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The Eucharist, is it really the transfiguration of the bread and wine into the true
divinity of the actual Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Unfortunately for so many Roman Catholics not much thought is given to that question.
For the most part we go to Mass and receive communion for so many reasons except the
right ones! For many it's just a tradition, why our families always go to church and
receive communion, it's always been that way! For some it's a habit. It's just that time
of the Mass. Why not go, everyone else is going! For others, I had better go, Mom is
expecting me to go. Finally for some it's the signal to get out of their seats and fade
toward the back of church and slip out early. How very sad!
Recently a Poll was taken outside a Roman Catholic Church. I don't have the complete
details of whom or where. I learned of this through a Redemptorist Priest friend of
mine, Fr. Jack Dowd. The question posed in the Poll was: "Do you believe the
Eucharist is Symbolic or that it is truly the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ?" Unfortunately, about 67% said it was simply symbolic.
Is that how you feel?Is it time you have a closer look at the way you see it?
What is the Eucharist for you?
JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE FOR ME AT OUR CHURCH
DURING THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION!
I never had a problem understanding this very special part of the Mass. This is the
Eucharist Celebration that we all come to church for. The Mass is the Eucharistic
Celebration. If there wasn't a Eucharistic Celebration there would be no Mass.
I remember growing up as a very young child. I was full of faith, even at seven years
old. I remember my 2nd. grade teacher reading us a story of a little boy who wanted to
receive communion so much that he sat patiently in the church praying very hard that
Jesus would come to his lips and let him receive. One Sunday he was praying fervently
during the Eucharistic Celebration. As the story went, a white host floated through the
air, he opened his mouth and the host was laid on his tongue. I was very inspired by
that story. When I was young before receiving my first communion I remember praying
so hard that Jesus would favor me in the same way. At Mass I would pray that Jesus
would come to me in the same way. Well, at that time it never actually happened but
that didn't shake my faith. To me Jesus was very much alive in The Eucharist and in my
Life.
Angels delivered the Holy Eucharist to that little boy in the story that I had previously
told you about. Even though it didn't happen to me at the same young age my faith had
never been shaken, my faith went on to become even stronger. I grew up with a strong
faith. It helped me through many hard times. The hardest days of my life were not my
many financial difficulties or the problems I faced in my daily life experiences.
The most difficult times I had in life and when I grew in my faith was in the ten years
that I helped my wife Pattie struggle through her battle with cancer. We witnessed
countless miracles. Miracles even the doctors would not dare to explain. We had our
hills and valleys during that ten-year period and I can document at least four major
miracles. However, the greatest miracle of that time was the night that God called
Pattie home. As I sat in fear with all the pain Pattie was experiencing that day I held
firm to my faith. I was Praying and still believing that God was going to heal Pattie
again. God called her home at 7:30 P.M.. At 8:30 P.M. my son Frank Jr. and I went to the
chapel at St. Anthony Hospital in St. Louis, we knelt together and said a prayer of
Thanksgiving before the Tabernacle where Jesus was alive in the Eucharist. I thanked
Jesus for taking Pattie home safely. After finishing our prayer I opened my eyes and
stood up. There at my feet on the marble steps in front of the Tabernacle laid a bright
white Host. I reached quickly to pick up Jesus in the Eucharist and put it quickly to my
lips as my first thought was that some lay minister or priest dropped it earlier. I
suddenly realized that this wasn't dropped earlier. I looked carefully at the steps
before kneeling down so I wouldn't stumble when we knelt and began our prayer. No, I
realized that this was far more than that. This was Jesus answering my prayers and
telling me that Pattie had made it home safely. With this Sacred Host Jesus was telling
me that Pattie was now enjoying her first communion with Him in this, her promised
wedding ceremony to the bride, to Jesus in Heaven. What a peace came over me. This
affirmation of my faith that I desired so much as a child was delivered at the time in my
life when I need it most. I took the Host quickly from my lips, I looked at my son, I
remember saying to him this was not dropped carelessly as I had first thought. I said
Frankie, this was delivered to us by the hand of God, possibly delivered by an angel to
let you and I know that Pattie was home safe as Jesus promised. Praise God. That was
the greatest miracle of my life.
Do I believe that Jesus is alive in the Eucharist? How could I believe anything else? I
had received the miracle that I had desired so much as a child.
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is at every Mass alive and present in the Eucharistic
Celebration.
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