The Blessed Sacrament 

   “Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth:  The Blessed Sacrament.  There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.” (J.R.R. Tolkien) 

   I am not Catholic because of the Pope or the bishops or the priests.  I am Catholic because of the Holy Eucharist.  Nowhere else is the body and blood of my Lord offered to me in what appears as simple bread and wine.  I love the Church and trust in her teachings but the pinnacle, for me, is the Blessed Sacrament.

   Years ago, I applied to be ordained as a permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church; I was not chosen.  While discussing this with a very faithful protestant friend he suggested that if being a Deacon was important to me perhaps I should look for a church which wasn’t so strict in their selection.  I responded that there is no other church that can properly feed me; I need the Blessed Sacrament to nourish my soul.  His expression clearly showed that he didn’t understand that reasoning.

   Like all miracles, the Blessed Sacrament cannot be explained in the words of the world.  It is unreasonable, it seems impossible, but it is true; Jesus is truly present in the bread and the wine.  For me there is no explanation needed and for those who do not believe there is no explanation I can give.  Instead, I rely on and trust the words our Lord spoke at the last supper.

   “Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which will be given for you; do this in memorial of me.’  He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood which will be poured out for you.’”. (Luke 22: 19 – 20).  With these words He instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament.

 

   “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.” (John 6: 55 – 56)