Last Friday night our lovely young women Allie and Natalia led our young adults on a reflection on the Eucharist - the true presence of Jesus, the bread of life, the source and summit of our faith! Unaware, we went over time talking, or more praising the glorious gift of the Eucharist (which means 'thanksgiving') and our Holy Mass (which means 'to send out'). We unpacked the words of St Paul II, "at the center of the Church is the Eucharist, where Christ is present and active in humanity and in the whole world by means of the Holy Spirit" and watched a beautifully rich video on the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist, led by a Franciscan Priest, using testimonies from various believers, opening up the parts of the mass and prayers, pointing to its roots in scripture and connections to our spiritual lives today. Through the Eucharist, Jesus transforms our sufferings and dwells within us to go out into the world and be Christ to others, to transform their sufferings and lead us all to eternal life. If you struggle with believing in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the miracle of transubstanciation (trans = to change, substantiation = substance, not to be confused with appearance) let me encourage you to take it to prayer and watch the same video this week:
Furthermore, you can find more common questions and answers on it here: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-real-presence-of-jesus-christ-in-the-sacrament-of-the-eucharist-basic-questions-and-answers.cfm
At the beginning Allie choose a beautiful prayer of St Augustine for the intentions of those suffering from the pandemic. I invite you all at home to pray with us:
Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous ones. And for all your love's sake. Amen.
We had such a wonderful time, we forgot to take our usual photo to capture the night! Instead, let us leave you with a photo of Our Lord in the Eucharist. Thanks be to God.
In the words of St Mother Teresa, "when you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now."
We look forward to our next gathering. Keep us in your prayers! Many blessings.