“The Eucharist is the highest expression of Divine Charity, of God’s love for His creations. Through it, God shows how much He wants to be with us forever, sharing His own life with us, living with us and in us. As Father Jean-Claude Colombiere said, ‘What makes the Eucharist the Sacrament of love is that Jesus here gives Himself in person, in the fullness of His presence. He gives all that He is, the entirety of His life. More than any word or action, it is Jesus Himself who comes to us and delivers Himself into our hands. The Eucharist is a giving without limit on Jesus’ part: ‘This is My body, given up for you.’ What we receive in the Eucharist is Jesus in the very act of giving His life for all mankind, the act in which He personally loves each of us with the greatest of loves: ‘Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Each time we receive the Eucharist, we should be moved with the same awe that Saint Paul had, in knowing: [He] loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).”

(From Fire & Light – Learning to Receive the Gift of God)

PAUSE AND PONDER: How important is the Eucharist to me in my daily life? If someone observed me approaching the altar to receive Holy Communion, would they be able to tell from my demeanor and conduct that I really believed I was about to receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ? How is it possible that God wishes to physically unite Himself with a sinner such as myself? How do I demonstrate my appreciation to Him for such a magnificent and undeserved Gift?