The Eucharist in your life

[njlisa]

Dear Friends in Christ:
Please join me in sharing insights about the Eucharist in your life.

I was raised as an evangelical Protestant. While searching
for authentic Christianity, I attended a Jewish friend’s seder.
When we were drinking the wine and eating the matza, I
found myself linked to when Jesus shared the Last Supper
with his Apostles. It was a here and now experience – not
a distant event.

I was inspired to learn about the Eucharist. I never realized
biblical basis of the actual presence. I felt deprived that my
church had the Lord’s Supper once or twice a year. This
inspiration led me to the Catholic Church.

I started RCIA 30 years ago. And I was received into
the church in 1990.

 

[GladTidings]

I began to consider the idea of the real presence when I was having an awakening of sorts. I had been Catholic for about 14 years. Before the awakening, I had fallen back into my non-Catholic roots as a way of thinking.

Eventually, it dawned on me and became so much clearer. I remembered my mom telling me, as a teenager, we needed to ask forgiveness from God for all serious sins before receiving communion, (which was grape juice and torn up french bread). So, if we needed to be free of serious sin to receive communion in my church as a teenager, (which was a church located downtown where the insurance company used to be) then how about now?

Slowly, I began to understand more about the Eucharist, and now I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

 

[newconvertcatholic]

I’m a convert from Hinduism. The real presence of God in the Eucharist was a huge pull for me. I couldn’t fathom that God would be humble enough to hide himself in the host and give himself to us each and every day. The love of God, truly present in the Eucharist, blows me away each time.

I must admit though that after a couple of years, there are days when I’m just so used to receiving the body of Christ that it doesn’t seem like a big thing. But every now and then God does give me the wisdom to see for myself and I am always amazed by the Eucharist and the Liturgy as a whole. You couldn’t possibly invent it.

It is the Eucharist that made me realize how real this life was, if that makes any sense. Catholicism is so physical, so corporal. God literally stoops down to our level and enters into our very bodies, into our blood. He becomes one with us. It’s mindblowing.

 

[newconvertcatholic]

Yes, I think just contemplating that would be enough to make you forget a fall the suffering of this life. At one point before my conversion, I actually received the communion illicitly because I loved Jesus so much. I realized my error and told my priest much later about it. But I cannot count my blessings that for somebody who was raised in a totally different faith tradition, God would be kind enough to reveal the mystery of Eucharist to me.

I think the Eucharist shows that we can never love God as much as he loves us.

 

[njlisa]

I used to attend Mass before I was received into the Catholic Church. (I did not receive Communion.) And I would think, over and over, “This is so biblical.”

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

 

[VeryBlessed]

I’ve had a couple eye-opening experiences with the Eucharist, but the first, so precious to me, was first communion. I couldn’t wait for the day to come because my Mother explained I was getting Jesus inside me that day. I remember the day like it was yesterday. My strongest memory from that day was me feeling surprised at how much I suddenly loved my little brother and sister. I remember wondering, why do I love them so much today, and yesterday I didn’t care about them at all? Now I know why; it was him strengthened in me and empowering greater love from me.

What the scriptures and the church say about what the Eucharist is, is truly staggering when you really stop and think about it. Between it and confirmation, we have Jesus and his Holy Spirit within us. Incredible extravagant love!