Advent: The Eucharist... Glory to Come

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

"In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: "O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us." If the Eucharist is the memorial of the Passover of the Lord Jesus, if by our communion at the altar we are filled "with every heavenly blessing and grace," then the Eucharist is also an anticipation of the heavenly glory.” †

In the Season of Advent, we prepare for His coming, where God the Father made possible the arrival of His Son, Jesus, to be born on earth. His birth was necessary so Jesus could obey the Father and make this beautiful sacrifice - giving his life on a Cross to redeem us sinners here on earth. What better example of one man giving his life for another - that is the ultimate form of charity and love. Continuing from the Catechism: "At the Last Supper the Lord himself directed his disciples' attention toward the fulfillment of the Passover in the kingdom of God: "I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she remembers this promise and turns her gaze "to him who is to come." In her prayer she calls for his coming: "Marana tha!" "Come, Lord Jesus!"... "May your grace come and this world pass away!” †

Advent... a time of preparation. "Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel." As we read in Is.7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." (1st Reading, 4th Sunday of Advent), and in Mt.1:23, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." And, in para 1406† Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him" (Jn 6:51, 54, 56). So, Advent and the Birth of the Lord are very much a part of the Passion and therefore the Eucharist, because all these are related. Keeping all this in mind, it is dreadful that for so many people, the feast of Christmas has been put second place to a materialistic and often, Godless, celebration of a seasonal feast. All the ornaments, trees, music, and banality doesn't change the fact that Jesus came on earth to save us from ourselves, from acts opposed to His goodness and love.

I was in a restaurant a couple of years ago, and was half listening to so-called "Holiday Music", jazzed up versions of once Sacred Christmas hymns, that almost made me sick. Sure, we can say "to each his or her own," but the melodies and sometimes, the lyrics of our beautiful Catholic hymns have become so secularized that it is an affront to our long-lived traditions. The Lord is right here in our midst (when we receive Him in the Eucharist), He also sees where our ancient and long-standing Sacred traditions have gone, traditions that praised Him for His love and care of a people who love Him and the Father. So many of us Catholics have also fallen by the wayside, no longer seeing the need to participate in the Faith, in any faith, because they consider themselves greater than the Lord. If only God could cry, his tears would flood the earth.

Let us, people who continue to love God, individuals who truly believe in the necessity of the Ten Commandments, and in His love and Grace, let us pray during this Advent Season for those sisters and brothers who have lost their way. Let us hope that they will find their way back to the Sacraments so that they can again partake of His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, and get strengthened for the challenges that lie ahead. Life is too complicated to go it alone - we need Him, we need the Father and the Holy Spirit. And we also need the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Saints who have undertaken this earthly trial before us. Pray for their intercession and help, so your prayers will be answered perhaps sooner than later.

The Eucharist is the gateway to Heaven, the "Pledge of the Glory to Come.” † Now that it is again Advent, let us prepare for His coming, his second coming.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
December 10, 2021

† Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition © 1997 (English Translation) United States Catholic Conference - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. See para 1402, 1403, 1406, and the subchapter title.

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