BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE EUCHARIST - 04/24/23 (Monday of the Third Week of Easter)

John 6:27-29

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042423.cfm

Blessed Monday! Our Lord Jesus has promised us the gift of salvation and eternal life. But, did His followers have this intention in mind? Unfortunately, some people had different motives for following Christ. In the gospel reading, after the crowd were miraculously fed, they looked for our Lord. However, Jesus Christ told them that they were looking for them because they wanted to be fed. They were unable to see that the miracles pointed to Jesus, the source of eternal life and happiness, because they were still attached to a worldly mindset. Jesus has given us the food that endures for eternal life, and this is the Eucharist. In the Holy Communion, we receive Jesus Christ Himself who chooses to dwell within us. How about us? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by Jesus when we receive Him in the Eucharist? Or, even when we go to the Mass, are we still concerned by worldly things? It's important for us to have a pure intention of loving Jesus and receiving Him in the Mass because this is what will bring us true peace. When we do not have the desire to be united with Jesus, we will be unable to do the works of God and to practice the faith. 

The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. Because of this, we should make sure that we are being transformed when we partake of the Holy Eucharist. Our prayers should not feel as if we are trying to force God to do what we want for ourselves. Instead, it's about seeking help from our Lord so that we may always say "yes" to the will of God, even if it's difficult. As we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we recognize that it's an important time for us to speak to our Lord who dwells within us. Though it's not wrong to ask for temporal or financial blessings, we should have the perspective of being open to the will of God regardless of whether we will get what we pray for or not. Besides this, when we receive Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we should not forget to pray for the grace to resist temptations and to persevere in virtues. This is will help us as we walk in the path to eternal life. Are we struggling to be gentle with people who are speaking negatively about us? Do we immediately express frustration instead of remaining at peace when things do not go in accordance to our ways? Let's speak to Jesus, especially after receiving Him in the Eucharist, about our struggles and sins. May we not forget to offer to Him our feelings and thoughts. And, let's ask the Lord in our prayer on how we can do the will of God even more. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. As such, one of the surest signs that we are persevering in spiritual life and being more transformed by the real presence of Jesus is remaining at peace in all situations. Let's live out the Catholic faith even after the Mass by being faithful to God and to His commandments. Blessed are those who are transformed by the Eucharist and those who follow His way. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth