Book 4, Chapter 2: That the Greatness and Charity of God are Shown to All in the Sacrament.
Chapter Focus: Time travel has always been the stuff of science fiction and fantasy: From “Back to the Future” to “Star Trek” to “Avengers Endgame.” But not with us. When we witness the Consecration of Bread and Wine at Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion, we travel in time – back to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Christ’s sacrifice is timeless, His love undiminished, His offering of Himself inexhaustible and unquenchable like the burning bush (Ex 3:2-3).
We only draw near because He invites us (Jn 2:39). And because we recognize that we are unworthy to receive the gift of Himself, He pours out His grace upon us to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). To do this, He humbles Himself presenting His Flesh as Bread and Wine as His true Body and Blood, His Soul and Divinity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ asks us to receive Him over and over again, showing His bounteous generosity as well as reminding us to remember His sacrifice (1 Cor 11:26) until He comes again. Come, Lord Jesus, Maranatha!
Chapter 2, In Short.
1. Trusting in God’s goodness and great mercy, I draw near to the Fountain of life.
2. What reverence and thanksgiving are due to You, Jesus, for receiving Your sacred Body and Blood.
3. Christ is the Saint of saints, and I the lowest of sinners.
4. From where does this love proceed?
5. God gives Himself to us in bread and wine and becomes our inexhaustible food.
6. Rejoice, O my soul, and give thanks to God for so great a gift and precious consolation.
Scripture Memory Verse: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these, I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15
Question: Have you let the King feed you?
Key Quote: The charity of Christ never grows less, and the greatness of His sacrifice is never exhausted.
The text of Chapter 2: The Greatness And Charity Of God Are Shown To All In The Sacrament.
The Voice of the Disciple: Trusting in Your goodness and great mercy, O Lord, I draw near, the sick to the Healer, the hungering and thirsting to the Fountain of life, the poverty-stricken to the King of heaven, the servant to the Lord, the creature to the Creator, the desolate to my own gentle Comforter.
But who am I that You should come to me (Lk 2:43)? Who am I that You should offer me Yourself? How does a sinner dare to appear before You? And how can You promise to come to me, the sinner? You know Your servant, and You know that nothing good is within me for which You should grant this grace. I, therefore, confess my own vileness while I acknowledge Your goodness. I praise Your tenderness and I give You thanks for Your exceeding great love. For You do this for Your Own sake and not for my merits in order that Your goodness may be more apparent to me, Your charity more abundantly poured out upon me, and Your humility more perfectly commended to me. Therefore, because this pleases You and You have commanded that it shall be so, Your condescension pleases me also: oh I pray that my iniquity may not hinder it.
2. O most sweet and tender Jesus, what reverence, what giving of thanks is due to You with perpetual praise
by Ariel Agemian
for the receiving of Your sacred Body and Blood, the dignity of which no one has been found able to express it. But what shall I think about during this Communion when approaching my Lord, Whom I am not able worthily to honor and nevertheless Whom I long to devoutly receive? What shall be a better and more healthful meditation for me than the utter humbling of myself before You, and exaltation of Your infinite goodness towards me? I praise You, O my God, and exalt You forever. I have no regard for myself and cast myself down before You into the deep of my sinfulness.
3. Behold, You are the Saint of saints and I the greatest of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). Behold, You stoop down to me who am not worthy to look upon You. Behold, You come to me: You desire to be with me and You invite me to Your feast. You want to give me the heavenly food and bread of angels to eat; none other, in truth, than Yourself, the living Bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (Jn 6:51).
4. Behold, from where does this love proceed! what manner of condescension shines forth here? What great thanksgiving and praise are due to You for these benefits! Oh, how salutary and profitable is Your purpose when You ordained this sacrament! How sweet and pleasant is the feast when You gave Yourself for food! Oh, how admirable is Your working, O Lord, how mighty Your power, how unspeakable Your truth! For You spoke the Word and all things were made (Gn 1:3) and this is done which You have commanded.
5. It is a wonderful thing and worthy of faith and surpassing all the understanding of all that You, O Lord my God, very God and very Man, give Yourself altogether to us under a small form of bread and wine and without being consumed, You become the inexhaustible food of the receiver (Ex 3:2-3). You, O Lord of all, Who have need of nothing, have deigned to dwell in us through Your Sacrament.
Preserve my heart and my body as undefiled so that with a joyful and pure conscience I may often be able to *[celebrate, and] receive to my perpetual health Your mysteries: which You have consecrated and instituted both for Your own honor and for a perpetual memorial.
6. Rejoice, O my soul, and give thanks to God for so great a gift and precious consolation left to us in this vale of tears. For as often as you call this mystery to mind and receive the Body of Christ, you likewise celebrate the work of your redemption and are made partaker of all the merits of Christ. For the charity of Christ never grows less, and the greatness of His sacrifice is never exhausted.
Therefore, by continual renewal of your spirit, you ought to dispose yourself here and weigh the great mystery of salvation with attentive consideration. So great, so new, and so joyful ought it to appear to you that when you come to Communion, let it be as if for the first time, as if Christ were descending into the Virgin’s womb and becoming Man this day, or as if today He were hanging on the Cross, suffering and dying for the salvation of us all.
*The words in brackets pertain to a Priest celebrating Mass.