Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me” Luke 22:19

At the last supper, Jesus establishes the Sacrament of the Eucharist , “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28 …“Do this in memory of me.” Luke 22:19

Jesus told His disciples, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51

When we come to the Lord’s table we are receiving the living God veiled in a little piece of bread. Like the first apostles we are invited as the friends and followers of Jesus to participate in this sacred meal. Yet let us ask ourselves as we come to the Lord’s table are we truly His friends?

Jesus said, “You are my friends, if you do what I command you” John 15: 14  Yet “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. (1 John 1:8) So let us repent of our sins before each Holy Communion so we can come to the Lord’s table as His friends. Let’s ask God for His forgiveness and avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Confession as frequently as necessary. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

At the last supper, Jesus bowed down and washed the feet of each apostle so that we would understand His will that we serve one another. Let us ask ourselves as we come to receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, if we are truly following His example. Do we need to do more to serve others?   Could we be praying more for one another, making more sacrifices, offering our sufferings to God, doing works of charity, volunteering our time to good causes?

Jesus wants so much to be loved by us and to Saint Margaret Alacoque, disciple of His Sacred Heart, He said, “I thirst with such terrible thirst to be loved by men in the Blessed Sacrament that the thirst consumes me.” To St. Faustina, Jesus said, “…My great delight is to unite Myself with souls…when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object.” (Diary of St. Faustina 1385) St. Paul said, “Whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 11:27

So as we come to the Lord’s table, let’s remember to receive Jesus with the wonder and awe and reverence and love that God deserves. How would we feel if we were approaching God face-to-face? Now that I am truly mindful of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, I find I am always a little nervous as I walk up the aisle to receive my Bridegroom…I am not nervous out of fear, just out of awe and out of holy desire. There He is the Almighty, infinite in power and He makes Himself so small so He can commune with His Bride. I love You Jesus in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar! I need You so much!

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2 Jesus is the living God and He is alive in the Holy Eucharist! Holy Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only say the Word and my soul shall be healed. I love You sweet Saviour!