ANALOGIES OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST

Rev. Fr. David Okolie

Dearest friends, today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, what I have chosen to call ‘THE FEAST OF LOVE’. Yes, for Jesus Christ, who is God, to be feeding us (mere humans) with his Body and Blood is indeed, all about LOVE. Unfortunately, instead of receiving acts of GRATITUDE from us; sometimes, we show signs of INGRATITUDE and lack of interest. Let us look at these ANALOGIES, to see what our attitudes sometimes truly represent:

👉🏼Now, just imagine yourself, though you do not really know how to swim, you just decided to dive into an ocean without a LIFEJACKET. What do you think would happen to you? You would just get drowned, right?

The above is truly what our fate is like, when we stay away from the Holy Eucharist which is the ‘FOOD OF LIFE’. Let us not forget that this world is just like an ocean and we really need this lifejacket (The Holy Eucharist) in order not to be drowned. Thus the Catechism affirms:

Every time this mystery is celebrated, “the work of our redemption is carried on” and we *”break the one bread that provides the medicine of IMMORTALITY, THE ANTIDOTE FOR DEATH, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ (cf. CCC, n. 1405).

👉🏼 Again, just imagine yourself to be a WOMAN. You have just learnt how to prepare a special delicacy. Now, having made some savings, you decided to launch this delicacy on this particular day for you to gain the admiration of your beloved husband and children. Since you wanted to present it as a special and surprising delicacy, you had waited for them to be away from home before you could begin the preparations. Now, since, they were not around, you have decided to get it ready before they could come back. As you were preparing this special delicacy, you were imagining how your husband and children will appreciate it and shower praises on you. Even your neighbours were beginning to peep into your house to see if you people were organising a special ceremony because the aroma was just all over the neighborhood. Finally, your beloved husband and children came back and you served your supposed ‘Special delicacy.’ As you were expecting admiration and praises, they simply snubbed this delicacy you spent your hard earnings, energy and talent just to prepare. Just tell me, how would you feel?

The above is exactly what happens when we attend Holy Mass and refuse to receive the Holy Eucharist; perhaps, because of a SINFUL lifestyle that we have preferred to the LOVE of Jesus Christ made manifest in his Body and Blood which he is offering us. It was in a situation like this, when those gathered around him were abandoning him because he told them that he would feed them with his body and blood that he asked his Apostles this question: “… What about you, do you want to go away too?” (cf. Jn 6:67). Thanks to Simon Peter, who reassured Jesus thus: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life…” (cf. Jn 6:68).

👉🏼Therefore, I ask you, my dearest friends: When was the last time you received the HOLY EUCHARIST? Please, always say NO to any lifestyle that would either keep you away from the Holy Eucharist or make you to be receiving it carelessly.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary always support us with her powerful intercession. Amen.

Remain blessed🙏🏼