Eucharist: It's all about Him

"THIS IS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU"

The Eucharist, as described by the Catechism, is the source and summit of the Christian life. This is for three reasons. First, the Eucharist is Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is not something, it is someone. Second, the Eucharist is also a trinitarian Mystery, we participate in the life and the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we share in the divine life that is the life of the Trinity, eternal exchange of love between the Trinity. Lastly, the Eucharist gives us a taste of Heaven and of the end of time, in a sense, the Eucharist points us up to the life of glory with the Saints until the end of time and the new creation. All our actions and deeds as Catholics are motivated by our love for Jesus in the Eucharist. Indeed, all our church services and works of charity and mercy begin with the Eucharist and end with the Eucharist. Therefore, we can say that IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM.

Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction (Pope Benedict, 2005). Faith is a total gift from God and it is borne from an encounter with a Person. As an altar server, I get attracted to the Mass first and later on the Eucharist. My love for the Eucharist later came when I heard Jesus speaking to me “This is how much I love you”. Flashback to last December, I had a strong sense of sin that is receiving Jesus in the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin. One day I come through a video about the real happenings on the Passion of Christ, on the video, I heard that during the scourging of Jesus at the Pillar, he is paying for our sexual sins, and this made me sorrowful for Jesus and for my sins. And so later that day, I meditated upon it, imagining Jesus being crucified on the cross, carrying all the burdens and wounds he was experiencing. While looking at Jesus, I am being truly sorry for my past sins, especially the times I receive Jesus in the Eucharist in a state of mortal sins, I watched a video saying that receiving communion in a state of mortal sin is worse than the kiss of Judas, I am very sorry for that particular sin then suddenly I heard a whisper saying “This is how much I love you”. I immediately broke into tears at that moment for I know that it is Jesus, personally speaking to me that He loves me for the great love He poured forth on the day He crucified. Oh, how wonderful to remember that experience. Later that week, I plan to go to confession and surrender all my sins to Jesus in the confessional. After that experience, my reception of the Eucharist became livelier than before. And this is the one who strengthens me as I go long on my seminary journey to become a priest of Jesus Christ.

A meditative reflection that I heard said that whenever we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, it is wonderful to meditate to become St. John the Beloved when he leaned back against Jesus’ chest. Feel Jesus’ arms come around you, and listen to His heartbeat, every time His heart beats He says to you, “I love you, I am with you, let Me rest in your heart”. Let Jesus Christ love you. It’s all about Him. Give God a chance to love you. Let Him love you while He is within you.