To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Week 10, Day 4 – Reconciliation Reconnects Us to the Design that God Has for Our Lives
To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Week 1, Day 4 – The Eucharist is About Making an Eternal Decision
Photo by Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and clinging to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Deuteronomy 30:19–20
God’s people were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Moses called each one to make an eternal decision: to choose life or death, heaven or hell, peace and prosperity or division and ruin. To choose life was to choose God and to receive his offer of a future salvation. His challenge to the people is our challenge every Sunday at Mass. The Eucharist is our ultimate life choice. To make such a choice lightly is to profane the Body and Blood of the Lord. Like the Israelites, we can either receive or reject the life that Christ offers us in the Eucharist.
Sadly, many Catholics go through the motions of the Mass, never fully realizing what the Eucharist is. Christians of many denominations talk about “making a decision” for Christ, but Catholics are given that opportunity every time we participate in the Mass. Our “Amen!” when we receive Communion is our “Yes!” to two things: (1) to the reality of Christ’s True Presence in the Eucharist, and (2) to the salvation he won for us in his death on the cross, which is made present again in every Mass.
How we respond to the Eucharist truly matters. Saint Paul even talked about receiving the Eucharist in an unworthy manner: “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Cor 11:29). Our Catholic Faith is no simple matter. Each Sunday as we participate in the sacrifice of the Mass, we renew our commitment to follow Christ. Like the people in Moses’ day, we are being offered a choice between life and death. Let us choose life and let us live that life to the fullest, by our prayers, our words, our actions, and all that we are!
Questions for reflection
Is there one thing you can do to improve your participation in the Mass? What is that one thing? Can you share it with a brother and ask him to hold you accountable to it?
When you say “Amen!” as you receive Communion, do you really think about what you are saying? Can you truly say that you mean it?
Praying with Scripture
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God” (2 Cor 1:20).
You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE
You can watch and listen to this devotion HERE
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About the Author
Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
