Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came
down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that
I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among
themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to
them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my
flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike
your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live
forever.
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Reflection:
Saint Catherine of Siena was a third order Dominican; during
the later part of her life she found no nourishment with earthly food. Instead
she received Jesus through Holy Communion on a daily basis.
St. Catherine of Genoa was a daily communicant also, it was
said that during seasons of Advent and Lent she lived without food. She was nourished by receiving Jesus daily
through Holy Communion.
During the thirteenth century in Italy there was a priest
who almost lost his faith in the reality of Christ’s body and blood in the
Eucharist. Right before the “Lamb of God,” wherein the priest breaks the host
to put a little part of it into the chalice, the host in his hands began to
bled profusely It bled over his hands on the corporal and on the altar cloths.
There are many more written and unwritten Eucharistic
Miracles that happened and will still happen in the future. How about us have
we personally experienced any form of miraculous Eucharistic occurrence?
Perhaps we have not experienced it yet or we’re not just aware that Jesus
through His Body and Blood is actually changing us to become the person that He
wants us to be.
Is it possible that something miraculous would happen to us
if we faithfully receive Jesus at Mass?
If we would faithfully and piously receive Jesus in every
Holy Mass it is not impossible that He will transform us the way He wants us to
become. Take for example a man who is a chain smoker and alcoholic; what will
happen to him if he will not stop smoking and drinking?
He will surely get
sick with deadly cigarette and alcohol related ailments. On the other hand take
also for example a health conscious man who always exercises and who only eats
fish and vegetables. Of course he will look good and healthy because that is
his regular regimen.
The same is true if we would faithfully attend Mass and
receive Jesus regularly during Holy Communion. There would also be a
transformation within us we may not notice it but others will become aware of
it. This is the miracle that often times we are not aware of.
The Body (and Blood) of Jesus that you receive during Holy
Communion creates a big difference in your life because Jesus comes into you. You
become one with Jesus during Holy Communion and if you would allow it.
The same Jesus will transform you to become the person that
He wants you to be. For example if you are sometimes arrogant you will not
anymore become arrogant instead you will become more humble. And this change of
behavior is made possible courtesy of Jesus whom you always receive with awe
and reverence during Holy Communion.
Do you always receive Jesus with awe and reverence during
Holy Communion? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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