The Power of Living the Fast

So, let our journey begin...

Sitting at my desk, I ponder, "Where should our journey of prayer and fasting really begin?"

I realize that everyone is at a different place in their lives, with different experiences, faiths, and heart desires. So, for now, let us take a deeper look at what I call the "summit," or what should be the center of our lives on earth, the Eucharist.

It saddens me that so much ignorance and controversy surround the Eucharistic celebration. Some people believe this is a spiritual event, while others feel it is a symbolic one. Yet, some have no interest in it and think it is nonsense and frankly impossible for this simple bread and wine offering to be "transubstantiated" into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is that this is a supernatural, sacrificial event that utilizes the power and interaction of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most incredible gifts Jesus gave us here on earth: His true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

The Church and the Holy Spirit bring this divine life to the Body of Christ in a unique way through the sacraments.

It is essential to know and understand the actual words our Lord, Jesus Christ, gave us. So, let's first look at what the Gospel of Matthew tells us.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this, is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mt 26:26-28; cf. Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25)

Jesus did not say, "This is like my body," nor did He say this is a "symbol" of my body. Jesus clearly held up the bread and said, "This is my body," and held up the wine and said, "This is my blood." It is simple yet very clearly stated.

Jesus is very clear and straightforward in explaining this fact. For an even more explicit and deeper explanation, we simply need to read and understand what Jesus actually said:

John 6:47-51

47 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.?

Christ is present in His Church in many ways, especially in the Eucharist. The whole Christ is truly present in the Eucharistic Hosts; body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine. The glorified Christ, who rose from the dead after dying for our sins, is alive and ever-present. The Church means this when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist. This presence of Christ in the Eucharist is called "real," not to exclude other types of His presence as if they could not be understood as real (cf. Catechism, no. 1374).

In the Eucharistic Celebration of the Catholic Mass, bread and wine become the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and instrumentality of the ordained Catholic priest. The risen Christ is present in his Church in many ways, primarily through the sacrament of his Body and Blood during a Catholic Mass. While the physical appearance does not change, the host is "Transubstantiated," changed through the power of the Holy Spirit, "supernaturally" during the consecration at the mass.

Still not sure it's the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ?

Well, many of Jesus' followers felt the same way. As you continue to read John 6, take note that many of Jesus' followers left Him because they felt the teaching was just too hard. They simply could not believe this was even possible, much less accept that Jesus wanted them to eat His actual flesh or drink His actual blood in the form of bread and wine.

So, let's read a little more and deepen our understanding...

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John 6:52-58

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. 

55 For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."

Because of this teaching, many left, yet Jesus did not say "Hey, I was just kidding," nor did He stop them to explain that He really meant it was a spiritual communion and not the "Real Presence" of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity. No, in fact, Jesus reiterated this fact several times and then turned to His apostles, and He asked...

John 6: 67-69

67 "You do not want to leave, too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."

My question is, "Will you also walk away and not believe?"

To expand our understanding a little more, we must read the book of Exodus. (Note: One must understand that the Old Testament supports the New Testament and realize that the New Testament fulfills the Old.)

By studying the book of Exodus, you begin to comprehend the journey and its meaning. Today, instead of the manna from heaven, we can now be filled with Jesus' true body and blood, who is from heaven: "I am the living bread." For Jesus is the bread from heaven in which none of us shall hunger; if we eat of this bread, we shall all have eternal life. How awesome is that!

One more thing, we can also take a look at the prayer Jesus gave us... "The Our Father"

"Our Father, give us this day, our daily bread..." And how do we receive this "daily bread?" At the Catholic Mass, after the host is consecrated, it is given to us at communion. That was the actual purpose of the Last Supper; it was not just something to do; it had real meaning, as we read in the early writings of the apostles.

Jesus said he would never leave us, and He has not. Jesus remains with us. He is found alive in a consecrated host blessed by a Catholic priest; we can experience and receive the true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and fulfill Jesus' command to us each and every day! There are so many miracles around the Eucharist, but I'll leave that for another day.

Remember Jesus's exact words:

"Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

One last thought in closing...

I heard one day a sermon, and the priest said, If I were giving away $100 bills at mass, the lines would be wrapped around the Church, and people would be lined up everywhere to receive them.

What more extraordinary gift is the ability to receive Christ's living body, blood, soul, and divinity at a Catholic mass? The graces poured out, the spiritual and physical healings that take place, can never be matched, and the graces one receives from God far exceed anything else you may do on earth.

So, take advantage of the gift of reconciliation, repent, and cleanse your soul to receive Christ Jesus with a purity of heart, body, and soul.

Let us finish with two prayers derived directly from the Bible; the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

"Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom comes, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen."

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, spread the effects of grace of thy Flame of Love throughout all of humanity, now and out the hour of death.

Amen."

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To read all of John 6:25-71 CLICK HERE.