Because the Eucharistic bread is by no means just “ordinary food” but the very Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, we must make it a point to receive holy communion in a manner that reflects what we believe as Catholics. Our bodies speak a “language.” Therefore, we communicate with our bodies what we really believe about what the Church teaches regarding the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

As was discussed in the last article, the Sacrifice to God is not completed fully by simply offering it to God, but by the consumption of the lamb’s flesh by the people for nourishment and anointing the lintels of the door of their dwelling with the lamb’s blood. When Christ became that sacrificial lamb for us, the manner of the sacrifice accordingly changed, as we are now able to offer an unbloody sacrifice, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is re-presented, or renewed before God by the priest. Similar to the ancient Israelites, we complete the sacrifice through consuming the Precious Body of the Lamb, the host. We may also anoint the lintel of the door of the dwelling of our soul, the lips of our mouth, when we consume the Precious Blood.

Since the times of the ancient Israelites, as shown in the Book of Exodus, a lamb was offered for sacrifice to God. The people ate the flesh of the lamb, and the blood was poured out and used to mark the entrance of their homes. Each year for Passover this was repeated, when each family brought a lamb to the temple in Jerusalem, and then the lamb was sacrificed on the altar by the priest on behalf of the people.

My wife and I were blessed to be able to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis from July 17-21, and it was AWESOME!  It was truly incredible to be with 60,000 Catholics for the main purpose of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!  We all desired to grow in love for Him and for each other.  It was a little glimpse of heaven as we felt like one body before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  If someone dropped something, there would quickly be someone there to help them pick it up.  If someone tripped, they quickly received the aid of others.  The lines were long for most things, but there was no complaining or grumbling, just love and kindness.