can begin NOW at the altar where time and eternity touch and where heaven and earth kiss
God hides Himself so that we do not have to hide
God veils Himself so that we can come close
God gives us His heart so that we can receive His heart and give Him our hearts in return
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!