Sep 28 Thu
Christ instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, in which his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity are really, sacramentally present. Every day, the same Jesus comes down to our altars, under the appearance of bread and wine, to nourish us on our earthly pilgrimage.
As a result, St Josemaría speaks of the hidden but effective presence of our Lady in the Mass. “Each day, when he comes down into the hands of the priest, Christ renews his real presence among us, with his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity: the same Body and Blood that he took on in the womb of the Virgin Mary. During the sacrifice of the Altar, our Lady's participation is similar to her silent reserve when she accompanied him throughout Palestine.
“The Mass is an act of the Blessed Trinity: by the will of the Father, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, the Son offers himself up in a redeeming sacrifice. And within this unfathomable mystery we can make out, as if veiled, the most pure face of Mary, Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit.”
“In Jesus’ veins runs the blood of his Mother, the blood that is offered in the sacrifice of the redemption, on Calvary and in the Mass.”
But “when Jesus is present there, defenseless, even more defenseless than when He lay in the crib in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph do not leave Him alone. Somehow, the Mother of God and the one who was a father to Him on earth are present. They are close to you! Close to us! I thank them for keeping you company! I cannot separate the Host from the Holy Family, the Family of Nazareth, which I love so much, which so moves me, and which is like the heart of our family of Opus Dei.”
We thank our Lady with all our heart and ask her to teach us how to attend Mass and receive her Son each day with the same dispositions with which she received Him in her most pure womb.
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