SEEING JESUS IN THE WORD AND IN THE EUCHARIST – 04/12/23 (Wednesday in the Octave of Easter)

Luke 24:30–31
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

For the full readings, click here:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041223.cfm

Blessed Easter Wednesday! Jesus had two disciples who were walking in the road of Emmaus. They were aware of the reports from women who claimed that Jesus was alive. And yet, they still did not believe them. One reason was because they were unable to see Jesus Christ, despite the fact that they were already speaking to Him. Other than this, their faith in Jesus was not yet perfect. They thought that the redemption that our Lord promised was about the literal freedom from the Roman soldiers instead of seeing it as an opportunity to be freed from sins and to be saved. Our Lord Jesus is present with us, but there are times that we neglect to see Him. We may forget to see the presence of Jesus in our lives when we suffer because sometimes, we only expect Him to give comfort to us. Because of this, there is a tendency for us to forget that we are all invited by Jesus to share in His sufferings for us to be united with Him in our resurrection.

Though we are aware that God is with us even amidst our sufferings, it is still difficult to imitate Him. As such, it’s important for us to see Him, and God has shown us some of the ways as we see in the gospel reading. When our Lord saw that His two disciples lacked faith, He explained to them the Scriptures, and how the Bible spoke of Him. God is inviting us to read the gospel and reflect on it because through this, we can hear the words of God for us. God directly speaks to us through the Scriptures if we avoid the things that just distract us and if we spend time reflecting on His Word. Do we read the Bible and apply it in our daily lives? Other than this, Jesus shows us that He is truly present in the Eucharist under the appearance of bread and wine. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. Below this reflection, there is a link that shows us quotes of the saints about the Eucharist. As seen in the gospel reading, the disciples only recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, which was the Mass. It’s because we receive and partake of the glorified body of Jesus in the Mass. As we participate in the Mass, let’s listen on the readings and the homily in preparation for receiving Jesus Christ. As we receive Him, may we remember to praise Him, to ask for forgiveness for our sins, to beg for grace to persevere in virtues and to speak to Jesus about what we reflected on His Word. Let’s rejoice because in the Word of God and in the Eucharist, our hearts are fulfilled in seeking the presence of the Lord.

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +

Reflection by: Dominic

Saints’ Quotes on Jesus in The Eucharist:
https://catholicstand.com/saints-quotes-on-jesus-in-the-eucharist/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:
https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:
https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth