Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
SATURDAY, June 11th Mt 10: 7-13 Alleluia Verse: “Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, until the end of the world.”
How is Jesus with us always? In His Mystical Body the Church, especially in His Real Presence in the most Holy Eucharist.
CCC 1324. The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.”
MARY AND LOVE FOR THE HOLY EUCHARIST! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
One of the most famous quotations from the Documents of Vatican II, the Dogmatic Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium—which refers to the Liturgy, most specifically the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is that the Mass is the source and summit of our life. In other words, the very high-point, pinnacle, apex, zenith of our earthly life becomes a reality with the celebration of Holy Mass.
At the moment of the Consecration in the Mass, when the priest pronounces the words, “Take and eat this is my Body; take and drink this is my Blood; do this in memory of me”, Jesus truly becomes present on the Altar in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Both the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist can be related and connected to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in various ways. Let us present some ways for our reflection, prayer, and meditation.
1. MARY’S YES IN THE ANNUNCIATION AND OUR HOLY COMMUNION.
Saint Pope John Paul II offers us a brilliant, mystical, Eucharistic insight on the relationship between the Annunciation and our worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist. The former Holy Pontiff notes that when the Blessed Virgin Mary gave her consent to the Archangel Gabriel at the time of the Annunciation with the words: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk. 1:38), in that moment Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and received Jesus into her womb and into the very depths of her most pure and Immaculate Heart. Saint Pope John Paull II makes this parallel. When we attend Mass and approach the altar to receive Holy Communion and respond by saying AMEN to the reception of Holy Communion, it is similar to the YES of Mary to the Archangel Gabriel. Both Mary’s YES and our AMEN result in receiving Jesus into our innermost being. Mary’s YES resulted in the Incarnation of Jesus in her Heart and her womb. Our AMEN results in Jesus descending into the very depths of our heart and soul in Holy Communion.
To conclude on this point: if we really have an ardent desire to receive Jesus with greater purity of heart, greater fervor, and greater love, then we should make the effort and strive to receive Holy Communion through the presence and intercession of Mary in the moment we receive our Eucharistic Lord. As Mary undoubtedly received Jesus with lively faith, profound humility, and burning love, so she can attain for us more efficacious Communions—Communions that will help us live out the Pauline expression: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)
2. THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH AND THE EFFECTS OF HOLY COMMUNION.
As a follow up to the Mystery of the Annunciation and Mary receiving Jesus by saying YES to God, we have the Mystery of the Visitation. What is the lesson that Mary teaches us in the Visitation related to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion? Simply this: Mary teaches us that receiving Jesus into our hearts should be a powerful motivation for all of us not to keep Jesus to ourselves in a selfish way. On the contrary, the reception of Jesus in Holy Communion should result in an explosion of fraternal charity and service in our heart in the sense that we cannot keep Jesus to ourselves, but feel the irresistible motivation to bring Him to others with our words and our deeds. Upon receiving Jesus at the Annunciation, Mary could not wait but went in haste to bring Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth who was with child, Saint John the Baptist in her womb. May we also go in haste to bring the love of Jesus whom we have just received to others!
3. THE VISITATION AND MARY AS PATRON OF EUCHARISTIC PROCESSIONS—CORPUS CHRISTI.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, after conceiving Jesus within her womb, traveled approximately 80 miles to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the town of Ain Karem. It was located in the hill-country, so Mary had to climb, to ascend in traversing the terrain. However, it is worthy of note that during this long journey of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which obviously took several days, she carried Jesus within her. So in a very real sense, Mary was a living Tabernacle; Mary was a living Monstrance; Mary was a living Sanctuary! Still more, it can be said that the Blessed Virgin Mary was also a living and moving Corpus Christi! Or if you like, Mary in her very being, with Jesus alive in her womb, was a living Eucharistic Procession! Immediately after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, we too are a moving Corpus Christi, we too are a living Eucharistic Procession! Thus, Mary teaches us to receive Jesus in Holy Communion with lively faith, profound humility, and burning love that carries over into our daily lives and daily encounters!
Moreover, Mary was constantly communing or conversing with Jesus living within her. Thus Mary teaches us to continue—with faith, love, and devotion—visiting with, talking to, and adoring Jesus who is truly present in us after receiving Holy Communion, who is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, who is truly present in the Tabernacle, who is truly present in the Monstrance! “O come let us adore Him!”
4. MARY GREETS ELIZABETH.
But it does not end there. Arriving at the home of Elizabeth and Zachary, Mary greets Elizabeth, most likely with the word SHALOM (PEACE). As soon as Mary speaks, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, leaps with joy and is freed from the bondage of Original Sin, all through the word of Mary and the silent presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary! Like John the Baptist, through Mary’s intercession may our encounters with Jesus in Holy Communion be moments of great joy, moments of deep conversion, moments of growing friendship with Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord! And may we bring this Joy to others!
In summary, there are so many lessons for us here—splendid lessons for all of us to meditate upon and try to put into practice in our daily lives. Let us pray over three. May Mary’s YES to receiving Jesus into her womb and her Immaculate Heart motivate us to receive Jesus with greater love, fervor, and frequency in Holy Communion! May Mary’s love for Jesus expressed in her love for neighbor, motivate us to bring forth the fruits of our Holy Communions in loving service of our neighbor! May Our Lady as the Living Tabernacle of the Incarnate Jesus draw us like a magnet to the Tabernacle to visit the Eucharistic Jesus, talk to the Eucharistic Jesus, entrust our cares to the Eucharistic Jesus, and love the Eucharistic Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength!
