Lesson 17
Are You A Living Tabernacle?
At each and every Mass, there is an infinite amount of grace that we can receive, but the amount of grace we receive depends on how hungry we are, how well we pay attention and participate, and how focused we are on the prayers. While the Holy Eucharist is God himself, it is not magic. God comes half way. We have to go out to meet him.
At the Mass, you get out of it, what you put into it. Imagine you are walking on a hot summer day and you are thirsty. In the distance you hear the Niagara Falls. As you approach to drink the cool refreshing water, you could draw some water out with a thimble, which is not much; or a cup; or a bucket; or maybe a container. If you could, you could have a transatlantic cargo ship pull in for a fill up, and there would still be water left over! The same is true with the Most Holy Eucharist.
So take my advice. Get to Mass a bit early, and open up your Relevant Radio App to the Prayers before Mass. I like the one by St. Thomas Aquinas. Next, try to read the readings of the day beforehand, which you can also find for free on the Relevant Radio App. I find it hard to capture the readings without actually seeing them, and teachers know that too. If you want your students to master a subject, they had to see it on the board, write it down, and listen to the words of the teacher.
Finally, try to take a few minutes after Holy Mass to make an Act of Thanksgiving. There are wonderful prayers for that on the FREE Relevant Radio App. The Holy Eucharist remains in us for ten minutes or so, until the species of the bread has been digested and consumed; and for that short time period, each of us are like a living tabernacle.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
Please feel free to share these lessons with your friends and family, and let them know that it’s easy to sign up to receive these free daily emails. Be assured of my prayers for a fruitful Lenten season!
