Day 6: Live the Eucharist

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But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:16)

Let's remember the journey in the desert of the people of God after they fled from Egypt. They lamented, and complained about the new circumstances of their life: they were hungry!

Moses, who was their guide, interceded once again in their favor. And God answered: He does not abandon His people, He remains faithful to the Covenant. He answered with a promise echoed in this psalm: "But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”. 

Saint Clare writes in a letter to Saint Agnes of Prague:

Happy, indeed, is she to whom it is given to share this sacred banquet, to cling with all her heart to Him whose beauty all the heavenly hosts admire unceasingly, whose love inflames our love, whose contemplation is our refreshment, whose graciousness is our joy, whose gentleness fills us to overflowing, whose remembrance brings a gentle light, whose fragrance will revive the dead, whose glorious vision will be the happiness of all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem; (4 Lag 9-14)

We are once again invited to contemplate Jesus, the Christ, in His Beauty, His Kindness and His Sweetness. He is the Bread of Life, who shares with us "this sacred banquet" during every Eucharist.

In today's prayer we see that He cares for His people by giving them the bread they need.

He manifests His love and care each day, on all every altar of the world by turning Himself into bread! What an incredible of gift! What a token of love!

Alas, how indifferent, thankless and tepid we too often are!

Let us ask Santa Clare to awaken us during this novena, to make us aware of this gift, and to have us respond to it – as she did – with joy, ardent love and gratefulness.

Let us yearn for the Bread of Life! Let us yearn for a whole Eucharistic life!

Love must reign! God asks us to be His disciples, and feed the crowds like He did, even if we don't have much.

In practice, this can mean helping the destitute, sharing our goods with those who have less, but also being “good bread for others” :  instilling beauty, gentleness and kindness in our daily interactions to become “food” for our neighbors, filled as we are by the very Life of God!

The disciples had but five breads and two fish “to feed five thousand men, let alone women and children”. That was little. Like them we often feel weak and powerless. Yet at each communion God instils in our hearts a love that multiplies the work of grace! As He told Saint Paul (2 Co 12, 9): My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness”.

Let us thus be proud of our weaknesses so that Christ's strength is manifested through us! Let us trust Him!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You who daily turn Yourself into the Bread of Life for us, let the love for Your Eucharist grow in our hearts! Let us live it intensely, so that it operates its Work of transformation in our lives and our hearts become like Yours. Let us be in turn the “Bread of life” for our brothers and sisters.

Meditation of the Day

Today I take the Eucharist and/or I devote some time to Eucharistic Adoration. I go to a Church and adore Jesus in the tabernacle.

And why not ask someone to come along?

If this is not possible for me, then I feel hunger; I express to the Lord my desire for Him; I commune with both those who will take the Eucharist today and those who are usually deprived of it (because of a lack of priests, persecution, illness or imprisonment). 

In a spirit of sharing, I make myself attentive to the real needs of people around me and I try to meet them, even if just with a smile or by listening to them, helping them, and devoting my time, my skills or my prayer to them.

Community prayer

St. Clare's Blessing

I bless you in my life and after my death as much as I can and more than I can. With all the blessings with which the Father of mercies has and will have blessed His sons and daughters in heaven and on earth, and a spiritual father and mother have blessed and bless their spiritual sons and daughters. Always be lovers of God and your souls and the souls of your Sisters, and always be eager to observe what you have promised the Lord. May the Lord be with you always and, wherever you are, may you be with Him always. Amen.

Thank you! 71 people prayed

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Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6

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9 Joyful Days with Saint Clare of Assisi

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