Communion with Christ

Each time we attend Mass, our Lord gives us the gift of Himself. At Mass, we witness the sacramental re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice, crowned by the resurrection, according to St. John Paul II. In his encyclical On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church, St. John Paul II explains it is as the risen and living One that Christ can become the “bread of life” in the Eucharist.

Truly, Christ is present in the Eucharist; faith assures us of this. Through Holy Communion, we consume the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Following the will of God, communion with Christ is our salvation. “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,” said Jesus [John 6:57].

Therefore, as we prepare for Holy Communion, we make our petition and promise with the Lord’s Prayer—the prayer that Jesus himself gave to us. We see in the Lord’s Prayer the means for our redemption. “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who / trespass against us; / and lead us not into temptation, / but deliver us from evil,” we pray.

Peace Be with You

Consuming the Eucharist augments our union with the Lord, separates us from sin, and strengthens our charity. When we are in communion with Christ, we are in God’s loving hands, protecting us against evil and temptation. Truly God wants us free from sin and safe from all distress so that peace is with us always.

Remember, when Christ rose from the dead, he still had the wounds from his crucifixion, yet he was at peace. This peace he gave to his disciples. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you,” said Jesus [John 14:27].

This peace we receive at Mass is among the fruits of the Holy Spirit. What’s more, the gift of the Holy Eucharist increases the gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as we prepare for Holy Communion, do we realize our Lord’s love runs deeper than any pain in our lives?

Greatness of Love

Before receiving Communion, the priest breaks the host. This fraction underlines the sacrifice of the Lamb. By his passion and death, Christ took on the sins and sufferings of the world. In return, our Lord gives us the greatness of his love. This love we are meant to share.

A fragment of the host is then commingled with the wine, signifying the unity of Christ’s Body and Blood. “May this mingling of the Body and Blood / of our Lord Jesus Christ / bring eternal life to us who receive it,” prays the celebrant. When we receive Holy Communion, our body, mind, heart and soul are united with our Lord.

Through Christ we experience a transformation for the sake of our eternal life. Therefore let us ponder this loving gift we receive at Mass. Let us be guided by our Lord who nourishes our faith, hope, and love with his own Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And may “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit” [2 Corinthians 13:13] be with all of us. Amen!

Author’s Note: Next time we will explore the Concluding Rite of the Mass.