But the most important thing to do is to receive the Body and Blood which makes it possible to receive eternal life. The Lord Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven;whoever eats this bread will live forever”.

At the last 1^st Communion ceremony we talked about this. When we eat bread, meat, fruit and vegetables, our body transforms them into our skin, nails, hair, cells, etc… meaning, we eat because otherwise, our body would die. We need even to be careful of what we eat if we want to have a good health, proper weight, etc. However, when we eat the body, when we consume the Eucharist, the same does not happen, but the opposite. Every time we eat the flesh of the Son of Man, this transforms us into Him.

The Lord Jesus said: “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink”. In the same way that our body needs food, so also our soul needs food in the Eucharist.

The Jews said: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” And Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you". Why does Jesus not answer this question? Do you remember last Sunday Gospel? Jesus said: "Whoever believes has eternal life”.  So, faith is important. The Lord Jesus does not answer because they did not believe in Him.

But we do believe. We, Catholics, believe in the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated host. For that reason we kneel during the consecration and before receiving His Blessed Body we bow our heads. When we go into any church where the Blessed Sacrament is in the Tabernacle, we genuflect. And when we receive Him? What are we supposed to do? After receiving Him, we are living tabernacles. We have to be the most pious believers. This is a special moment called thanksgiving. It is a moment to remind, to understand and to believe that something is happening to us, even though we do not feel anything. It is a moment to be still, in silence and to welcome that Person who is dwelling within us.

The saints are the ones who give the best examples of how to live this gift from God.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said: "We cannot separate our lives from the Eucharist; the moment we do, something breaks. People ask, 'Where do the sisters get the joy and the energy to do what they are doing?' The Eucharist involves more than just receiving; it also involves satisfying the hunger of Christ. He says, 'Come to Me.' He is hungry for souls."

St. Francis of Assisi said: "...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood." 

One day St. Teresa of Avila heard someone say: "If only I had lived at the time of Jesus... If only I had seen Jesus... If only I had talked with Jesus..."

To this she responded: "But do we not have in the Eucharist the living, true and real Jesus present before us? Why look for more?"

To help us meditate in this special time after receiving Christ in the Eucharist, often times we play soft music and I will read a prayer in order to live more deeply our thanksgiving, so as to live the Lord Jesus’ words: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”.