Chapter XXXIV: Effects of Communion

THE Lord instituted His Sacrament under the appearance of bread. Why did He choose bread rather than anything else? Because bread is our principal and best food — the staff of life, as it is justly called.

Now, as bread, when it is eaten, is changed into our flesh and blood, and goes through every part of our body to make us strong and well, so the Blessed Sacrament enters the soul, nourishes it, and makes it strong and healthy. As the bread is changed into our flesh and blood to nourish us, so we are changed, in our souls, into Christ.

All the dispositions of our souls become like those of Christ. Everything bad in us is corrected, everything good in us is strengthened. As bread makes the body grow to its full size, so the Blessed Sacrament makes all virtues grow in us until we reach the full measure of holiness that God designs for us.

Without food we should die; the principle of life would not remain in our bodies. So the Lord has said of the Blessed Sacrament: “Except ye eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood, ye shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day: for My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He who eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood abideth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, the same shall also live by Me” (St. John vi. 54–58).

The Blessed Sacrament is then everything to us. It is the means of keeping the principle of life in the soul; that everlasting life, unto which body and soul must be preserved until the hour of death!

It is the medicine of the sick soul, tenderly nursing it, and giving it strength against all the dangers that threaten it with death.

How magnificent the simple words of our Lord Jesus, when He began to speak of this sacrament, “I am the bread of life!” Yes, it is He, the Lord of Glory, that comes into our souls in the sacrament, to be the bread of life to us. What may we not ask of Him when He comes? what may we not expect to receive? The All-Powerful, the All-Good comes to and visits our souls on purpose to do us good, able to do everything, willing to do everything; with unspeakable love, desiring to do everything for us.

O dearest handmaids of the Lord! with what desire and love you should long to receive Holy Communion! If you want to form an idea of the benefits of receiving Holy Communion, consider the beautiful little example related in the Gospel of St. Matthew of the woman who was healed of the issue of blood. I cannot do better than use the very words of Scripture: “And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment; for she said within herself: ‘If I shall but touch His garment I shall be healed.’ But Jesus turning around and seeing her, said: ‘Take courage, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.’ And the woman was made whole from that hour” (St. Matt. ix. 20, 21, 22).

The poor woman expected great things from merely touching the garment of Jesus. She was not deceived. What may we not expect, devoutly receiving the same Jesus into our souls?