Meditation Minute

Book 4 Chapter 5: On the Dignity of the Sacrament and on the Priestly Office:

“If you had the purity of an Angel and the holiness of St. John the Baptist, you would not be worthy to receive or to touch this Holy Sacrament.”

Today, we meditate on the great mystery of the priestly office. When I think about the great mystery of Holy Eucharist and realize that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, I realize that absolutely no one is worthy to hold the Eucharist within their hands.  It was the Blessed Mother Mary whose womb held what the universe could not that held within her the original Eucharist.  She is also the one that held His Body and washed away His Blood after He was taken off the cross.  She was conceived without sin and led an absolutely pure life. How can we even begin to compare to the Holiness of her heart. When we think about this, we can only begin to understand that how tremendous the mystery, and great is the dignity conferred to priest through their sacred office. “For it is only priests, validly ordained in the Church, have this power of offering Holy Mass and consecrating the Body of Christ.” The priest, who stands in the place of Christ, says the words, but it is God Himself working through the priest’s hands that is the “unseen Worker in this Sacrament”.  Through the hands of the priest, God works His Great Mystery.  It is through the hands of man that Christ says, “Take this, and eat.”  The priest, dressed in the sacred vestments takes the place of Christ, offering “humble prayer and supplication to God for himself and for all his people.”  The priest is adorned with the cross to remind him that He walks in the footsteps of Christ and must strive to follow Christ fervently.  The cross also reminds him that he must “suffer for God whatever injuries are done to him by others.”  In the great Sacrifice of the Mass, the priest is placed “between God and humankind in order to mourn over the sins of others with compassion.”  It is in the continue offering of prayers by the office of the priests that reassures us that the Church is eternal.  When a priest offers Mass, “he honors God, gives joy to the Angels, builds up the Church, helps the living and obtains rest for the departed, making himself a sharer of all good things.  Today, we should take the time to send an email to our parish priest, lifting them up and thanking them for bringing about the Great Mystery of the Eucharist.

A Simple Prayer

My Dearest Jesus Christ,

It is You who instituted the priestly office. It is You who elevated these men to Bishop so that they could hand down the Holy Mass through the centuries. Bestow your special grace upon these men that they may be made worth of the office which they hold.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon