The Eucharist

The Eucharist

  Imagine, if you will, that you are walking into a castle as a humble guest. You have no real right to be there. You did nothing deserving of the invitation. Yet, you find yourself walking down the aisle of the majestic throne room to see the king face to face. Not only this, but very soon a lowly hand servant to the king will be taking a piece from his majesty himself and bestowing it to you.
Sounds a bit peculiar. It even sounds a tad bizarre. No matter how strange this sounds, it is what Catholics believe happen every time the Eucharist is offered. No one there, whether they are lay or clergy, deserve what is being bestowed upon them, not really. The sheer magnitude of the continual sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption that is offered each and every time the Eucharist is given is baffling. 
Yet, what is even more vexing and befuddling, is the attitude and lack of reverence in which the clergy and lay people par take in this blessed and holy ceremony. Clearly, even with an understanding of the concept of the Eucharist, the people who go to mass, accept the Eucharist, and go about their daily lives seem to ignore the acknowledgement of the true presence of their Creator. 
Let us imagine still, that we are at mass one Sunday morning. A procession emerges midway through the service. In walks a foreign dignitary. Let us say that he is a king of a sovereign nation in Europe. Think of the amount of respect that each person would give those officials, without having any personal ties to them. Consider the reverence the people would show the man due to his office. Imagine what YOU would say to such a man if you were to be able to meet him face to face during service.
Considering all of this, the clergy and the lay people during each mass continue to choose personal preference and exception abuse to the true reverence of the very REAL presence of the Creator of heaven and earth. 
The preferred method consists of the person bowing upon approach, kneeling, and the priest offering the Host. The person then replies, “Amen”, accepts the Host on their tongue, and motions the sign of the cross as they rise to move toward their seat where they will kneel in prayer and give thanks until the Host is completely removed from the altar. 
There remains no excuse, save for the truly physically disabled, for any person to elevate themselves, their preferences, and their comfort level above the desired response that God has called them to give. 
In tandem with the actual desired response of the recipients, those who are about to receive Jesus should be enlightened, alleviated, and ecstatic. The joy of this precious gift, the gift of not only being in the true presence of Jesus but also of accepting His continual sacrifice, should emanate from their faces. 
It is the purpose of our existence to draw closer to God, to strive to know Him, and love Him with all of our being. Everything to do with mass is focused around the Eucharist, the actual presence of Jesus who is continually sacrificing Himself for our sake. 
The next time you are about to receive the Eucharist, examine yourself. Call to mind your demeanor, your state of reverence, and what it is that you are TRULY engaging in.