Bread of Life

Instances of miracles occurring throughout the world is not an uncommon occurrence. People have been healed at Lourdes, statues of the Blessed Mother crying actual tears, images of Christ being seen,  but perhaps one of the most significant are Eucharistic miracles. According to Webster dictionary, a miracle is defined as “an extraordinary event taken as a sign of the supernatural power of God.” So now that we know what a miracle is, why do miracles occur?

It boils down to one simple reason – hope. The hope that no matter how troubling times are we can always remember that God is with us. Although we have faith to know that God will walk with us, sometimes we need just a little nudge, a reminder. As Christians we are continually going to struggle, Jesus told us Himself that faith is not easy. Amidst these struggles, we are given a reminder that we are on the right path.

There are times in the Old Testament when God wanted to give reassurance to His people, so He did this through miracles. One miracle in particular that I want to focus on is from Exodus, with Moses and the Israelites. In this miracle, we can see a direct connection between Manna (bread) and Jesus (bread of life). The Israelites were hungry, starving for food as they were making their way to the Promised Land. God in His love for His people sent them Manna to help nourish their physical bodies during their journey. We can see a direct link in our mission as Christians and the need to be sustained.

This nourishment comes directly from Christ's own flesh and blood which he describes to us in The Bread of Life Discourse. He brings up the event where the Israelites were given physical manna for survival and points out that it was not Moses who provided the bread from heaven but rather the Father. Perhaps one of the most poignant statements from this very passionate discourse is when He says “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”The crowd at this point started talking amongst themselves, slightly wary of what He was asking. It was because they didn’t entirely trust Him yet as being their savior.

In what can perhaps be described as one of my favorite ways of Jesus getting the attention of His disciples, He tells them, “Amen, amen, I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” When Jesus says Amen, Amen, it means that you better listen to what is being said. In this instance, He is telling us that the Eucharist will offer the nourishment necessary for eternal life. The Eucharist is not merely a representation of what Jesus was talking about during this discourse but instead is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This didn’t sit well with many of the disciples because they thought Jesus was telling them to practice cannibalism. This wasn’t even close to what He was asking.

During Mass when we consume the body and blood of Jesus Christ, we are consuming His flesh and blood. During the transubstantiation, the bread and wine, through the Holy Spirit are turned into flesh and blood. However, the accidents of bread and wine remain, therefore we are consuming the flesh in the form of bread and the blood in the form of wine.

Over sixty percent of Catholics don’t believe that they are receiving the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Something that is quite saddening and disheartening since the Eucharist is the core of our very Faith. I have noticed first hand that there is a lack of respect for the Eucharist as well. I often see many people bowing before they go up to receive the Eucharist (so essentially they are bowing to the person in front of them). Someone told me that this is done to save time so that communion does not go too slowly. This took me aback because I don’t understand how someone could say that saving time is more important than offering a respectful bow to their Lord and Savior. If you physically saw Jesus in front of you, what would you do? I know I would drop to my knees and start kissing His feet. So why do you not show that same respect when going up to receive Him in the Eucharist? He is truly and fully present up there.

Also, please start profoundly bowing (if your health permits) because short and curt head nods are more used as a non-formal gesture. We have to develop respect for the Eucharist to ensure that our Church can thrive in the present. This is our first line of defense, if you will, against the evils of this world. It is our strength, our hope, and our future.

Try making these little changes, like waiting until you are in front of the Eucharist and profoundly bowing, taking communion on your tongue instead of your hands, and you will notice a change. Our faith community has become too lazy in our faith, more focused on social justice issues as opposed to soul nurturing faith. We can’t truly help our neighbor if our soul is not being nourished. This is the exact reason that God gives us Eucharistic Miracles, so we have an understanding of what we are taking part in. So that when we doubt what we are receiving, or we are becoming lax in our faith, we are reminded that is really and truly Jesus Christ in the flesh.