On the First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" ' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" ' Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Eucharist is the highest form of prayer. It demonstrates the very meaning of prayer - man coming to God, and God meeting His people. The Eucharist is not just a memorial of the Last Supper; it makes present the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Indeed, in the Eucharist, Christ is present in the form of bread and wine. The bread and wine do not just signify Christ; they become Christ Himself.
Christ, who once humbled Himself and took the form of a slave (cf. Phil 2:7), takes the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. This sacrament is His gift to the Church and, through it, He nourishes His people. In His humility and out of love for us, He has made Himself vulnerable to the irreverence of man, as He was at the moment of His passion and death.
As we receive Christ in the Mass, we ought to be more like Him. It is said that you are what you eat. Therefore, when we receive Christ, we become Christ. We ought to imitate Christ's love, the love that nailed Him to the cross, a selfless and life-giving love.
Today, we are afraid to love, for we fear being hurt. But we should realize that love entails sacrifice, and sacrifice means being ready to endure pain for the sake of the beloved. We should realize that the more scars we have, the more beautiful we are. That is why Jesus, scarred and nailed to the cross, is a very beautiful image, for it is an image of a perfect love.
Nevertheless, we must realize that love, in itself, does not hurt. But love makes us vulnerable to being hurt. It is because Jesus loved Judas that He was hurt when Judas betrayed Him. It was because Jesus loved Peter that He was hurt when Peter denied Him thrice. It is because Jesus loves us that He suffered and died on the cross for us. And it is for the same reason that He continually makes Himself vulnerable to irreverence when He makes Himself present to us in every Mass.
Let us learn to love God and one another, for when we do, nobody will end up getting hurt and nobody will betray anyone anymore. Let us also learn to love and respect the Eucharist. In it, God expresses His love for us and He expects us to love Him back. Let us be grateful for this great gift of Christ which He gave us in His love.
Indeed, in the Eucharist, Christ is present in the form of bread and wine. The bread and wine do not just signify Christ; they become Christ Himself.
Christ, who once humbled Himself and took the form of a slave (cf. Phil 2:7), takes the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. This sacrament is His gift to the Church and, through it, He nourishes His people. In His humility and out of love for us, He has made Himself vulnerable to the irreverence of man, as He was at the moment of His passion and death.
As we receive Christ in the Mass, we ought to be more like Him. It is said that you are what you eat. Therefore, when we receive Christ, we become Christ. We ought to imitate Christ's love, the love that nailed Him to the cross, a selfless and life-giving love.
Today, we are afraid to love, for we fear being hurt. But we should realize that love entails sacrifice, and sacrifice means being ready to endure pain for the sake of the beloved. We should realize that the more scars we have, the more beautiful we are. That is why Jesus, scarred and nailed to the cross, is a very beautiful image, for it is an image of a perfect love.
Nevertheless, we must realize that love, in itself, does not hurt. But love makes us vulnerable to being hurt. It is because Jesus loved Judas that He was hurt when Judas betrayed Him. It was because Jesus loved Peter that He was hurt when Peter denied Him thrice. It is because Jesus loves us that He suffered and died on the cross for us. And it is for the same reason that He continually makes Himself vulnerable to irreverence when He makes Himself present to us in every Mass.
Let us learn to love God and one another, for when we do, nobody will end up getting hurt and nobody will betray anyone anymore. Let us also learn to love and respect the Eucharist. In it, God expresses His love for us and He expects us to love Him back. Let us be grateful for this great gift of Christ which He gave us in His love.
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