A Letter to You, Beloved of Christ: Section I
The
Holy Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life"
(Lumen Gentium, no. 11; CCC, 1324). This may not be new to you; but truly do we
understand what this entails? What then of a Christian life that neglects the
Holy Eucharist?
The Holy Eucharist is Christ Himself, and He says: “Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your
fill of my produce.” (Sir 24:19); come and eat for “I am the Bread of Life, he
who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst”
(Jn 6:35). “The bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh”
(Jn 6:51b). “I am poured out like water” (Ps 22:14), says the Lord, and “whoever drinks of the water that I shall
give him will never thirst” (Jn 4:14). I am the fountain of the water of life
and I poured Myself out on Calvary, and from the abundance of my Sacred Heart did
flow the water of life when My heart was pierced; for scripture reads: “one of
the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood
and water” (Jn 19:34).
“By means of the Mystery of
the Eucharist, the Sacrifice of the Cross which was once carried out on Calvary
is re-enacted in wonderful fashion and is constantly recalled, and its salvific
power is applied to the forgiving of the sins we commit each day." (Mysterium Fidei, 27, Pope
Paul VI, 1965). The Fountain of the Water of Life which is Christ, which was
opened up on Calvary is made present in the Holy Eucharist. At every Holy Mass
therefore our souls when we receive our Lord are flooded with the water of
Life; and the seed of God’s Word, which is Christ within us is watered, and He
grows, He increases as we decrease. Thus the “waters shall break forth in the
wilderness, and streams in the desert, the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water” (Is 35: 6b-7).
Our Lord on the Cross before He died exclaimed “It is accomplished!” (Jn 19:30), the
flesh and sin was conquered once and for all. Death was defeated and “the river of the water of life” (Rev 22: 1)
was opened up for us. The river which we must follow upstream within the Ark
which is Mary; to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the door of the wound of
His Heart which is Holy Eucharist.
Thus says the Lord: “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water
of life” (Rev 21: 6).
