Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
When one thinks of the bread from Heaven, the first thought that may come to mind is the manna that appeared on the ground every morning to feed the people of Israel for their forty years in the desert. This miraculous bread was the staple to feed their hungry bodies. Each morning they were to trust that God would provide for their needs. They were permitted to gather only enough for one day. If they tried to gather more, the next day they found just a rotting, stinking mess. The exception to this was Friday when they gathered enough manna for the Sabbath as well.
This manna was a foreshadowing of the bread that Jesus would provide for His followers. At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and said, “This is My Body,” and then He took wine and said, “This is My Blood.” From this, the Eucharist came into being. For Catholics, this is Holy Communion, in which we receive the very Body and Blood of Jesus Himself. This bread from Heaven becomes for us food for our soul. It gives us the strength that we need to live our Christian life. This is the food for our pilgrimage to the Heavenly Kingdom. The Israelites had manna for their journey to the promised land and we have the bread that is the Body of Jesus for our journey to the new Promised Land.
Everything in our Catholic Faith centers on our belief that the bread and wine consecrated at Mass are truly the Body and Blood of Jesus. When we enter the church, we look for the tabernacle which holds the Body of Christ. The lighted red candle near it signals that Christ is present. We genuflect to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.
The priest is consecrated to provide the sacraments for the faithful. The chief sacrament is the Eucharist. The Mass is celebrated each day. On Sundays the faithful are obligated to be present for the Mass. In order to receive Holy Communion, the faithful are required to be in a state of grace. If they are not, and they approach to receive Communion, it is considered a sacrilege as Christ is being forced to enter an unholy place. If one is in a state of mortal sin, they should go to confession to be restored to a state of grace. The sacraments exist to help us become holy.
In receiving Communion, the believer is acknowledging his need for God. We believe that Christ comes to dwell in us. If we cooperate with His grace, the one who receives grows in holiness and becomes more like Christ. This weekend we celebrate Corpus Christi. It is a feast of Jesus providing for us. It celebrates His unconditional love for us. Let us pray that as we approach the altar, we may also grow in our love for Him.
What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity. ~the prayer of the priest or deacon during the purification of the sacred vessels.