Thoughts on Receiving Christ in the Eucharist


This is a post of mine from 10 years ago on my other blog. My dad (a deacon) referred to it in his homily this past weekend for the Feast of Corpus Christi. I felt it would be worth sharing here as well.

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For most of my life, when I would go to the altar for Communion, I would feel slightly disappointed to receive a piece of Christ from the larger Host the priest had broken. Why did I have to get one of the jagged-edged pieces instead of a perfect, round one?

Recently it hit me...by receiving a broken piece, I am truly receiving Christ in a most intimate way. When He died on the cross, His body was NOT in perfect condition. His flesh had been torn. Blood poured from His jagged wounds. He was weak...just as I am weak without Him.

By receiving His broken body in the Eucharist, I can more fully realize the sacrifice He made for my sins.

Does this mean that I cannot appreciate this sacrifice if I receive a perfect, round Host? Absolutely not! In this perfect Host, I can share in His glorious resurrection...when His body is complete and in His full splendor.

So, it's really a win-win situation for me! Christ is present in the Eucharist...whether in the broken jagged piece or the perfectly rounded one. And He is present in me!

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