You Are What You Eat

When our children were little, they had a favorite book called Chocolatina by Erik Kraft.  

The story is about a young girl named Tina who could not get enough chocolate. She ate it for breakfast, and at lunch and dinner.  She loved it so much she even snuck some during her classes at school.

Her health teacher drilled into the children's heads that, "you are what you eat".

One day, to Tina's horror, she actually turns completely chocolate.  She can't bend her arms to comb her hair,  her best friend won't sit by her on the bus because her mother would be mad if she got chocolate on her clothes.  Worst of all, her feet melt on the hot playground and the other kids have to carry her back into school.

Her teacher's warning had come true.  What a nightmare.

We, as Catholics, have a much better opportunity before us.  We also become what we eat.  But, we have access to the greatest feast of all time, the Eucharist.

Jesus Christ, Himself, becomes our food.

His own words confirm this:  "I am the Bread of Life."(John 6:48)

He goes on to say,  "If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day." (John 6: 53-54)

So what do we become if we receive the Eucharist?  We become like Christ. We become holy.

What does the Eucharist give us?  Abundant grace, sanctification, forgiveness of venial sins and a promise we can't refuse, eternal life.

There is no better offer on the face of the earth.  Come to the feast!!!


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Corpus Christi

Today is the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.  Given that the Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life, it's a pretty big deal.

On Holy Thursday, Christ instituted the Eucharist.

 Before that day, He told his followers:

"I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6: 48-58)

At the Last Supper, Christ gave us the priesthood and Himself in the Eucharist. Our priests continue to bring the Eucharist to us on a daily basis.  How often do you participate?

If you were told to go to a certain spot everyday at a specific time and you would be handed $1000, would you go? Every day?

If you were told that Jesus, Himself, was waiting to give you the gift of a lifetime, in many locations, at many different times throughout the day, would you make the effort to go and receive Him who gives you life?

He is waiting. He is at many locations, at many different times throughout the day. He wants to give you the gift of a lifetime, actually the gift of LIFE.  Eternal life. (see above!)

Come to the Feast! He awaits.