Catholic Exchange

The Eucharist, God Is With Us

Written by

Maurice Blumberg

in

Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:10-14)

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." (Matthew 1:23)

"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

The prophetic words of Isaiah, repeated in Matthew's Gospel on the birth of Jesus, has great meaning to us during this grace-filled Christmas season. Jesus came as the Messiah to save his people from much more than invading armies as had been hoped for at the time of Isaiah's prophecy. He came to save us from sin and death.

Jesus is called Emmanuel, God is with us and God always delivers on his promises. Do you believe that? Jesus assured us that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age, and through the Eucharist, he has fulfilled that promise (Matthew 28:20).

God is indeed with us every time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. It is there also that we are filled with Jesus, and where our hearts are stirred by listening to his word — the Word of God proclaimed in the assembly. It is there that we embrace the intimate communion that he is longing to give us. It is there that we ponder what Jesus can do in our hearts as we celebrate the grace that God has poured upon us!

God desires to fulfill his plan for each of us. Receive the body and blood of Christ so that in your presence other people can see Jesus' life in you. No matter what we may be feeling on a given day, no matter how harried and hectic our lives may become, no matter how unworthy we may feel — no matter what, Jesus offers us his own body and blood to help us. You may feel tired and weary, but know that through this glorious sacrament Jesus can heal, restore, and strengthen you. He can perform miracles in you and through you! Remember what the Lord has already done for you. Remember how many times he has helped you, taught you, forgiven you, and healed you. Then come to his altar, knowing that through him, with him, and in him, nothing is impossible!

Jesus is still God with us, the one who can fill us with peace, give rest to our hearts, and assure us of his mercy. Jesus is waiting to feed us. With hope and immense expectation as we begin a new year, let's joyfully join our brothers and sisters around the table of the Lord as we receive the most precious gift our Heavenly Father has to offer us.

Thank you, heavenly Father, for your faithfulness and your plan for my life. I surrender my life into your hands and trust that you will deliver on every word you have spoken to me. Lord Jesus, you are God with us. You bid me come to you and receive your life in the Eucharist. In joy, with great hope and expectation, I will receive you and your divine love and mercy.

SPECIAL NOTE: The NFCM offers over thirty resources, as well as five training materials for starting and leading Catholic men's groups. To access these and other resources, just click on RESOURCES or TRAINING. In addition, a variety of special free gifts are being offered for donations of $25, $50, and $100. Go to the NFCM website for more details. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the NFCM and support our vision and outreach to Catholic men, just click here. The NFCM is also offering a free commemorative magazine on the life of Pope John Paul II (while supplies last) and a free devotional magazine from The Word Among Us with every NFCM website order. In addition, we still have a Buy Three, Get One Free special on all resources ordered directly from the NFCM.

Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. Emmanuel, God is with us. What do these words mean to you?

2. In what ways do you experience God's presence with you when you receive the Eucharist? What steps can you take to increase your experience of Jesus' presence at Mass?

3. In what ways do you experience God's presence with you as you live out your day? What steps can you take to deepen your experience of Jesus' presence during the day?

4. In the article, we hear these words, "Remember what the Lord has already done for you. Remember how many times he has helped you, taught you, forgiven you, and healed you." Share some examples of what "the Lord has already done for you."

5. If you are in a men's group, end your meeting by praying for one another to experience more deeply Jesus' presence in your life. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    The Two Covenants
    By Donald F Hudzinski

    There are only two sacraments which are considered covenants. They are Marriage and Eucharist. This is no mistake, it is because the two are one. This is why I proposed to my wife with the words, “Blessed are you amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for it shall bear my children.”.

    Each and every Mass is an annunciation, a proposal brought forth by Jesus through the priest. The priest overshadows the gifts of bread and wine via the Holy Spirit just like the Angel Gabriel said unto Mary, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”. This is why the bread and the wine become the Real Presence. We should be just like Mary and say “How can this be?”, and then say “Be it done unto me according to your word.”. Paul said that we become a New Creation in Christ, and so it is that we are born again at each and every Mass. You can see this when the priest places his hands over the gifts and says, “Come Holy Spirit over these gifts of bread and wine”.

    When we were Baptized, we were espoused to Christ, the Bridegroom and now He consummates our relationship at each and every Mass for we are the bride of Christ. The husband and wife also consummate there relationship and that act is explained to us at each and every Mass by the actions of the priest, the bridegroom, and his bride, the congregation. This is why marriage is Holy and why the two are one. The husband and wife are a walking, talking Eucharist because Christ and His Eucharist is our first marriage and the bridge we walk to enter into our domestic marriages. We will never understand marriage until we understand Christ and His Eucharist.

    After the consecration of the bread and wine, the priest will divide the large Host in two, displays it and saying “ This is the Lamb of God”. This division of the Body of Christ is the sign of the covenant. Therefore it is important to understand what a covenant is. A covenant is a ancient rite in which two tribe entered into a binding relationship. The sign of the covenant was the division of a two year old heifer into two halves. Now the tribes would separate into two bodies, one body to the left and one to the right watching as their leaders pass between the two halves, entering into covenant. The two leaders agreed that if any member of their tribe would disobey the terms of the covenant, that that leader would be divide just like the two year old heifer was divided. This is why covenants must be taken seriously. In covenant the two tribes became one tribe. Another term for this is family.

    Notice that in the marriage ceremony the tribes are divided into two, one to the left and the other body to the right. This establishes the covenantal relationship described above. Notice also that the married couple walk between the two tribes attending the ceremony to establish the covenant of marriage. Thus they say “Until death do us part”. This only reflect the seriousness of the covenant the couple just entered into.

    These two covenants should be taken seriously. The couples in marriage and the Eucharist are bound together by God. As the first Adam said “Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh”. Just like the Eucharist though divided came from one Host, the couple though divided, husband and wife, are one family.

    This is why covenants are a firm sign of unity, and why the church is called the Body of Christ. A family can not survive without the truth, not our church family nor our domestic families. Speak it, look at it, live it, do not be afraid of the truth.

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Excellent, Maurice and Don.

    It is clear that the vast majority of Catholics do not understand how alike Matrimony and the Eucharist are, yet we still make our first Holy Communion in either a formal white suit or a little white wedding dress. Older churches still have a canopy over the altar. The intimate, self-giving love experienced when the bride takes the flesh of the bridegroom bodily inside is still overwhelming in its power and intimacy to many of the faithful.

    Jesus the Bridegroom is indeed still with us always.

    “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” ~ St. Maximilian Kolbe

  3. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Great back-to-back pieces. I’m-a-gonna steal this thread to store . . .

    Of our Bridegroom coming to His Bride – keep your oil safe and ready . . .

    I remain your obedient servant, but God’s first,

    Pristinus Sapienter

    (wljewell @catholicexchange.com or … yahoo.com)

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