What Emmaus and Melchizedek reveal about the Eucharist

[tlnd]

When I was at Mass this morning I thought about how Jesus had requested that his Disciples share blessed bread and wine, his body, his blood, so that there would always be a memorial meal where Jesus actions and teachings could be reheard. Jesus could then nourish each new generation of his Church with the only food that could help them live in this world but not of it. Then I thought about Emmaus.

When Jesus met Cleopus and another disciple who were on their way to Emmaus, Jesus referenced Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets to demonstrate why Jesus had to go through what he did to attain his glory. Only when Jesus broke bread with the two disciples, were they able see that the man they had met on the road was Jesus. Jesus was revealed with the breaking of the bread. The breaking of the bread reveals Jesus to each new generation of his Church.

Then I thought about Abram and Melchizedek.
*Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the Order of Melchizedek.**— Psalms 110:4. This Psalm prophecies Jesus role as High Priest of the New Covenant.

This is the rite Melchizedek practiced at Salem-* And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was a priest to God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be God Most High, Who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all.**— Genesis 14:18-20

Our Eucharistic meal is a step beyond Melchizedek’s rite. At Eucharist, we bless our Father and our Lord, our Vicar asks God to bless the bread and wine, and then we receive Jesus’ Body and Blood. With this meal, we are nourished, blessed, and in communion with our Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must be prepared to receive such a reward if we are to respond to it properly.

Abram had defeated evil Kings before Melchizedek came to meet him. Our preparation is based on caring about our neighbor and acting on their behalf if necessary, loving and praying for our enemies, and trusting in the Love of our God. When we are prepared, there is also a sanctifying experience. After this experience, like Abram, we feel compelled to share the love and grace God has given us.

Sometimes after receiving the Eucharist, I sing at a level I never thought I had. I once heard a priest at a local abbey state, “That was a great Mass!” After leaving a Mass, I have seen individuals that are glowing. I think that Emmaus and Melchizedek are windows into the depth of the Eucharistic event that can be experienced if one comes to Mass with their head and heart in the right place.

 

[MariaGoretti88]

Sometimes after receiving the Eucharist, I sing at a level I never thought I had. I once heard a priest at a local abbey state, “That was a great Mass!” After leaving a Mass, I have seen individuals that are glowing. I think that Emmaus and Melchizedek are windows into the depth of the Eucharistic event that can be experienced if one comes to Mass with their head and heart in the right place.

I’ve noticed that worthily receiving Sacraments after mental spiritual and physical preparation can be accompanied by visible signs of Christ’s Grace-presence. With you, singing; and sometimes with me, I feel a certain weightlessness that is somewhat hard to describe, albeit a very good feeling.

God definitely gives us bad what we put in. Before receiving the Sacrament of Penance, I try to draw my mind to Our Lord crucified and then recite slowly and with fervor the Prayer before Confession in my Missal. Usually, I examine my conscience a few hours before or the night before so that after reciting this prayer, I can think about my sins and ask the Holy Ghost to make me truly sorry for them, then I make an Act of Contrition before going to the confessional.

When planning on receiving Holy Communion, I do some spiritual reading and praying while fasting and then I arrive at church earlier than usual so I can concentrate on this Mystery. There are lots of prayers before/after Communion in my Missal, so I recently told myself to try to stick to two short ones and one long one (I used to recite all of them, every single one, but that was mentally tiring and always made receiving feel “incomplete” or “hurried” because I didn’t “feel” right and I think that was definitely scrupulosity), and read a few psalms maybe. I try to be familiar with the Mass Propers beforehand so that the words can just penetrate my soul instead of trying to understand and then meditate the readings/prayers. As with Penance, I follow up the prayers from the Missal or other prayer book with some personal prayer or meditation (hopefully contemplation one day) where I make known to God my intentions and ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and patron Saints to help me worthily receive and that the effects of God’s Grace are manifest to me.

When the Sacraments are received, sometimes I get that “feeling” and other times I do not, but especially when I do not “feel” anything special, I really fervently pray for faith to know that God has visited me and nourished me even if I do not “feel” it and that I should believe Him in my heart.

One of the tricks of Satan is to make us feel like we didn’t really receive a Sacrament or His Grace because we didn’t experience a sensory or emotional high. It is important to yield to the Theological Virtue of Faith in this case, which helps me I find, so that we do not miss the extra Sacramental Graces that come to us. We believe from what we hear and know to be true, and not based on what we feel. This was a hard hurdle for me to cross at one point, but hearing about St-Therese-de-Lisieux and St. John of the Cross and Bl. Theresa of Calcutta helped to know that God is very present when we don’t necessarily “feel” it.

Thanks for sharing this with us, and I hope you continue to experience the joy of being in communion with Christ.

Ad Jesus, per Mariam,
Christopher

 

[St_Francis]

That’s a great thought about Christ being revealed in the breaking of the bread

Thou art a priest forever in the order of Melchizidek… These words always have a great effect on me.