Do You Believe

Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Over 2000 years ago – we know that God’s plan for our salvation became flesh and blood when His only begotten Son was born of the Virgin Mary …

Today the Church celebrates that precious Flesh and Blood – the Eucharist – the most Holy Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ …

Today the Church celebrates the Bread of Life – that came down from Heaven – for God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son – born of a woman – so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life in Him …

Jesus – our Lord and Savior – humbled Himself – became flesh and blood – so that we might share in His divinity – and ever obedient to his Father – He gave up His life – accepting death on a cross – for us … for our salvation …

God knew that we had a debt that we couldn’t pay – that is why He sent His son into the world – not to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through Him – to restore our relationship with Him – Jesus knew that in time He would have to pay that debt and return to His Father – He also knew how weak we are – that we could never attain salvation without Him …

During His 3 years of public ministry Jesus prepared His disciples to carry on once he was gone. He performed many miracles and taught them many things…

He changed water into wine, He raised the dead back to life, He multiplied loaves and fish feeding thousands of people – these miracles were done so that we might believe in Him – but they were also done so that we might believe His most difficult teaching – for He said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

Many did not believe – many could not believe that we are to eat His flesh and drink His blood … many left His company and what did Jesus do – He let them go … He went on to say: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

There was no compromise here – Jesus let those followers who could not accept this teaching leave and He asked His disciples then and each of us today – do you also want to go? Do you also find this teaching to hard to accept? Do you believe that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

The night before Jesus suffered – we know He instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper with His disciples – He changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood and they consumed it, and He commanded them to do this in memory of me … and that is what we do …

We know that in just a couple of minutes – Jesus acting through Father Ingles will change the bread and wine on the altar into His precious Body and Blood and we will consume it … but do we believe?

The person who participates in this Holy Sacrament – and does not believe brings only condemnation upon himself – and should not receive.

The person who participates in this Holy Sacrament and is not properly disposed – has not confessed his sins – is not in a state of grace – should not receive.

The person who has not fasted from food and drink for at least 1 hour before receiving Holy Communion – should not receive.

People who are not baptized – cannot receive.

Jesus continues today to humble Himself for us at every Mass – coming now not in the form of man but in the form of bread and wine – Jesus wants to be with us, He wants to be in us, He wants to nourish us spiritually; He wants to give us strength – because He knows how much we need Him; because He knows that without Him we can do nothing; because He loves us … because He doesn’t want to loose any one of us …

That is why it is so important that we attend Mass every Sunday and every Holy Day of Obligation – to obtain the strength we need to avoid sin or the near occasion of sin … but if we aren’t properly disposed – if we are in a state of sin and receive the Lord – the grace we receive in this sacrament is diminished – our sin is an impediment to Christ working in our lives.
If we are frustrated at our ability to avoid sin we must – go to confession often – confess that sin – and then we must receive Jesus – body, blood, soul and divinity – often.

Going to confession occasionally and going to Mass occasionally does not work and for most people going to Mass every Sunday is just not enough – search your hearts – you know this to be true.

Don’t fool yourself – don’t compare yourself to others thinking well I am better than this one or that one – compare yourself to Christ – and we all fall short of Him – do we love like He did – do we sacrifice like He did – do we forgive like He did – because that is what we are called to do.

Jesus said: Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

Amen!