Benefit from Attending Holy Mass

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, 

Last weekend, I started a series on the Holy Eucharist and how to benefit more and more from attending Holy Mass. The more we know about Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, the more we will desire and be open to His Divine gifts in the Holy Eucharist! 

As I mentioned last week, St. Peter Julian Eymard wrote a wonderful book on this topic called: How to Get More Out of Holy Communion. This week I will continue with his next point on helping a soul get more from the experience of attending Holy Mass.  St. Peter wrote, “The manna that God sent down every morning into the camp of the Israelites had all sorts of flavors and virtues; it not only restored failing energies and gave vigor of body, but it was a bread of sweetness. The Holy Eucharist, which it prefigures, possesses likewise every virtue. It is a remedy for our spiritual infirmities, strength for our daily weaknesses, and a source of peace, joy, and happiness.” 

Basically, St. Peter is describing the Eucharist way that every most important need within our souls can be met. The Eucha-rist provides and is the very power to make happen the peace and happiness that every souls wants and needs. 

St. Peter continues, “After all, happiness begets love; we love only that which gives happiness. Seek no farther, then. The Savior has placed this divine happiness neither in the different virtues nor in His other mysteries, but solely within Himself. To taste His joy to the full, we must receive Him as our Food. “Taste and see how sweet is the Lord,” said the prophet (Psalm 34:8). And our Lord Himself said, He who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has everlasting life.” (John 6:55) And that life everlasting is Heaven; it is sanctity beatified in Jesus Christ. Thus the Savior’s virtues, the different mysteries of His life, and even of His Passion are but so many roads whose destination is the Eucharistic Cenacle. Only there has Jesus made Himself a lasting abode on earth. There we must dwell, there live and die.” 

These words of St. Peter lead us to wonder at the love Jesus has for us through His presence in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus desires to refresh, satisfy, strengthen and live within us through this Sacrament of Love. He wants to share our daily problems and our daily joys. He wants to experience our lives with us, in a union of love. He wants to act in the world through us. He wants each of us to carry Him, present within us, into the world to transform souls one at a time. He wants to be our Savior and our best friend. The best and most efficacious way to experience His desires for us is through the  Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is the way for us to have strength to change bad habits and practices and to do good works for Jesus and His Church. Always, then, when we come to Jesus to pray in His presence or worship Him in the Holy Eucharist or to receive Him truly present in the Holy Eucharist let us surrender our hearts to His desires and gifts and let Him fill our hearts with His wondrous love! 

Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Paul and St. Peter Julian Eymard, may God bless you, your families and our parishes! 

In Christ through Mary, 

Fr. Kasel