There is Something About Mary Series – Soul Food

Ponder:  Do I acknowledge that feeding my soul is more important than feeding my body? 

Pause for a few moments of silence, recite the prayers as indicated in chart below if you wish to prepare for today’s mystery.  You might offer a prayer request for each decade or a Hail Mary for a specific person. 

Pray:  The Fifth Luminous Mystery:  The Institution of the Eucharist

At the Last Supper, Christ changes bread and wine into His Body and Blood.  Fruit of the Mystery is Eucharistic Adoration – Love for our Eucharistic Lord

He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you [that] from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. (Luke 22:15-20)

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, who gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Pray for us Mary, Mother of the New Evangelization, Help us receive Christ as you did, with reverence and love.    

Amen

Reflect:   Do you know what happened at the Last Supper? Most of us would say yes, and then recite the facts and the story of that historic experience. But what we know about the Last Supper really dwarfs what we do know. If I really contemplate God, what I know about Him is like a grain of sand in the desert. In offering His Body and Blood as our food and drink, Jesus testifies to the end his love for humanity, for whose salvation he will offer himself in sacrifice.  If I do not encounter the reality of Christ in the Eucharist, it is likely that I need to change my life, forgive more, serve more, pray more, prepare better for Mass.  As Catholics we believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  In Eucharistic Adoration we sit before Jesus which is a powerful spiritual tool.  It nourishes our spirit, providing our soul food.  God gives Himself totally to me in the Eucharist.  I can bring all of me when I am in His presence:  my confusion, my suffering, my hope, my joy, and my sorrow.   Most of all, I can give Him my love, gratitude, and my thankful heart. 

Act:  Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” Do I prepare my heart to encounter Christ in the Eucharist in the same measure that He shows His love and thankfulness for me?