Third, to find the riches of the Eucharist, one should exercise the will. One must do this by bringing the divine lessons of the Eucharist into his life. What good would it be to discover the infinite worth of the Eucharist as we ponder It and seek to love It at Communion time, if we do not then proceed to live It?
The Eucharist teaches a love that goes beyond telling. It teaches total self-sacrifice, and an unequaled lesson in humility and self-effacement It teaches patience and unrestricted dedication. But what do we draw from all this? We surely ought to achieve something! Can we continue to be indifferent and do nothing when Jesus has loved us and still loves us with this great generosity “even to the end”? (John 13:1)
If we feel frail, we need to turn to Him, to speak to Him and not tarry about asking His help and support, for He is the very One Who said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) First of all let us go before Him: “Come to Me … and I will refresh you.” (Matt.11:28) Let us often visit Him, entering a Church every time we can and pausing a little while before the tabernacle, and put both our heart close to Him and our body before His! The Saints were constantly eager to make visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, to make Holy Hours of adoration, spiritual communions, ejaculatory prayers and earnest acts of love that come from the heart. How much profit they gained from this and how much good they passed on!
One day in Turin a friend, who was his companion from the University, asked Peter George Frassati, “Let us go and take an appetizer.” Peter George took advantage of the occasion and replied, indicating to his friend the nearby Church of St. Dominic, “But, of course, let us go and take it in that cafe.” Entering the church, they prayed for a little while near the tabernacle; then they neared the offering box, Peter George said, “Here is the appetizer.” And from the pockets of the two youths came alms for the poor!
Thinking of the Eucharist during his sermon, St. John Chrysostom asked one time, “How can we make of our bodies a host?” And he himself replied, “Let your eyes look at nothing evil, and you have offered a sacrifice; let not your tongue offer unbecoming words and you have made an offering; let not your hand commit a sin and you have offered a holocaust.”
Just recall the eyes of St. Colette, which were always lowered and recollected in sweet modesty. Why? She once gave the answer: “My eyes, I have filled with Jesus upon Whom I have fixed them at the Elevation of the Host at Holy Mass and I do not wish to replace Him with any other image.”
Let us think of the reserve and edification of the Saints in speaking, using with exactness the tongue which had been consecrated by contact with the Body of Christ Jesus.
Recall the good works which souls, filled with love by the Eucharist, have accomplished because Jesus communicated to them His own sentiments of love to all the brothers, especially the most needful.
Can we not also exercise thus our will? Let us learn from the Saints and begin to continue their good works.
Jesus “has loved me and has sacrificed Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)
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Fatima Crusader No.4
Reality Meets Faith 