Uncovering Mysteries of the Eucharist

As of late, I have been diving deeper into the Catholic faith, uncovering mysteries that lie within the Sacraments. Today, I would like to discuss a few points about the source and highpoint of our faith: the Eucharist. CCC 1324.

We know that we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. But what, exactly does this mean? For much of my life, I have been drawn to the Eucharist, but only recently have I began to understand more about what it means for us.

A passage that has really helped put into perspective my attitudes toward the Eucharist comes from John's gospel.

Jesus says, "I tell you solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day." John 6:53,54.

When receiving Jesus, we take on His divine nature. CCC 1374. God cannot be present in the state of sin, and so when we receive the Eucharist, we receive His great mercy and are cleansed of venial sin. Free of sin, Jesus resides in us as we go forth into the world. CCC 1394.

Furthermore, While celebrating the Mass, we are not just celebrating with others at our parish or even all the faithful around the world. We are also celebrating the same Mass with the angels and saints in heaven.

"Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:
         'See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity purged.'" Isaiah 6:6,7.

There is only one Mass and that Mass is praised in heaven. When we go to Mass, we are joining in on the Mass of Heaven. When we receive Jesus, we experience heaven. CCC 1370.

"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me." Jn 6:56,57.

Heaven abides in Jesus and when we receive Jesus, we receive the Communion saints in heaven. CCC 1396.

Discussing this Communion in his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul states, " The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

After discovering this reality, for me it brought ever more meaning to the Lord's prayer. I began to have a better understanding of what the Father means by "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Jesus calls us to center our lives on Him and live as Saints on Earth. We are not supposed to wait until we die before experiencing His glory and being Saints. That life begins here and now.

In a way, we often separate our lives between this life and the next. However, for me, I can no longer think this way. We only have one life and that life is eternal. We cannot wait until Purgatory before we cleanse ourselves and seek heaven. This is something that we should seek to do now. Because now is heaven and heaven is now, and failure to seek God on Earth is a failure to seek His Glory in heaven.