Reflections
Psalm 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
We visit this encouraging psalm
again this Sunday perhaps because
the Lord wants us to participate fully
in the Eucharist and we need to
hear it again. Why are the same verses
repeated? Perhaps because they reinforce
so well the powerful message of the Gospel,
in which Jesus tells us that if we are
to be raised up with Him, we must eat
of His flesh and drink of His blood.
Perhaps because we struggle with
what Jesus says, as the Jews did at the time.
We are told that even the disciples
had difficulty accepting Jesus' words.
The message is simple, as our psalmist
reminds us – we must taste the goodness
of the Lord if we are to truly allow our soul
to glory in the Lord. Wisdom invites us too
to obtain life by eating of her food in our 1st reading.
And St. Paul (2nd reading) cautions us
not to get drunk on wine, but be filled
with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms.
We are to feed on Jesus if we are to have life;
if we eat His flesh and drink His blood,
we will live forever. It is His humanity
that enables us to eat of His flesh and His blood.
And it is by the grace of God that we are thus
able to obtain a share in His divinity.
This is far more that our ancestors' manna.
This is truly the bread of life.
By sharing in His body and blood,
we glorify the Lord, and as our psalmist says,
we become 'radiant with joy.'
Our faces no longer blush with shame;
we are a new creation. The Lord is among us.
We remain in Him and He remains in us.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm reminds us of the power of
the Eucharist. We must taste the goodness of the Lord
if we want to be delivered from all our fears. Speak of
how the Eucharist raises you up physically and spiritually.
2. Our psalmist encourages us to 'glorify the Lord' and
to 'let our soul glory in the Lord.' Explain how your faith
has enabled you to draw closer to God by being filled
with the Spirit.
1. The Eucharist is life saving. It is what many who come to know the Catholic Faith talk about, "The supper of the Lamb". As a Sacristan for the church it gives me great honor before and after mass to tuck the Lord gently in til the next time we receive His life giving Graces.
ReplyDelete1. The Eucharist is life saving. It is what many who come to know the Catholic Faith talk about, "The supper of the Lamb." As a Sacristan for the church it gives me great honor before and after mass to tuck the Lord gently in til the next time we receive His life giving Graces.
ReplyDeleteThe Eucharist is a powerful gift. Recently, I attended the "First Holy Communion" of a family friend. As I was writing her a card of congratulations, the meaning of the words dawned on me. "Holy Communion!" I have said the phrase before without thinking much. But I was reminded of the perfection of God's design: through the Eucharist, He provides a way for all us to be one with Jesus each week! Even everyday if our hearts seek it! When Jesus dwells within us, we experience extraordinary peace, purity, healing and hope. This is one way to "let our soul glory in the Lord" and by choosing to receive the Eucharist and heed the promptings of the Spirit, we "glorify the Lord".
ReplyDeleteA second avenue of enjoying the gift of the Eucharist is through Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Although it's not a chance for a literal ingestion of the Bread of Life, it is an opportunity for anyone to come close to Jesus. I know of a wise mother who took her children to Adoration from the time they were mere toddlers. They would enter the chapel, sit as close to the monstrance as possible, and pray. When it would come time to leave, her 3-year-old would usually blurt out that he loved being a "speck away from Jesus". Out of the mouths of babes comes such truth. The Eucharist allows us to be as close to Jesus as possible with heart, mind, and body. We are never alone and we can always find healing of every sort.
"Taste the goodness of "The Lord". I am a great believer in receiving both the Body and the Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (When I was growing up, receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion was strictly limited to receiving the Sacred Host.) This change is a big improvement.
ReplyDeleteReceiving Communion on a regular basis requires more preparation and commitment on our part, and that definitely keeps us more committed and closer to The Lord.
The Eucharist is a powerful gift. Recently, I attended the "First Holy Communion" of a family friend. As I was writing her a card of congratulations, the meaning of the words dawned on me. "Holy Communion!" I have said the phrase before without thinking much. But I was reminded of the perfection of God's design: through the Eucharist, He provides a way for all of us to be one with Jesus each week! Even everyday if our hearts seek it! When Jesus dwells within us, we experience extraordinary peace, purity, healing and hope. This is one way to "let our soul glory in the Lord" and by choosing to receive the Eucharist and heed the promptings of the Spirit, we "glorify the Lord."
ReplyDeleteA second avenue of enjoying the gift of the Eucharist is through Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Although it's not a chance for a literal ingestion of the Bread of Life, it is an opportunity for anyone to come close to Jesus. I know of a wise mother who took her children to Adoration from the time they were mere toddlers. They would enter the chapel, sit as close to the monstrance as possible, and pray. When it would come time to leave, her 3-year-old would usually blurt out that he loved being a "speck away from Jesus". Out of the mouths of babes comes such truth. The Eucharist allows us to be as close to Jesus as possible with heart, mind, and body. We are never alone and we can always find healing of every sort.