9 May 2014 - sensory overload

9 May 2014 - sensory overload

For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.

This is the true meaning of eternal life.  It isn't just being near Jesus.  It is having his life in us.  It is remaining in him.  It is him remaining in us.  This is why we receive him, why we eat his Flesh and drink his Blood.  Eternal life is so much more than just life without end.  It is the communion of love and joy shared by the Triune God.  

But if our focus shifts from this life in the abstract to our typical Sunday reception of Holy Communion we have trouble making the connection.  Even if we know that we receive Jesus, even if our eyes our sometimes filled with tears at the tenderness of his touch, do we realize or experience ourselves being filled with the very life of God?  Each Sunday has the power to change us forever after.  Does it happen?  The answer, since we are weak mortal creatures, is likely, 'no', or perhaps 'Really?  That's possible?'  But if the reality is there, why the disconnect?

We, like Saul, have scales on our eyes, preventing us from recognizing all the ways in which Jesus is present in this world.  But Jesus gives sight to Paul even though Paul persecutes him.  And he wants to give renewed sight to us as well.  He wants Paul to regain his sight so that he may "be filled with the Holy Spirit".  So too with us.  When we truly see the gift of divine life in the Eucharist we too are more open to be filled with that life, to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is why Peter tells us we may become "partakers of the divine nature" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4).  Doesn't the word partaker itself hint at the Eucharist?  And he himself gives "us everything we need for a godly life through knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Jesus wants to teach us to listen as he teaches Ananias to listen.  Jesus says something Ananias doesn't like and so Ananias points something out to Jesus which he feels Jesus may have overlooked.  
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”

But Jesus, being omniscient, overlooks nothing.  He has taken all things into account and wants to teach us to take him at his word.  We may not at first understand why Jesus chooses one like Paul.  But we must still go to him if we are called.

Back to Sunday Mass then.  We may not understand fully what it means to receive "the bread that came down from heaven".  And how can way since it has such depth of meaning?  But we need to recognize that Jesus is the one with the words of eternal life.  We can trust him.  We can let the words, 'This is my body' and 'This is my blood' echo in our souls as we hear the priest speak them.  They have the power to communicate to our spirits the truth they signify.  The reality of the presence of Jesus, the reality of the divine life contained therein, is made present to us in these very words.  Just before the consecration we hear the LORD call us by name as he calls Ananias.  Let us answer, "Here I am Lord" as he does.  Let us truly be present.  

When we are hearing clearly the LORD can use us for his mission as he does with Ananias.  Seeing clearly for Paul also means a worldview centered on mission.  It is profoundly realistic, recognizing that suffering is entailed.  But the message of the life which is available to us all means that any suffering we experience is not to be compared to the glory which is to be revealed (cf. Rom. 8:18).

“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”

As our eyes and ears are opened, so too are our mouths.  We begin to proclaim this Good News with praise and joy.  We move from timidity to reckless abandon to his mission!

Praise the LORD, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!a
His mercy for us is strong;
the faithfulness of the LORD is forever.
Hallelujah!