FOUNDATION OF HOLINESS | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2022

Author: Anil Israel

Intro: Prayer is relationship with God, and Holy Mass is the highest form of prayer. Anil Israel reflects upon the Eucharistic Celebration. 

Man is a unity of body and soul. The body is mortal and perishable. The soul is immortal and imperishable. The body has a natural life. The soul on the other hand has a supernatural life. Just as air, water and food are essential for the life of the body, sanctifying grace is essential for the life of the soul. Sanctifying grace is infused in the soul and resides in the soul.

The soul receives sanctifying grace through the sacraments. With sanctifying grace, the soul receives the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity which are essential to align our imperfect human will to God’s perfect Divine Will. With venial sins there is a partial loss of sanctifying grace. With mortal sins, there is a total loss of sanctifying grace, leaving the soul in a state of loss of life. A return to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) by frequent reception of sacraments help restore sanctifying grace which is the life of the soul.

Among all the sacraments, ‘the Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation’ (CCC 1359) is at our disposal for daily reception. In the supreme sacrifice of the Holy Mass, we encounter Jesus both in the liturgy of the Word and in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Jesus is not only the Word became flesh (John 1:14) but also the living bread which came down from heaven (John 6:51). The ‘Word of God’ proclaimed through the reading of the Holy Scriptures is essential spiritual nourishment for our souls. The Word thus becomes Bread for our spiritual life. Likewise, the reception of the bread of life (John 6:35) in Holy Communion is the indispensable daily bread (Matthew 6:11) to sustain the life of our soul. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life (John 6:54).

When we participate in the Eucharistic Celebration and receive Holy Communion, we come into union with Jesus. Every time, we consume the Holy Eucharist, Jesus becomes one with us, and we unite ourselves with the mystical body of Christ – the Church. For He [Christ] is the head of the body, the Church (Colossians 1:18) and we are the members of his body (Ephesians 5:30). Just as when we take in unhealthy food we deteriorate ourselves, and when we consume healthy food we nourish ourselves, likewise, ‘If we receive the Eucharist worthily, we become what we receive’ (St Augustine).

In the Memorial sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the words of Jesus: this is my body (Matthew 26:26) and this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many (Matthew 26:28), reminds us that when we unite ourselves to Jesus, we resolve to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). Just as the host is made up of grounded wheat and the wine is made up of crushed grapes, we remind ourselves that like our Master, we too choose to die to self. When we let our egos be deflated and let our sinful pride be crushed, we imitate the sacrificial victim being offered – like a lamb that is led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). ‘The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host’ (Ven. Fulton J Sheen).

The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life’ (Lumen Gentium, 11; CCC 1324). In all other sacraments, we receive grace; but in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist, we receive the source of all graces – Jesus himself. Therefore, Eucharist is the source of the Christian life. The goal of Christian life is union with the divine life. When we partake in the Eucharistic meal, we become one in communion with Jesus. Therefore, Eucharist is the summit (goal) of the Christian life.

One of the greatest blessings and least known facts about the Eucharist is that in the reception of Holy Communion, a person’s venial sins are forgiven. When we offer Mass for holy souls in purgatory, we can also consider praying: ‘Lord, I offer this Mass, in union with all the Masses offered all over the world today, for the atonement on my sins and for the sins of all those in my family.’

Jesus’ parting words I am with you always (Matthew 28:20) explicitly assures us of his continuous presence in our midst, thereby reaffirming Isaiah’s prophetic name Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) – God with us. Today we are truly blessed to have Jesus’ real presence – body, blood, soul and divinity – under the species of the Most Holy Eucharist, in all the tabernacles all over the world. Yet how often do we set apart time to be with him (Mark 3:14)?

Prayer is relationship with God, and Holy Mass is the highest form of prayer. In my relationship with my family members, I give them the freedom to intervene in my life. Why am I unwilling to give freedom to God, to intervene, to intertwine, to intermingle and operate in my life? Why don’t I ardently desire to be healed by His Mercy and to be shaped by His Grace?

‘If the Angels could envy, they would envy us for Holy Communion’ (Pope Pius X). If I have access to daily Holy Mass, why am I dampened by the spirit of reluctance (Romans 11:8) to approach the altar of grace – the fountain of holiness – the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9) and receive the bread of angels (Psalm 78:25)? Like Blessed Carlo Acutis, may we too choose to devoutly embrace the Eucharist as our escalator – our expressway to Heaven.