We celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi (Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ — liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist) a few weeks ago. In relation to that, I wanted to write and share a bit about my own experience with the Eucharist.
I did a sketch of my local parish (picture above). This is where I go for Eucharistic Adoration and sometimes, for Sunday Mass.
I try to go to adoration at least once a week. Although, I have to admit that there are times wherein I only go one to two times a month. Occasionally, I also take my two year old daughter with me. When I go with my daughter, we just spend about five minutes in the chapel then go to the park or somewhere else.
I really love my trips to the Adoration Chapel. When I go by myself, I like to ride my bike. It has become that local pilgrimage that I love to take. When I get there, I spend time before the Eucharist, where Jesus is present - body, blood, soul and divinity. I would say that this is where I feel most at peace. The idea of it being a pilgrimage makes the experience even better.
Here is a little animation I did with the same sketch as a background.
Some of you may ask, why do I do this?
The simple answer, I love Jesus.
A young Patrick once thought of leaving Catholicism to become an Evangelical Protestant. If not for my experience with the Eucharist, I would have definitely converted. I will save the details of that story for another time (maybe even share it in the form of a short comic).
My sharing of this is not to create tension between me and you, my followers and readers. I simply just want to share a part of my life that is very important to me.
Maybe, we can all reflect more on this particular Christian doctrine and see where it will lead us. A good start would be reading the bread of life discourse in John 6:22-71. I also have a few questions for you to ponder on.
To all my Catholic friends, ask yourselves…
“Do I truly believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist?”
“If I do, how do I practice this belief?”
“If I don’t, what am I missing? Am I truly a practicing Catholic? What does scripture and the church say about this?”
To my non-Catholic Christian friends who may or may not believe in the “Real Presence”…
“Do I stand to my belief in what communion is? What does my church teach about this? Am I open to learning more about Catholic teaching on communion?”
“Have I looked into scripture, church history and all the different theological view points with regards to communion/the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist?”
To my non-Christian brothers and sisters…
“What can I learn from this post? How does this affect me?”
“What is it that I truly believe?”
I leave you with an excerpt from “Lauda Sion Salvatorem” written by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.