This is My Body - The Holy Eucharist

                                 This is My Body

                                The Holy Eucharist

By Eileen Renders

   Recalling how as a young child, and being prepared for receiving Holy Communion, I knew that this was an important day in my faith. However, I did not quite “get it” how God was going to be inside that small wafer and enter into me. All of the children in my Class understood what we had been taught about how God created the Universe, and also created us, His people. And we learned how Jesus who was sent to earth by our heavenly Father, came to earth to live among us and to teach us. We also learned

how He was crucified and died on the Cross to save us.

   Attempting to put it all together when making my First Holy Communion, I still did not understand how He could come to us in this small white wafer that the priest gave to each of us on that Sunday. Jesus died, didn’t He? It was certainly beyond my ability to perceive. Although, without comprehension, I still believed that Jesus was there in that piece of bread because my faith, and all of the people I looked up to and trusted told me so.

   Whenever I see someone leaving the altar before acknowledging Jesus inwardly, and see them smiling in recognition of a friend, I still wonder why they do not keep their eyes downcast while returning to their seat where they can give full attention to Jesus. To thank Him for His presence and love in coming to be with us personally in this hour.

   In some churches, I understand that the taking of a wafer during Services is just that, a wafer. However, Jesus said; “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus gave the power to His Apostles at the Last Supper in the Upper Chambers to turn the bread into His body, and the wine into His blood so that He would be in us as we are in Him.

   Of course, we must first visit the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be clean of heart when we partake of the Host in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This is a very holy sacrament, and we are required to focus on Christ, thanking Him and spending time reflecting upon His will for us, listening to Him should He speak to our hearts.