The disposition associated with our reception of God’s gift reveals the extent of our appreciation.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The greatest gift God has ever given to man is: Himself. As we read in sacred Scripture, that “on the night our Lord was handed over, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you! Do this in remembrance of me.”” (1Cor. 11:23). This is no human work. This is God’s work. A perfect and complete gift to man in form of bread. And in this way, our Lord is with us always even to the end of the age.
This is the gift that satisfies all forms of human hunger, and not just the hunger of the stomach, but also the burning hunger for love, for joy, for peace, for freedom, for life, for knowledge, for a sense of meaning and purpose. Christ Jesus, our Lord, fully present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, giving Himself completely to us, is the one who satisfies all forms of human hunger. He says, “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (Jn. 6:35).
What then, is our response to this most holy, most noble, most generous gift of God? How do we receive it in order to benefit from it? And how do we preserve its most sublime dignity? For, if we, the recipients, respect it not, and treat it not with reverence, and receive it not with the spirit of profound gratitude, no one will. And how can we expect non-believers to respect it, if we, who believe, have not the respect for it? And if this is the “source and summit of the Christian life” as the Catechism tells us, how can we deny respect and reverence to our own, the very fountain of our lives and still hope to live a good and happy life? If this is the road to life, then we do well to preserve, defend, and respect this most precious path, the only light to life, eternal life.
Here then, is my humble appeal to all of you fellow believers; return to adoration, open wide the doors of your hearts to this great mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, fully present among us. Encounter and know the person of Christ who comes to us with such unfathomable love and mercy. Receive Him with the utmost reverence and love, in much trembling and holy fear, beating our chests as we say,
“Lord I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.”
Let us bow humbly before the Most Holy Trinity who comes to meet His beloved creature. Let us enter into a dialogue, let us enter into prayer – I speak of that prayer, which is a beautiful loving gaze, a marvel at the mystery, a great union with God. Let us forget all worldly anxieties and listen to our beloved Lord who is here with us, let us pay him a worthy and fitting homage. For, He says, “whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him, and the Father and I will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:21-23).
In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ, not only gives Himself to us in form of bread, also, Christ, in giving us His body, he institutes a new way, a new form of the Christian worship. Therefore, the true Christian worship of God is centered around the command; “Do this in memory of me.” For, by giving Himself to us, Christ shapes and defines how we, Christians, worship God. Therefore, the Mass is not only the adoration of Christ’s body, also, the Mass is true worship of God; an encounter with the supreme being. Everything we do at Mass, namely, the processions, the music, the prayers, the moments of silence, the readings, the kneeling, the bowing, the genuflections, all of it, serves to direct our attention, and in fact, our whole lives, to the proper worship of God. Therefore, every little detail of the Mass counts and is very significant for our spiritual nourishment.
We, therefore, ought to treat with the utmost reverence and respect, the most holy presence of God in our midst. God, who comes to meet us, giving rise to the beautiful and most intimate encounter between God and man. An encounter that elevates the human soul to the heavenly realms where there is endless peace and joy, sweet delights and holy conversations for the humble soul.
“Sir, gives us this bread always,” the Crowd asked. This petition from the Crowd vividly expresses our human condition of need and dependence on this gift of God. The petition reminds us of a similar petition we make in the prayer “Our Father,” when we say, “give us today our daily bread.” And if we are humble in making our petition to Him, let us also be humble in receiving Him. Therefore, we pray to God that may our humble petition to be given this greatest of all gifts, bring about a greater appreciation, a worthy homage, and a fitting reception of this noblest and sweetest of all gifts.
Amen.
Given on the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time. August 4th 2024
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