Hunger for the Eucharist

For as long as I have had the honor of receiving communion, the rule has been to fast for one hour before reception. The days of fasting from midnight are real to me only in light of my parents’ memories. I am thankful that the rule was changed. It was a necessity in light of the many times of day that Masses are offered today. Yet, I do find that on the days when I go to early morning Mass and have not eaten breakfast beforehand, my appreciation of the Sacrament is different. At that moment in time, the Eucharist satisfies both my spiritual and physical hunger.

In The Sacraments We Celebrate: A Catholic Guide to the Seven Mysteries of Faith, Msgr. Peter Vaghi discusses how the Eucharist was designed to feed both our bodies and our souls. He points out how the only miracle that is told in all four Gospel accounts is the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. It is “surely an image of the Eucharistic bread. ‘for the Jewish feast of the Passover was near.’ Even the language in John 6:11 recalls the institution of the Eucharist – ‘Jesus then took the loaves of bread, gave thanks [eucharistein] and passed them around.’” Jesus fed the multitude in body and in spirit.

He continues to do so today. The Eucharist is the gift of Jesus himself. It is both physical and spiritual food. While the appreciation of physical satisfaction may only occur when we go to Mass hungry, we are always in need of spiritual food.

What does it mean to be spiritually hungry? How does the Eucharist satisfy that desire? Msgr. Vaghi states that Jesus addresses “the same kind of hunger in us that he did in the crowds of people assembled in John 6, a hunger for belonging, a hunger for healing and reconciliation, a hunger for growth in holiness. . . Yes, Jesus nourishes us, that deep hunger for God, a deep hunger satisfied by the Eucharist, the bread of life, the source of our life, this sacrament of love.”

I know in my own life that if I only go to Mass and receive the Eucharist once a week, I find it much harder to get through the week than if I am able to go at least one extra time. The Eucharist gives me a strength and a peace that I cannot get through any other means. Yes, I can pray (and I do!) and it helps tremendously. I can go to adoration and sit in the presence of Jesus and that offers much grace as well. Still, nothing is like receiving the Eucharist itself.

I know I don’t fully understand the mystery of the Eucharist, but I believe that Jesus is truly there, that He comes into each of our hearts and our bodies. He does this because He loves us and wants to offer the very gift of Himself to us. He knew that life is hard. He knew we would be hungry – that we would need food for the journey. The Eucharist is our food. It strengthens us, body and soul.

Free Catholic Fiction E-Books

Idylls Press is offering these Catholic Fiction classics as free e-books on their site:
Chesterton, G.K.

* The Innocence of Fr. Brown (Kindle) (epub)
* The Napoleon of Notting Hill (Kindle) (epub)

Ford, Ford Madox

* The Good Soldier (Kindle) (epub)

Harland, Henry

* Grey Roses (Kindle) (epub)
* My Friend Prospero (Kindle) (epub)
* The Cardinal’s Snuff-Box (Kindle) (epub)
* The Lady Paramount (Kindle) (epub)

Newman, Bl. Cardinal John Henry

* Callista: A Tale of the Third Century (Kindle) (epub)
* Loss and Gain: The Story of a Convert (Kindle) (epub)

Wallace, Gen. Lew

* Ben Hur; A Tale of the Christ (Kindle) (epub)

Ward, Mary Josephine (Mrs. Wilfrid)

* Great Possessions (Kindle) (epub)

To download them, please visit: http://www.idyllspress.com/free-e-books/

Called to serve

Today is the feast of St. Jude. My parish held its annual St. Jude Novena of Masses. It is always a wonderful time of blessing for my parish and a time to join with others in prayer for all of our needs. Priests that have had a connection to our parish in the past are invited back to say Mass and preach. The priest who said Mass Monday night served at our parish as a curate in the early 1980s. He now teaches at the college level as well as teaching candidates for the permanent diaconate. We have two deacons at our parish. The priest joked a bit with him. He also pointed out that the word "deacon" comes from the Greek word "diakonos" which means "servant." He told the congregation that by virtue of our baptism we are all called to the diaconate - not the ordained variety, obviously, but we all are called to serve - every day - every one.

Prayer Request

Please pray for a friend of mine who asked for prayers regarding her husband's employment situation.

Thank you!

Searching for a Catholic College?

If you have a high school student starting his or her college search, you might want to purchase The National Catholic Register 2010 College Guide.

Here is the official description:

THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER'S 2010 COLLEGE GUIDE expands on the popular guide published in the newspaper and on its website, NCRegister.com, each year. Along with schools' answers to 10 Yes or No questions related to basic Catholic identity, the book provides hard data on costs and financing, degrees and curricula, and religious and extracurricular activities. Road-ready, compact and sturdy enough to stand up to repeated page-throughs, it's the one guide no college-bound Catholic student should leave high school without.

To access the scaled down free guide on the National Catholic Register website, please visit: Catholic Identity College List 2010

1 Corinthians 13 for Homeschool Moms

This article by Misty Krasawski was reprinted in the MassHope Newsletter and I loved it.

Here is just a brief excerpt:

Love bears all things even while running on no sleep; believes all things, especially God's promise to indwell and empower her; hopes all things, such as that she'll actually complete the English curriculum this year and the kids will eventually graduate; endures all things, even questioning from strangers, worried relatives, and most of all, herself.

Love never fails. And neither will she. As long as she never, never, never gives up.

If you are a homeschooler, you definitely need to read the full article which I found here: http://heartofthematteronline.com/1-corinthians-13-for-homeschool-moms

Medicine and End of Life Issues

The November 2010 issue of U.S. Catholic focuses on many issues surrounding the end of life and funerals. One particularly good article is Internal Medicine which focuses on end of life ethics. A couple points resonated with me. One was how spirituality and medicine were so connected for so long. The earliest healers were both priests and doctors. Jesus healed both body and soul. It is only in recent years that the two have been separated. It is important for the two to inform each other and work together for the good of the whole person. A second point is the one the article ends with:

Catholics also need to remember it's OK to let go. . . We're pro-life, but we're also pro-eternal life, and we have been for centuries, from the beginning.