Daily Gospel Reflection for May 9, 2014

Today's Gospel: John 6:52-59

Every day, all over the world, Catholics take their places in line before bread and wine.

Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the Lamb.

We are called, over and over again, day after day and week after week. We do it so often that we could even forget what a true gift we have in the Eucharist.

In it, we take Christ physically into our bodies. We are changed. We leave different than when we entered.

It is certainly possible to follow Jesus’ teachings without eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood.

But why would we want to?

Jesus said, “The one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

This opportunity that is ours so regularly to unite ourselves with Christ makes it possible for us to not only follow His teachings, but to have Him with us, in us, to help us follow Him more closely.

There are eternal benefits to our faith. He will raise us up on the last day. We have that promise, and we take Him at His word.

But it’s His presence within us, gradually changing our hearts, forming us to be more like Him, that makes us belong to Jesus. The presence of Christ within us changes us little by little, making us in His image. The Eucharist is our gift from Jesus, our physical reminder that we belong to Him.

We aren’t just His at the end of time on the last day. We’re His, now, and always.

Ponder:

Reflect for a moment on your first Eucharist. How have you been changed (in big or small ways) by receiving Christ?

Pray:

Jesus, thank you for the gift of your presence in the Eucharist.

Copyright 2014 Abbey Dupuy