3rd Week of Easter 2018 - Thursday - Pledge of Eternal Life

In his Bread of Life discourse, Jesus promised food that would bring eternal life. Natural bread feeds our bodies, it sustains our physical life. But the super-substantial bread given to us by Jesus Christ, enables our souls to live forever.

The Sacrament of the Altar has many names, and each of those names signify a different dimension of the sacrament.

The Sacrament is called Eucharist: Eucharist, coming from the Greek word, Eucharistia, which means thanksgiving. At the Eucharist the Church gathers first and foremost to give our thanksgiving to God for the gift of our salvation won for us through the self-sacrifice of His Son on the cross for us.

The Sacrament is called Holy Communion: for through it, souls are brought into communion with our Holy God, made sharers in his divine life, and the holy bond between Christians is strengthened.

The Sacrament is called the Body and Blood of Christ: for as Jesus teaches, this bread is His true flesh. And as Thomas Aquinas poetically summarized: Verbum caro, panem verum Verbo carnem éfficit: Fitque sanguis Christi merum,” The word made flesh, makes bread, by his word, flesh, and wine into the blood of Christ.

The Sacrament is called the Most Blessed Sacrament: for though in the other sacraments Christ performs a holy action, baptizing, confirming, absolving, marrying, this Sacrament IS Jesus.

And one of my favorite titles for this Sacrament: it is called The Pledge of Eternal Life. For as Jesus promises in the Gospel today, “whoever eats this bread will live forever.” A divine pledge, a divine promise is given to those who partake of this Sacrament.

There are many reasons to become Catholic, or to return to the active practice of the Catholic faith: but this one ranks pretty high: eternal life promised by God.

Through the Eucharist our mortal natures become incorruptible, as St. Ireneus taught, in the 2nd century.

This truth was echoed for centuries in the Old Rite of Mass. as one knelt down to receive holy communion, the priest would bless the communicant with the host and say the words: Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam: May the Body of Christ preserve your soul unto everlasting life.

May our Easter celebration continue to open us to the joy of the risen Christ, and his presence in the Church particularly in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Eucharist, His Body and Blood, and our pledge of eternal life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life.  We pray to the Lord.

That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  We pray to the Lord.

That the Real Presence of Jesus will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships.  We pray to the Lord.

For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians may bring the justice and mercy of Christ to all those in need.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.