Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 4 Chapter 10: That We Must Not Lightly Refrain from Holy Communion

“Frequently go to the fountain of grace and divine mercy – the fountain of goodness and all purity – where you can be cured of your passions and vices.”

What a great topic to meditate on following the Solemnity of Corpus Christi yesterday.  In the Gospel Reading from yesterday, we learn that Jesus was the Bread of Life – the Manna sent down from heaven to nourish our bodies and souls.  We must realize that Holy Communion is the sacred food that gives us the strength to defend ourselves from “the temptations and deceit of Satan.” Those who find great solace in this Sacrament will experience the worst attacks and deceits when preparing to receive Holy Communion. Satan comes to distract our prayers and divert our eyes from grace that is being poured out for us in the source and summit of our faith.  We must learn to ignore his suggestions and deceits so that we do not lose focus on the true gifts of life being offered to us.  We should never avoid the Sacrament of Holy Communion because of his deceits. Satan will try to create apathy in our lives and sloth in our faith.  He will try to make us lazy in our faith where we begin to feel that Holy Communion is nothing more than bread and wine.  To help defeat Satan, we must be willing to go to confession to cleanse ourselves, to spit out the poison that has been placed in our thoughts, to prepare us to receive Holy Communion worthily.  It is amazing the difference in the amount of grace that you receive after receiving Holy Communion following confession.  You feel the joy and relief of forgiveness followed by the pure joy that fills the spirit after receiving Holy Communion.  We should always desire to receive Holy Communion, it is in the desire to receive God’s grace that it is poured out for us.  We should desire to receive it with a pure heart and clean soul.  It is in this state that we receive the greatest blessing from our Father.  It is in our desire that we will find that spark that lights the fire within us.  “As often as you communicate mystically and devoutly recall the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation and Passion, your heart will be inflamed with the fire of His love.” It is through the fire of His love that our soul is ultimately purified to receive the grace of His love.  It is in the Sacrament of Holy Communion that His love is poured out through the celebration of His Passion and Resurrection.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I long to be joined in communion with you.

Increase my desire to seek you, help me to find the solace of confession

So that my heart if purified to receive you worthily into soul.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon