Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and overburdened, I will give you rest.”

The Easter Season has come to an end and we now return to Ordinary Time in the Church.  For the past fourteen weeks, we have spent time going through the first three books of Thomas a Kempis in the Imitation of Christ.  We began in Lent with Book 1 which focused on the benefits of a spiritual like.  We then reflected on the treasures to be found in living an interior life.  The last book centered on conversion of heart and the importance of submitting to God’s will.  This last Sunday, we celebrated the birth of the church during Pentecost Sunday.  On this Sunday over 2000 years ago, the Holy Spirit came and filled the Apostles with the fire of God.  More importantly, on this day, the Holy Spirit was given to us to guide us and teach us about the Church that was left to us.  The gift of the Holy Spirit was one of the greatest gifts left for us.  It allows the Church to be continually renewed in our hearts.  In addition to the Holy Spirit, Jesus left us something else of equal value; the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  Everything we do, every celebration we have, every Sacrament that is celebrated is centered on this one gift.  In the Eucharist, the Bread of Life never abandons us.  Jesus tells us, “Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood dwells in Me, and I dwell in him.” (John 6:56).  He gave us His Flesh “for the life of the world”.  Without the Holy Eucharist, the world would be dead.  We would experience the same death of Adam and Eve.  We would spend eternity in the darkness of the grave.  But instead, He left us this eternal gift of life.  The last Book in the Imitation of Christ series focuses on The Blessed Sacrament and Devout Exhortations for Holy Communion.  We are commanded by Christ to “take and eat” (Matthew 26:26). Unfortunately, many could not accept these words and turned away sad.  As you have probably realized by now, it is not easy to “take and eat” the body of Christ.  It is not easy to fully surrender oneself to Christ.  However, we are asked to do so daily.  Not just on Sundays and not just on Holy Days, but 24/7 365 days a year were are commanded to “take and eat” and to have Christ live within us.  The only way Christ can live within us is if we surrender to the His grace which was poured out for us during that last supper.  When we go to Mass and celebrate the Eucharist, we are like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “Did not our hearts burn.” (Luke 24:32) It is through the Sacrament of the Eucharist, gifts created with human hands and transformed into the body of blood of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit that our souls are set on fire.  It is through this most Blessed Sacrament that Christ becomes a perpetual gift of eternal life. It is through the Eucharist that Christ will dwell in us.

A Simple Prayer

It is through the Body of Christ that I say Amen.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon