"My flesh for the life of the world."

"My flesh for the life of the world."

At the Eucharistic National Congress, Mother Olga of Sacred Heart, shared a number of Eucharistic miracles which she encountered. One of them was of a young boy Mighty Quinn. At the age of three, Quinn was diagnosed with cancer. He went through chemo, radiation and many surgeries. He did well for ten months and cancer came back. This point  Mother didn’t know Quinn and family. It was a scary time for Quinn and family when the cancer came back. Someone told them to go to the convent and pray with the sisters. They had a prayer room with forty five relics of saints. They had two relics of the Cross which Mother gave to little Quinn and prayed with him. When they left Mother continued to pray for him and a voice came to her saying “Give me to him”. First she thought it meant to pray for him. Twenty four hours later she recognized that Jesus was asking her to give him Holy Communion. But he was not five years old yet. So Mother called a canon lawyer in the diocese to see whether it is possible to have Quinn receive Holy Communion. An exception was granted for Quinn to receive Holy Communion. Mother approached his parents and told them about the possibility of giving him First Communion before he started the radiation. Quinn’s father asked Mother why she wants him to receive First Communion before radiation starts. Father said, “He is dying.” Mother told Quinn’s father that she doesn't have an answer about the length of his life, but she knows Jesus wants to be with him. Forty eight hours later Quinn received his First Communion. Quinn received Holy Communion every Sunday. Doctors were surprised that Quinn didn’t have much side effect after 33 days of radiation. Mother said, “He became an inspiration because of his faith.” He was given an opportunity to go to Disneyland. He told his mom to make sure to book the ticket Sunday after the Mass and also be back on Saturday, so he doesn't miss the Sunday Mass. Then Mother said, “His whole life became around the Eucharist.” Mother continued and gave thanks to God through the power of the Eucharist and helped Our Lady, and Quinn is free of cancer. In social media he is known as Mighty Quinn.

This fourth week we listen to the “Bread of Life” discourse from Gospel of John 6. Jesus tells us that he is "the living bread that came down from heaven." He is talking about the sacrament of the Eucharist: it becomes truly present - body, blood, soul, and divinity - under the appearance of bread and wine. The other sacraments give us God's grace, but the sacrament of the Eucharist gives us God himself as our nourishment. He says, "My flesh is real food, my blood is real drink," and "Whoever eats my flesh... has eternal life."

Catechism says that "Man is made to live in communion with God, in whom he finds happiness". The Mass gives us objective contact with God. There are other ways to encounter God too. Eucharist is the most important part of our faith journey. Eucharist is called the Sacrament of the sacrament. Mass is the perfect act of worship, because Mass is Jesus Christ's own prayer.

Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. Most of the time the other Sacraments take place during the Mass.  Eucharist is a celebration of community, but we take it individually and continue to celebrate at the altar of our daily life.

In today’s first reading, Book of Proverbs, wisdom builds her house, sets her table, invites all the simple to the rich feast. We read in the proverb “to the one who lacks understanding, she says, “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.” The early Christians often identified Jesus as the Wisdom of God. They regarded the Eucharist as Wisdom’s banquet, where they shared in the Divine Wisdom now present in Jesus.

Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” At the National Eucharistic  Congress, Cardinal Tagle said his homily, and after each Mass we are sent out to be his flesh and blood. In the Eucharistic celebration Jesus gives himself as a gift to each one of us and we are sent out to be a gift to each other – a gift to spouse, parents a gift to children, children a gift to parents, and so on. It is applicable wherever we spend our time  during the week.

There are two points for our reflection: First, Do I grow in greater appreciation for Eucharist? For example, like Quinn, give priority for Sunday Eucharistic celebration. Second, Cardinal Tagle’s message – be the flesh and blood of Jesus – be the gift to someone.

One way of being a gift is to walk with one in the faith journey. I shared with you a point from Eucharistic Congress. A repetitive message of the Eucharist Congress was – “Walk With One.” It is an invitation to think about one person/family whom each of us would like to have to celebrate Eucharist with us. Then pray for that individual or family for a while. Eventually befriend them. Once friendship grows and shares faith with them and invites them to celebrate faith with them. I would like to invite you to think about one person/family and pray for that individual/family and eventually befriend them and invite them to celebrate Eucharist.