杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

鈥淕oing to Mass and receiving Communion鈥� is very important, 杏MAP导航 Francis said at Sunday鈥檚 Angelus, 鈥渂ecause to receive Communion is to receive this living Christ, who transforms us interiorly, and prepares us for heaven.鈥�

The Holy Father based his reflection on Sunday鈥檚 Gospel reading, which contains the second part of Jesus鈥� discourse on the Eucharist. Jesus presents Himself to us as 鈥渢he living bread come down from heaven,鈥� and adds, 鈥渢he bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.鈥�

Entering into communion with Him

When the Lord says, 鈥渦nless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you,鈥� the people understand that 鈥淗e is inviting them to enter into communion with Him, to 鈥榚at鈥� Him, His humanity, to share with Him鈥� His gift of life for the world.

Anticipating heaven on earth

鈥淭his bread of life, the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, comes to us given freely at the table of the Eucharist,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said. 鈥淎round the altar we find that which feeds us and quenches us spiritually today and for eternity. Each time we participate at the Holy Mass, in a certain sense, we anticipate heaven on earth, because from the Eucharistic food, the Body and Blood of Jesus, we learn what eternal life is.鈥�

Jesus, he continued, never grows tired 鈥渙f inviting us to His banquet in order to satiate ourselves with Him, 鈥榯he living bread come down from heaven鈥�.鈥� When we nourish ourselves on this bread, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded, 鈥渨e are able to enter into full harmony with Christ, with His sentiments, with His way of acting.鈥