Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration.

When Christ was born, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. But what is a manger? A manger is a wooden implement you’d find in a barn where hay is placed so the cows can eat it. The word “manger” is closely related to the Italian verb “to eat”: mangiare.

That Jesus Christ was placed in a manger is a foreshadowing that one day we would actually eat Jesus Christ, and that is what we do whenever we receive Holy Communion: we eat the Body and Blood of Christ.

Now, we’re not cannibals. To understand this, think of the young mother holding her tender child and kissing the child saying, “Oh, I love you so much I could just eat you up.” Well, that’s what we do with Jesus Christ.

Remember to be well prepared when you receive Holy Communion. You should be in the state of grace, having kept the one hour fast from food and beverage, and be a practicing Catholic.

P.S. If you have missed a previous Advent Inspiration, you can find all of them here.