| Bread From Heaven Meditations on the Sunday Gospel for the Year of the Eucharist |
The Gospel of the Lord - Jesus said to his disciples: "As it
was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son
of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that
Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came
and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of
the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be
taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the
mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay
awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour
of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also
must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of
Man will come. - Matthew 24:37-44
was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son
of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that
Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came
and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of
the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be
taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the
mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay
awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour
of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also
must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of
Man will come. - Matthew 24:37-44
| THE BACKGROUND |
| TALKING TO GOD Jesus, at times it seems like this world has forgotten you and sometimes I feel like I*m just floating along with that world. Sometimes I question what I*m doing here in this Hour. In the eyes of the world, it is unproductive. In the eyes of the world it is comical, to kneel before what human eyes see as bread. But Lord, I know that you have come, I know that you have gathered to yourself a people, a Church, which marches on through history. A Church that has remained steadfast in truth and teaching, a Church that has produced and continues to produce countless saints and martyrs. Lord, your Church marches on, and continues to gather around your Presence, here in the Eucharist. Keep me faithful, keep me steadfast, keep me always ready for the Day when the veil will be dropped and you will appear in all of your glory. |
Jesus calls upon our knowledge of the story about Noah. The story
relates that most of the world was preoccupied with its own affairs and
oblivious to God*s words and actions, so that when the Flood came it was
as a total surprise. Only those who had remained steadfast, faithful and
*awake* (Noah and his family) were saved.
In like manner, Jesus warns his disciples that the Day of the Lord will
come upon us without warning. People will be doing their ordinary tasks
(grinding at mill, working in the field) but only those who have been faithful
and steadfast will be saved. Those who live in the kingdom of light and
those who live in the kingdom of darkness often work side by side in the
fields of this life. The Day will come upon us all, and only those who have
remained faithful and *awake* will be saved. *For at an hour you do not
expect, the Son of Man will come.*
relates that most of the world was preoccupied with its own affairs and
oblivious to God*s words and actions, so that when the Flood came it was
as a total surprise. Only those who had remained steadfast, faithful and
*awake* (Noah and his family) were saved.
In like manner, Jesus warns his disciples that the Day of the Lord will
come upon us without warning. People will be doing their ordinary tasks
(grinding at mill, working in the field) but only those who have been faithful
and steadfast will be saved. Those who live in the kingdom of light and
those who live in the kingdom of darkness often work side by side in the
fields of this life. The Day will come upon us all, and only those who have
remained faithful and *awake* will be saved. *For at an hour you do not
expect, the Son of Man will come.*
| Jesus the Apostles and You |
Place yourself at the feet of Jesus at the Mount of Olives as he describes the
final days to you. Many times growing up as a Jewish child you heard the story of
Noah and the Flood. You knew there would never be such another flood, as God
had promised this would not happen again. But Jesus describes a new and more
serious situation. One in which eternal life depends upon whether or not you are
*awake* when he comes.
As you listen to him, what goes through your heart and mind. Might you ask
him, *what does it mean to be *awake* when You come?*
final days to you. Many times growing up as a Jewish child you heard the story of
Noah and the Flood. You knew there would never be such another flood, as God
had promised this would not happen again. But Jesus describes a new and more
serious situation. One in which eternal life depends upon whether or not you are
*awake* when he comes.
As you listen to him, what goes through your heart and mind. Might you ask
him, *what does it mean to be *awake* when You come?*
| Conversation Starters with God: Jesus you tell us that your Second Coming will happen when we least expect it, when we are doing the ordinary things of this life. It is in the ordinary events of this life that how we will spend eternity is determined. Help me to know how I can draw closer to you in the ordinary events of my life. How can I make your kingdom more present at home, at work, in my commute*(spend ten minutes listening for the Lord). Lord, the Church has always recognized each Mass as a foretaste of the Second Coming. In the Mass you make yourself fully present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, just as you will on the Last Day. The only difference of course is that today you are veiled under the appearances of bread and wine, while on that day all veils will be dropped. Reveal to me how I am treating you now in the Eucharist, it should be no different than how I plan to treat you on the Last Day. Reveal to me the ways I can give you more honor*(spend ten minutes listening). King of Kings, am I prepared? Am I living such a holy life, that I would have no regrets if you came during this Hour of Prayer? Reveal to me my sins and help me to choose now in this time to give them up for You. Place the desire in my heart and grant me your grace to do so*(spend ten minutes listening) |
| QUOTES ON THE EUCHARIST |
How to find Christmas peace in a world of unrest? You cannot
find peace on the outside but you can find peace on the inside,
by letting God do to your soul what Mary let Him do to her body,
namely, let Christ be formed in you....she was a living Ciborium,
a monstrance of the Divine Eucharist, a Gate of Heaven through
which a Creator would peer upon creation, a Tower of Ivory up
whose chaste body He was to climb "to kiss upon her lips a
mystical rose." - Fulton J. Sheen
find peace on the outside but you can find peace on the inside,
by letting God do to your soul what Mary let Him do to her body,
namely, let Christ be formed in you....she was a living Ciborium,
a monstrance of the Divine Eucharist, a Gate of Heaven through
which a Creator would peer upon creation, a Tower of Ivory up
whose chaste body He was to climb "to kiss upon her lips a
mystical rose." - Fulton J. Sheen
| LET US PRAY - V: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary R: And she conceived by the Holy Ghost. V: Hail Mary, full of grace. V: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. R: Be it done unto me according to thy word. V: Hail Mary ... V: And the Word was made flesh R: And dwelt among us. V: Hail Mary ... V: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. V: Let us pray. All: Pour forth, we beseech the, O Lord, thy grace unto our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, thy Son, was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ, our Lord, Amen. |
| BACK TO Year of the Eucharist Page |
First Week of Advent
Beginning Sunday November 28th
Beginning Sunday November 28th