Wednesday, April 6, 2016

A-Z Challenge: Why I Love Being Catholic (E)

 The challenge is on.  Write a post each day in April (minus Sundays) using the letters of the alphabet as your guide. 

The theme I have chosen is "Why I Love Being Catholic".    

Let's continue....



E-Eucharist.

Definition: In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present—body and blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine.

Bible: Luke 22:19  Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me."

Personal:  This is going to sound like sacrilege, so be warned.

I can admit to kneeling at mass during the transubstantiation  (when the bread and wine is being changed to the Body and Blood of Christ), and upon hearing the bells of the altar server, in my head a loud voice shouting, "Jesus is in the Hoooooouuuuussseee!!!"

Yep.  I'd like to think Jesus likes it.  Our own personal mental fist bump with each other, if you will.

I've also recalled multiple times driving home from mass with a carload of misbehaved and mean-spirited children fighting with each other, and finding myself turning around in my seat to yell, "YOU ARE ALL WALKING TABERNACLES RIGHT NOW.  KNOCK IT OFF!!!"

Striving to find the full beauty in this gift of the Eucharist should be a daily occurrence.  If we truly believe we have the opportunity to meet Jesus, and take him into our body, heart, and mind, we should be going to mass as often as possible.  It's that simple.

On a particularly "good" day at mass for me, when that altar server rings the bell and the priest is holding up Holy Communion, my mind says, "Jesus, unite my heart with yours."  And as he holds up the chalice holding the precious Blood, my mind says, "Jesus, help me unite other hearts with yours."

Another mental fist bump in my own little world.




For the previous posts on the A-Z series: Why I Love Being Catholic, click here.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Kathleen! Your description of your words at the elevation brought such a smile to my face! Of course Jesus loves that! You understand what's happening here, and that it's a joyful thing.

    I have little prayers that I say at the elevation too. When the wine cup is raised, I say the Prayer of St. Gertrude. (It's supposed to rescue a 1000 souls from purgatory, but I also just love St. Gertrude!) I think I should add a fist bump when I'm done with the prayer though...

    We just celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday, and what is more merciful than the Eucharist? The letter 'E' is a great one to write about :)
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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  2. Time does fly by... my youngest is 20! You have a lovely family. Glad you are blogging with a to z
    I'm at http://whenkateblogs.blogspot.com/

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  3. So happy to hear mine aren't the only ones fighting in the car right after receiving HC!!

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