How can you help the Communion you receive today come alive this week?

Elaine Lindia, Pastoral Associate

If we allow ourselves to fully appreciate what is happening, reflect on it, try to respond to it, then we begin to change; we become more and more like Jesus. So this is truly an astounding gift that Jesus gives to us—the Holy Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus under the form of bread and wine so we can eat and drink it. It's a gift that brings to us even now, God's life in Jesus.

Eucharist enables us to be transformed. By allowing the mystery of the Eucharist to become a living reality in our lives, we can realize our full potential as human beings. The life that it transmits to us is none other than the very life of Jesus. As that life becomes more active in us and we are transformed into Jesus, we are assuming the very life of God — divine life. By taking time to consider how the life of Jesus is working in us, we can freely allow that life to affect our everyday lives. What better gift can we offer to those around us?

If we are truly open to the graces that God wishes to give us through the Eucharist, we are allowing Him to transform us more and more into His disciples, following His path of service, sharing and giving. As I reflect on this great gift, I think about our outreach to our community here at St. Ben’s. I am so grateful for all those in our community of faith that offer their time, talent and treasure to help others.

Creating opportunities for service is essential to help us make the Communion we receive come alive as we go out into the world after Mass. In addition to continuing our efforts in the ministries of the Human Concerns Commission, we also have an opportunity to engage the students of our school in service, transforming them as they strive to live as faithful Christian people in this world.

I am very excited about the coming school year as we will continually be working together to develop and create a service learning approach that connects the school-based curriculum with the inherent caring and concern young people have

for their world. The results from such an approach can be memorable, lifelong lessons for students that foster a stronger society for us all.

Students will be actively participating in the process of understanding, integrating, and applying knowledge from various subject areas as they work to improve their communities. We will be combining classroom learning with meeting an authentic community need. In all cases, service is meant to evoke the spirit of caring in those involved. Service learning in a Christian context has the ultimate purpose of serving God’s people and God’s creation, in the name of Jesus Christ, with the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Youth and adults together can explore and deepen their faith, being challenged to fulfill the call of Jesus to care for others and how their lives might wholly reflect this call.

The possibilities are endless when we work together in this wonderful faith community to make the Communion we receive come alive – to become more and more like Jesus. Encountering Jesus enables us to become like Him and sincerely follow His footprints. In Christ we become bread for the world’s bodily and spiritual hungers. Let’s be open to receive this wonderful gift and enable Christ to transform our hearts and minds to be more like Him!