484. Monday after Corpus Christi

Meditations no. 227 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Christ’s Real Presence gives the Eucharist infinite value.

On the previous day, Jesus had worked the great miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Now the crowd, eagerly searching for him, finally finds him at the other side of Lake Tiberias. And an extraordinary conversation ensues. You seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.

Our Lord’s words foretell the mystery of the Eucharist. The bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. Scandalized, the Jews reject his promise; but Jesus fulfils it on the night of Maundy Thursday in the Upper Room, in the intimate company of the disciples who have come to believe that only he has the words of eternal life. And from then on, through the consecration of the bread and wine, the whole substance of the bread is changed into the substance of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the whole substance of the wine is changed into the substance of his Blood.

Speaking of the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, our Father told us: It’s like a man saying goodbye when duty calls him away from home; he has to go, and yet he really wants to stay with the people he loves. He leaves them a photograph of himself, writing on it words of such burning love that they practically set fire to the paper. That is the most he can do, because for us human beings, where there’s a will there isn’t always a way. But what we can’t do, God can. He goes away and yet he stays with us: so that we can eat him, and make ourselves one thing with him. Almighty God, you have made me understand the madness of love of the sacred Host. Thank you for having let me glimpse this inexpressible mystery from when I was quite young. I’d have done the same as you if I could: go away and stay there at the same time.

Under the consecrated species the whole Christ is hidden, God and Man, the living bread which, because it is living, has the power to give life to those who receive it. Christ’s Real Presence gives the Eucharist infinite supernatural effectiveness, because it contains what is absolutely sacred, namely, Christ himself.

Our Lord waits for us in the Blessed Eucharist, as the spring of water welling up to eternal life. He waits for us in order to sanctify us, so that we can be identified with himself. This union marks our soul with the seal of Christ, making us progressively more like him, and leading us, through total identification with his Passion, to the summit of holiness.

Getting rid of the obstacles that stand in the way of our Lord’s presence in our soul.

St John Chrysostom says: What the Angels tremble to contemplate … because of its radiant splendour, this is the food with which we are fed. So completely united with it are we, that we become one single body, one single flesh, with Christ. In Holy Communion, our soul is transformed into Christ; but the degree of our union depends on our interior dispositions. The Sacraments of the New Law produce their effect ex opere operato, that is, by virtue of the act itself. Nevertheless the effect they produce is in proportion to the good dispositions of the recipient. If our dispositions were perfect, one single Communion would take us straight to the summit of the holiness God is calling us to, because in the words of St Thomas, this Sacrament’s effect should be to transform us into Christ, so that we can say with the Apostle, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

There are real obstacles that make our union with our Lord less than complete; fine threads, perhaps, which can form a barrier between the soul and God, and prevent the Sacrament from having its full effect. This will be why, in all the years we have been receiving Christ in the Eucharist, our progress has not been as swift as it might have been. Going to Communion daily for so many years! - Anybody else would be a saint by now, you told me, and I… I’m always the same! Son, I replied, keep up your daily Communion, and think: What would I be if I had not gone?

We must examine our conscience, meditate in God’s presence, and so discover and root out the obstacles to grace. If we do, our Communions will have still more effect, bringing us more rapidly to perfect union with Jesus. And at the same time as we examine those obstacles, in order to get rid of them and increase our identification with Christ, we can tell him, trusting in his mercy: “I wish, Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility, and devotion with which your most holy Mother received you; with the spirit and fervour of the saints.”

Dispositions we need for receiving the Eucharist.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you; but only say the word, and I shall be healed, we say every day before receiving our Lord in Communion. In the Centurion’s words, full of faith, we show him our wretched state, and tell him that we want to prepare to receive him better every day. The supernatural fruit of Communion depends in good measure on this preparation.

In order to receive Jesus Christ worthily we need certain habitual dispositions of both body and soul, which will prepare us for the moment of union we desire. Have you ever thought how you’d prepare to receive him if you could only go to Communion once in your whole life? When I was small, and frequent Communion wasn’t so common, people prepared for Communion with enormous care. A good Confession first. They’d be wearing a new suit if they could, and they’d have washed from head to toe. They prepared both soul and body, like people in love. We should thank our Lord for having made it so easy for us to go and receive him now; but the way to thank him is by preparing thoroughly beforehand.

Preparation of our soul in the first place. This preparation is the loving, simple, careful kind, which means living in God’s presence all day long; struggling to fulfil our daily duties as well as we can; and, when we commit some fault, feeling the need to ask our Lord’s forgiveness and even to go to sacramental Confession if necessary. We prepare by filling our day with acts of thanksgiving and spiritual communions, so that our life may be one of thanksgiving for having received him, and preparation to receive him again.

If our soul is in love we will find that, in our work, our family life, and everything else, our heart is set on our Lord. So that, as our Founder also told us, when our soul is in the state of grace, and is in love with our Lord, we should never think that we are not really ready to receive Holy Communion, because while we are working, opening up new fronts in this war of peace and goodness in the world, we are making the best possible preparation.

The nearer we come to the moment of Communion, the more our desire to receive Christ should increase. We are going to receive the holy and perfect sacrifice, the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation; and we want to be truly well-prepared. The night period, full of spiritual communions; the prayer in the morning, in intimate conversation with our Lord in the tabernacle; and active, full participation in the Holy Mass. We should receive him as we would some important person here on earth, with decorations, lights, and new clothes. And what are you to clean and decorate and illuminate? Clean each individual sense; decorate each of the powers God has given you; and light up every corner of your soul.

As well as preparing our soul, we also prepare physically, with the fast prescribed by the Church as a sign of respect and reverence, and by taking care of our appearance and behaviour, so as to come worthily to the greatest wonder in the world. If we prepare both soul and body in this way, Jesus Christ’s daily coming will bear a lot of fruit in us. Our soul will be filled with joy during the time of thanksgiving, and will pour out acts of love and atonement, petitions and resolutions.

To end our prayer today we turn to our Lady, and ask her to teach us how to prepare for her Son’s coming better every day. Our Lady, our wonderful Mother: the Lord wanted you, with your own hands, to take care of God; teach me to get to know your Son!