Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The Eucharist

This week we are really blessed to have the readings from St. John's Gospel regarding the discourse of the Holy Eucharist. The Gospel readings beginning Monday, April 27, start with John 6, 22-29, and continue through the Gospel readings on Saturday with John 6, 60-69. Pope John Paul II said that the Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our faith.

We have been taught that the Eucharist is Truly the Body and Blood of Jesus. This was taught directly by Jesus to his apostles at the Last Supper, and other times. St. Justin, who died for the faith in about 155 A.D., as many have, wrote about how the early Church had faith that the Eucharist was the True Presence of our Lord. Reading what St. Justin talked and wrote about the Eucharist, and how it was celebrated, and "remembered" 2000 years ago, is amazing. The Mass of the early Church was, of course, very, very, close to the Mass today. I knew that, but reading St. Justin's thoughts really drove that home, yesterday!

God Bless