A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
Yesterday was the feast of the Presentation, also known as the feast of the Purification. Since it's Sunday, we Catholics will go to Mass. Most of us will receive Holy Communion. Today, let's think about this great Sacrament of Holy Communion and connect it to the Presentation in the Temple/Purification of Mary.
We'll reference the chapter entitled "Our Lady of Joy" in The Inner Life of the Soul, beginning with Simeon's encounter with the Messiah in the Temple, where Mary went to be "purified" according to Jewish law, forty days after Jesus's birth. Consider the contentment of the old man Simeon as he realizes the promise made to him: that he would not die until he saw the Christ. He so appreciates the special privilege granted to him! Just as Simeon recognized the privilege he was granted, we too might recall our own privilege:
"Let us now consider, in connection with this event, what our God and our All has done for us in His sacrament of love."
Christ gives us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. At each and every Mass we can receive Holy Communion. What an astounding and wondrous privilege!
"The post-communion of this fourth Sunday after the Epiphany accords with our subject: "May the gifts which we have partaken of, O God, detach our hearts from all earthly pleasures, and ever refresh and strengthen us with heavenly food"; and the feast of the Purification, occurring February second, has its own mystical light to throw on the darkness of our minds. It is a feast of the Holy Spirit of God. May He, Who is Love, teach us of love, and fill us with love; for love is the fulfilling of the law."
Holy Communion is Jesus's supreme act of love. Remember that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass reenacts Our Lord's death at Calvary in an un-bloody manner when the priest pronounces the words that change the bread and wine into His Body and Blood.
In addition to Simeon, let's now consider Our Blessed Mother's role not only in the Temple that day, but throughout Our Lord's life on earth. We read that, while Simeon held Jesus once, and briefly, Our Lady held him and lived with Him for thirty-three years.
"What was her joy in His infancy when she beheld him night and day, and fed and kissed him, and felt His breath upon her cheek, and saw the light of heaven in His eyes?"
As we imagine Mary's joy, the question arises:
"Yet - who waits there in the tabernacle? Who comes to us in Communion?"
Many Catholics today have only a vague and grossly inaccurate answer to this question. A recent survey of people who identified themselves as "Catholic" either did not understand or simply did not believe that the Eucharist was literally the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. They thought of Communion as some sort of symbol - much like the way many Protestants think of it. Sad that it's come to this, isn't it?
But for us Catholics who do understand the reality of this miraculous Sacrament, consider this as we recall Simeon's and Our Lady's "privilege":
"We envy Mary - we envy Simeon - for what? Simeon held Him once at a long life's close. We may receive Him, it is possible for us to receive Him, every day. Mary saw Jesus, talked with Jesus, sang to Jesus, was heart to heart with Jesus in silent delight, for eighteen years in the blessed house of Nazareth. Yes, our Lady of Joy! who shall paint thy joy?"
"Yet - let us kneel down before the altar. Who is here, waiting for you and me?...Without noise of words, or sound of footfall, or touch of hand, the faithful heart can enter, led by the Spirit; and can be at home and at peace with the Sacred Heart of the same Lord and Love Whom Mary loved, her God and her All, and ours!"
Understanding and believing all this, Holy Communion becomes not only a privilege, but one that we seek with all our yearning. Think about it: Doesn't wealth, power, success and recognition in our work all pale in comparison to the worthy reception of Holy Communion?
So today, don't just go to Mass and receive Communion simply because it's your Sunday obligation. Instead, consider these words from The Inner Life of the Soul:
"Cannot He take the place of earthly joys for us? It will need sacrifice, purification, prayer; for God fills an empty memory and an empty heart. But is it not well worth our while to empty them, if God - no less than God - will fill them?"
We'll reference the chapter entitled "Our Lady of Joy" in The Inner Life of the Soul, beginning with Simeon's encounter with the Messiah in the Temple, where Mary went to be "purified" according to Jewish law, forty days after Jesus's birth. Consider the contentment of the old man Simeon as he realizes the promise made to him: that he would not die until he saw the Christ. He so appreciates the special privilege granted to him! Just as Simeon recognized the privilege he was granted, we too might recall our own privilege:
"Let us now consider, in connection with this event, what our God and our All has done for us in His sacrament of love."
Christ gives us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. At each and every Mass we can receive Holy Communion. What an astounding and wondrous privilege!
"The post-communion of this fourth Sunday after the Epiphany accords with our subject: "May the gifts which we have partaken of, O God, detach our hearts from all earthly pleasures, and ever refresh and strengthen us with heavenly food"; and the feast of the Purification, occurring February second, has its own mystical light to throw on the darkness of our minds. It is a feast of the Holy Spirit of God. May He, Who is Love, teach us of love, and fill us with love; for love is the fulfilling of the law."
Holy Communion is Jesus's supreme act of love. Remember that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass reenacts Our Lord's death at Calvary in an un-bloody manner when the priest pronounces the words that change the bread and wine into His Body and Blood.
In addition to Simeon, let's now consider Our Blessed Mother's role not only in the Temple that day, but throughout Our Lord's life on earth. We read that, while Simeon held Jesus once, and briefly, Our Lady held him and lived with Him for thirty-three years.
"What was her joy in His infancy when she beheld him night and day, and fed and kissed him, and felt His breath upon her cheek, and saw the light of heaven in His eyes?"
As we imagine Mary's joy, the question arises:
"Yet - who waits there in the tabernacle? Who comes to us in Communion?"
Many Catholics today have only a vague and grossly inaccurate answer to this question. A recent survey of people who identified themselves as "Catholic" either did not understand or simply did not believe that the Eucharist was literally the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. They thought of Communion as some sort of symbol - much like the way many Protestants think of it. Sad that it's come to this, isn't it?
But for us Catholics who do understand the reality of this miraculous Sacrament, consider this as we recall Simeon's and Our Lady's "privilege":
"We envy Mary - we envy Simeon - for what? Simeon held Him once at a long life's close. We may receive Him, it is possible for us to receive Him, every day. Mary saw Jesus, talked with Jesus, sang to Jesus, was heart to heart with Jesus in silent delight, for eighteen years in the blessed house of Nazareth. Yes, our Lady of Joy! who shall paint thy joy?"
"Yet - let us kneel down before the altar. Who is here, waiting for you and me?...Without noise of words, or sound of footfall, or touch of hand, the faithful heart can enter, led by the Spirit; and can be at home and at peace with the Sacred Heart of the same Lord and Love Whom Mary loved, her God and her All, and ours!"
Understanding and believing all this, Holy Communion becomes not only a privilege, but one that we seek with all our yearning. Think about it: Doesn't wealth, power, success and recognition in our work all pale in comparison to the worthy reception of Holy Communion?
So today, don't just go to Mass and receive Communion simply because it's your Sunday obligation. Instead, consider these words from The Inner Life of the Soul:
"Cannot He take the place of earthly joys for us? It will need sacrifice, purification, prayer; for God fills an empty memory and an empty heart. But is it not well worth our while to empty them, if God - no less than God - will fill them?"
Happy Sunday!
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