If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion. -St. Maximilian Kolbe
Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration. -Mother Teresa
What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this under the form of a little bread, for our salvation. -St. Francis of Assisi
Until we have a passionate love for our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament we shall accomplish nothing. -St. Peter Julian Eymard
When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries. -St. Josemaria Escriva
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we celebrate one of the most beautiful feasts of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally known as Corpus Christi. I begin with the words of the saints, because I know my own words can only fall short in trying to capture this most incredible mystery of our faith. God Himself, Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and came back from the dead for our salvation, chose to abide here on earth with us under the appearance of bread and wine. The humiliation of the cross did not end, but continues, as He chooses to rest helplessly in the tabernacle for our sakes, so often remaining abandoned, or even desecrated by those who care not for Him. What greater testimony of God’s love for us than that!
And yet sadly, in our times, belief in the Eucharist and reverence for it have all but disappeared. The very heart of our faith has been abandoned, and we are surprised when our churches slowly empty. On this day, my prayer for all of us, myself included, is that we reawaken in our hearts a profound love of the Eucharist, that we keep ever on our minds the importance of this mystery, that we truly reflect this belief in all that we do. We ask ourselves today, if I truly believe that the Eucharist is God Himself, how different should my life be? How anxious I would be to spend time in adoration. How excited I would be to receive, and how reverently I would receive the host, taking time to pray and give thanks. How quick I would be to invite all those I know to share this incredible gift. If we truly believe, we should want to shake those who do not come to Mass – don’t you realize what you’re missing out on?!
That’s why we bring Christ out into the streets today in procession. We realize that Christ in the Eucharist abides in the Church, but He enters our hearts each week so we can bring Him into the world. Uniting ourselves with Christ, we’re meant to offer all that we are to our Heavenly Father, so He can transform us more and more into His Son and help us spread that perfect love. Let us pray today that we may be living tabernacles. May our love of the Eucharist give us the nourishment and strength we need to grow in holiness and lead many others to the peace and joy only possible through His Body and Blood.
Yours in Christ,
Father Scolaro
