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Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist during the Last Supper as a Sacramental banquet and a sacrificial offering. As a Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist is an outward sign and through which we meet Jesus who shares his life of grace with us.
We all want to meet Jesus. We want to have a closer friendship with Jesus. We want to have more of Jesus in our lives. And for that we have to come to the right place - to the Eucharist. The best place to meet Jesus is in the Eucharist. If you want to be intimate with Jesus, he tells us how: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
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Our most intimate moment with Jesus is when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. We receive Jesus into our very bodies. We could not be closer with Jesus. We are one.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, we are no longer two but one and we and Jesus are intimately united. Jesus gave himself for you on Calvary and gives himself for you again in Holy Communion. This is really the same as what Jesus says during the Last Supper, “This is my body, which will be given for you.”
Jesus gave up his body for you on Calvary and gives up his body for you in every Mass so that you may receive him in Holy Communion. It is the one sacrifice on Calvary extended through time to us at Mass. Some misunderstand and think that Jesus is sacrificed again during every Mass. No, it is the one sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary which is extended through time to us in every Mass and so truly Jesus can say to you, “This is my body, which will be given for you.”
“This is my body” means, in the language that he was speaking, “This is me. This is my own self which is to be broken for you.” He means his death on the cross.
And then he takes the wine. And the wine which he blesses, he offers and he says these words, “This is my blood which is poured out for each and every one of you.” He means he lays his life down for us.
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Now, these are the same words that we use whenever we gather together each Sunday. As Jesus himself told us, “Whenever you do these things, do them in remembrance of me.”
To take this bread then is to receive Jesus into our lives and into our hearts where he becomes one with us and makes us one with him, uniting us with his Father and sharing with the Father and himself, the Holy Spirit. This is why we call the Eucharist a Holy Communion, a communion of mutual and everlasting love.
We all want to meet Jesus. We want to have a closer friendship with Jesus. We want to have more of Jesus in our lives. We have to come to the right place, to the Eucharist. The best place to meet Jesus is in the Eucharist. Each time before we receive Jesus in the Eucharist we want to be as pure as possible. If you want to be intimate with Jesus, he tells us how, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” So, take this and eat, for this is my body!
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