The Eucharist is-- Astonishing. Joyful. Profound. Healing. Inspiring.
We are
People of the Eucharist.
I experienced an eye-opening situation recently. "What do I get out of it?" he said to me. I was a little stunned at first, but then I realized he wasn't being rude. The tone of his voice was quite sincere. It was just raw human nature. And now, I could see why he had been resisting. He simply couldn't see how my proposal was going to benefit him. It was going to benefit him. I just needed to show him that. And then later, I realized we are like that sometimes. We are all like that sometimes. Sometimes, we need to know how something will benefit us, and that's okay. So let's talk about some more of the benefits of the Eucharist. When was the last time you did something that you knew wasn't good for you? Why did you do it? You knew it wasn't good for you. Why did you do it? Think of reasons. Come up with excuses. But at the end of the day, it comes down to this: you have disordered desires that are difficult to control. We all do. The grace of the Eucharist can help with that. There's an agonizing and relatable moment in Saint Paul's letter to the Romans where he says, "I do not understand my own actions, for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it." We've all been there, we've all experienced that.
Do you remember a time when you felt that struggle? You're standing at the moment of decision. You know what is good and right. You know it will ultimately make you happier. You know it's better for you, and yet you find yourself doing what is bad anyway. This can be incredibly frustrating, and the grace of the Eucharist can help with that too. You aren't alone. This happens to everyone more often than we probably care to admit. We know we should pray instead of watching another episode of television, but there we are on the couch again. We know it would be better to eat a salad instead of another cheeseburger, but before we know it, we're ordering a double and fries. We feel the tug to listen to our children or spouse, but almost without thinking, our phone is out, and we're checking messages. Jesus diagnosed the problem for us when he said, "The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." We cannot escape our bodies. And willpower alone isn't enough to overcome every temptation, so we are stuck in this dilemma. The good news is that Jesus provided a way to conquer these situations, not with our own strength, but with his. He offered his own flesh to energize our souls and give us the grace we need to turn from what is bad for us and do what is good. Each time you receive the Eucharist, Jesus gives you extraordinary gifts to help you live the life you were made for. Here is a short list of some of the fruits and gifts that flow into your soul each time you receive the Eucharist: friendship with Jesus, desire to know and do the will of God, cleansing of venial sin, hunger for virtue, grace to avoid sin in the future a heart that listens to the Holy Spirit, and desire to know and love God. Take a few minutes to reflect on this list. It is an incredible list of gifts. Which of these don't you need? Think about situations in your life that went wrong. Which of these gifts could have helped you prevent those outcomes? Which do you need right now in your life? Are you in a situation right now that would benefit from one of these gifts? Ask Jesus to flood your soul with that particular gift next time you receive the Eucharist. We should yearn for these more than any other of the things we yearn for.
St. John Bosco observed, "Do you want many graces? Go and visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you want few graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament rarely. Do you want none at all? Then never pay a visit to the blessed sacrament." The beautiful thing about these gifts is how relevant they are to our day-to-day lives. The Catholic Church and the Mass are often accused of being irrelevant, but it's a lie. This list of gifts and fruits that flow from the Eucharist to you is incredibly practical. Embrace them and you will have better relationships, do your best work ever, and have more clarity around every decision you make for the rest of your life. These fruits of the Eucharist will help you become a better version of yourself each day. They will help you become all God created you to be. The grace of the Eucharist will help you do the next right thing. Do the next right thing often enough for long enough and amazing things will begin to happen in your life. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Share these extraordinary benefits of the Eucharist with as many people as possible. Become a member of the International Society of the Eucharist today. We'll send you a free copy of 33 Days Eucharistic Glory, a copy of the Children's Version, a copy of the Limited-Edition Journal, which includes an amazing Holy Week retreat. Click on the button below and become a member today. Have a great day and remember, be bold, be Catholic. We are people of the Eucharist.