One of the best books I’ve read in helping me meditate on the great mystery of the Holy Eucharist. Great book to buy! Here’s my summary of the book:
Exploring the mysteries of the Eucharist is like discovering a bottomless treasure chest; as you unpack each gem, it reveals another that was hidden from view. No matter how many you discover, there are always more.
SECRET #1 – THE EUCHARIST IS ALIVE
Jesus is truly alive in the Eucharist!
“Under the consecrated species of bread and wine, Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner” (CCC 1415).
In 1916 at Fatima, an angel, a pure spirit, who lives constantly in the intimate presence of God, prostrated himself before the Eucharist in adoration. He had the children repeat this prayer 3 times:
“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.”
That’s a pretty strong message. It was so strong that young Francisco spent the rest of his short life trying to console God in the Eucharist. Every moment he could, he spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament, trying to console God for the indifferent way that people respond to the Eucharist.
“Oh, how painful it is to me that souls so seldom unite themselves to me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls and they are indifferent toward me. I love them tenderly and sincerely and they distrust me. I want to lavish my graces on them and they do not want to accept them. They treat me as a dead object, whereas my heart is full of love and mercy” (Jesus to St. Faustina, 1447)
Receiving Jesus with the awareness that He is fully alive, we become more fully alive, so that we can say with St. Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
SECRET #2 – CHRIST IS NOT ALONE
Christ is never alone. When He becomes present in the Eucharist body, blood, human soul, and divine nature (principle of concomitance) as He is in heaven, without leaving heaven, that means that all of heaven is present with Him. No wonder He told us, “The kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:21).
“It was beyond them that all the joy of heaven had entered one small, exiled heart, and that it was too weak to bear it without tears. As if the absence of my mother could make me unhappy on the day of the first Communion! As all of heaven entered my soul when I received Jesus, my mother came to me as well” ~ St Therese of Lisieux
We only receive Christ sacramentally, but the Father and the Holy Spirit are really and truly present with Christ (Principle of circumincession) b/c of the perfect unity of the Trinity. We are called to be dwelling places for the Holy Trinity and to enter into personal relationship with each of the persons of God. We fulfill this calling every time when we receive Holy Communion.
“Jesus… You come to me in Holy Communion, You who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have deigned to dwell in the little heaven of my heart” (St. Faustina, 486)
“Once after Holy Communion, I heard these words: You are our dwelling place. At that moment, I felt in my soul the presence of the Holy Trinity” (Jesus to St. Faustina, 451)
“Would it not have been enough to create us after Your own image and likeness, making us re-born through grace by the blood of Your Son? Was it still necessary that You should give even the Holy Trinity as food for our souls?” — St Catherine of Siena
SECRET # 3 – THERE IS ONLY ONE MASS
“Oh, what awesome mysteries take place during Mass!… One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass, and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us” (St. Faustina 914)
In reality there is only one Mass, one eternal liturgy of the Eucharist, and it’s taking place in heaven all the time. Christ is inviting us to enter in, beyond the veil, so that He can lift us up, out of time and into the Eternal Now, into the very sanctuary of heaven, where He leads us, as the One Great High Priest, offering His once-for-all sacrifice to the Father in the heavenly court, surrounded by Mary and all the saints, and by the angels, who sing His praise in endless adoration. The Mass is heaven on earth.
SECRET #4 – THE EUCHARIST IS NOT JUST ONE MIRACLE
“What miracles! Who would ever have imagined such!… If the angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” ~ St Maximilian Kolbe
“At the words of consecration, there occurs a course of resplendent miracles, each more marvellous than a world’s creation out of nothing. “~ Fr. Frederick Faber
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments… 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” ~ CCC 1324
“It is only in eternity that we shall know the great mystery effected in us by Holy Communion” (Faustina 841)
SECRET #5 – WE DON’T JUST RECEIVE
“The Eucharist involves more than just receiving; it also involves satisfying the hunger of Christ. He says “Come to me.” He is hungry for souls. Nowhere does the Gospel say: “Go away,” but always “come to me.” ~ Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Christ is calling us to more than just receiving communion, but entering into communion & uniting ourselves to Him. (CCC 1331, 1329)
“Throw melted wax into melted wax, and the one interpenetrates the other perfectly. In the same way, when the Body and Blood of Christ are received, the union is such that Christ is in the recipient and he in Christ” ~ St Cyril of Jerusalem
“The most solemn moment of my life is when I receive Holy Communion” ~ St. Faustina 1804
“I would not give up this hour of Thanksgiving even for an hour of Paradise” ~ St Louis de Montfort
“When Mass was over I remained with Jesus in thanksgiving. Oh how sweet was the colloquy with paradise that morning! It was such that, although I want to tell you all about it, I cannot… The heart of Jesus and my own — allow me to use the expression — were fused. No longer were two hearts beating but only one. My own heart had disappeared, as a drop of water is lost in the ocean. Jesus was its paradise, its king. My joy was so intense and deep that I could bear it no more and tears of happiness poured down my cheeks” ~ St Padre Pio
SECRET #6 – EVERY RECEPTION IS DIFFERENT
My spiritual disposition before, during, and after receiving the sacrament will determine whether the sacrament will produce good fruit in me (in varying degrees), have no effect at all, or result in my condemnation (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-29).
