6 May 2022 – Friday of the 3rd week of Easter – John 6:52-59

     We have been hearing from the bread of life discourse from the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel in our daily Masses these last few days.  Today, Jesus explains to us: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”  

     With this statement in mind, how do we experience Christ in the Eucharist and what implications does this have for us?  Right now we are celebrating the year of the eucharist in our Diocese.  In a document issued by the US Bishops entitled The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, 14th century Orthodox theologian Nicholas Cabasilas is quoted as saying, “unlike any other sacrament, the mystery of the Eucharist is so perfect that it brings us to the heights of every good thing….here we attain God and God joins himself to us in the most perfect union.”  The Sacrament of the Eucharist is also referred to as “holy communion” because in placing us in intimate communion with the sacrifice of Christ, we are in intimate communion with Christ, and through him, in intimate communion with others.  

      In an interview on public radio, American actor Martin Sheen stated this about the importance of the Eucharist in his Catholic faith: “one of the great mysteries that I experience at mass is the reception of communion. How do we embrace that? How can we possibly, consciously understand what that is? And I don’t have a clue….Whoever the crowd is I’m getting in line with, you just look at the people who are on that line, that community, that is the greatest and simplest expression of overtly trying to explain this mystery I’m talking about, because it is a mystery. It is probably the most profound mystery in all of the universe, this love. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed just watching people on line to embrace that sacrament. It is the most profound thing. I never ever can get over it. It’s just something you have to surrender to.”  

      It is hard to put into words what the Eucharist means to us and what affect it has on our lives, for it is indeed a profound mystery, as Martin Sheen says.  Do we let the Eucharist challenge us and change us and transform us?  Or do we just not think about it?