We are on a journey towards eternity.
Like the angels, God has placed an immortal soul inside each human person (CCC 366, http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p6.htm).
But unlike the angels, God also made us material beings who need nourishment to sustain our bodies (CCC 362).
So it makes sense that He would provide both spiritual and physical food as we travel (and at times, struggle) through this life.
After our First Parents spit in God’s face and damaged their human nature so they (and those of us after them) would experience suffering and death, humans needed a remedy to restore them back to God–His divine Son, who willingly suffered and died for each one of us.
Why does this matter?
It reminds us we are more than the totality of our sins. To God, we are worth more. And our human dignity is now tied to His Beloved Son.
Didn’t He abandon us?
But after Jesus ascended into heaven to be with His Father, didn’t He abandon us?
No, He gave us His spirit, the Spirit of Truth and power–The Advocate (John 15:26,16:7, https://biblehub.com/john/15-26.htm, https://biblehub.com/john/16-7.htm)–our spiritual food.
The night before He died, He also left us a concrete way to receive His Spirit through His first priests, the disciples–the Holy Body and Blood–our physical food.
This heavenly food proves we are made for more, because it was ordained by God Himself that we consume His Son in sacramental form–so that we are in Him and He is in us (John 17:23, https://www.biblehub.com/john/17-23.htm).
Are Catholics cannibals?
But how can this truly be Christ’s Body and Blood?
Because He said so.
He said, “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” (John 6:53, https://biblehub.com/john/6-53.htm).
If He meant this symbolically, why did many of His faithful followers walk away? And why didn’t He stop them and tell them it was just symbolic language?
An easy way to think of the mystery of the Eucharistic Lord is in this way:
Before the bread and wine are consecrated by an ordained priest or bishop, it is mere bread and wine.
After it is consecrated, it’s entire substance changes from bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
That is, before the consecration, Jesus is the symbol for the bread and wine. After consecration, there is an exchange and–through the miracle of Transubstantiation–the bread and wine become the symbol for Jesus’ Body and Blood, though the appearance and taste stay the same (CCC 1376).
That means Jesus becomes our heavenly food.
He said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51, https://biblehub.com/john/6-51.htm).
Notice His use of present and past tense in that sentence? He was showing the Jews all the symbolism of heavenly bread from the past culminates and points to Him, the true Bread of Life for His people.
Therefore, the Christian knows that between the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Eucharist, Jesus never left us!
His Presence goes with us to give us strength and courage as we deal with sin and suffering in this life.
Healing for the sick?
Shouldn’t this motivate the Christian to make his soul as pure as possible before receiving such a precious gift?
Shouldn’t one avail himself to the “car wash” of confession on a regular basis for the sake of Jesus the Beloved?
Shouldn’t one admit he is sick before going to the doctor for healing?
If one doesn’t think so, then why bother taking the physician’s “medicine” at all?
Lord, may we your people, draw strength from Yourself, our heavenly Bread. Help us to receive You worthily, and admit we need healing in the Sacrament of Confession regularly.
Amen
Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), pray for us.