“A person receives the effect of this sacrament according to his condition. In a false person, the sacrament does not produce any effect” ~ St Thomas Aquinas
So every time I receive the Eucharist I can enter into communion with God in a more complete, personal, and fruitful way.
“The more resemblance there is between the person who goes to Communion and Jesus, so much the better will the fruits of Holy Communion be.” ~ St Anthony Mary Claret
SECRET #7 – THERE’S NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE CAN RECEIVE
“The manner of receiving this sacrament is twofold, spiritual and sacramental” ~ St Thomas Aquinas
Since the graces of the Eucharist are received in proportion to our spiritual condition, our desire to be united with God does not limit God’s graces to sacramental Communion alone.
Spiritual Communion is when we invite God to do what He wants to do: to come into our hearts with all of heaven and lift us beyond the veil into the eternity of His love.
True spiritual communion is always an anticipation and extension of sacramental Communion.
“A spiritual communion acts on the soul as blowing does on a cinder – covered fire which was about to go out. Whenever you feel your love of God growing cold, quickly make a spiritual communion.” ~ St John Vianney
“If you practice the holy exercise of spiritual Communion several times each day, within a month you will see your heart completely changed” ~ St Leonard of Port Maurice
St. Francis de Sales resolved to make a spiritual Communion at least every 15 minutes so that he could link all the events of the day with his reception of the Eucharist at Mass.
“In this golden chalice I put your sacramental communions. In this silver chalice I put your spiritual communions. Both chalices are quite pleasing to me” ~ Jesus to St. Catherine of Siena
“Jesus, when you come to me in Holy Communion, You who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have deigned to dwell in the little heaven of my heart, I try to keep you company throughout the day. I do not leave you alone for even a moment” ~ St. Faustina 486
“I have come to know that Holy Communion remains in me until the next Holy Communion. A vivid and clearly felt presence of God continues in my soul… My heart is a living tabernacle in which the living Host is reserved. I have never sought God in some far-off place, but within myself. It is in the depths of my own being that I commune with my God” ~ St Faustina 1302
“In the course of the day… call on Jesus, even in the midst of all your occupations… He will come and will remain always united with your soul by means of His grace and His holy love. Fly with your spirit before the tabernacle, when you cannot stand before it bodily, and there pour out the ardent longings of your soul and embrace the Beloved of souls, even more than if you had been permitted to receive Him sacramentally” ~ St Padre Pio
“Oh Jesus, concealed in the Host, my sweet Master and faithful Friend, how happy my soul is to have such a Friend who always keeps me company… How happy I am to be a dwelling place for you, O Lord! My heart is a temple in which you dwell continually” ~ St Faustina 877, 1392
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION PRAYERS
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.” ~ St Alphonsus Liguori
“O Jesus I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me. I love you, O my God. I cannot receive you in Holy Communion. Come nevertheless and visit me with Your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Render it like unto Your own. Amen.” ~ Tradition Prayer Approved by Sacred Congregation of Indulgences
CONCLUSION – GO SPEND TIME WITH JESUS
Nothing will equal the value of spending time with Jesus in the chapel, simply being present to Him who is present to you.
“The worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value” ~ St JP2
“I spend every free moment at the feet of the hidden God. He is my Master; I ask Him about everything; I speak to Him about everything. Here I obtain strength and light; here I learn everything; here I am given light on how to act toward my neighbour… I have enclosed myself in the tabernacle together with Jesus” ~ St Faustina 704
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