The Guest from Heaven

You remember that Jesus said that although He was leaving this world and was going back to His Father’s House in Heaven, He would not leave us orphans but would come to us. That same night, the night before He died, He told His Apostles how to call Him from Heaven and how, at their bidding, He would come and be the Guest of their hearts. For when the Last Supper was over, taking bread, He blessed it and broke it and gave it to them, saying: “Take ye and eat. This is My Body.” (Matt. 26:26.) And taking the cup of wine, He blessed it and gave it to them, saying: “Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood.” (Verses 27, 28.) And the Apostles ate the sacred Body of Christ and drank His precious Blood, and Jesus told them that they, too, by doing just as He had done, should change bread into His Body and wine into His Blood.

And ever since that night, the priests of Jesus’ Church change bread into His Body and wine into His Blood. Each day, each priest throughout the world obeys Christ’s dying wish and, in the Mass, does once more what Jesus did on that sad night in which He was betrayed.

In the Mass, the priest offers to God, on a little gold plate, a round piece of unleavened bread such as Jesus used, and, in a gold cup, wine mixed with water.

In the middle of the Mass, the priest takes the bread in his hands, blesses it and says, as Jesus did: “This is My Body.” At once Christ steps from Heaven and places Himself in the priest’s fingers where, an instant before, had been a piece of bread. The priest looks at the round, white host and though his eyes can see no change, he knows he holds the Body of Christ and, first kneeling to adore our Lord whom he has called from Heaven, he raises high above his head the sacred host that we too may look and cry as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28.)

Then blessing the cup of wine, the priest says, as Jesus did: “This is My Blood.” At once the wine is changed into the Blood of Christ and though the priest’s eyes can see no change, he kneels to adore and then raises the cup that we, too, may look at it, knowing it holds the Blood that washes away our sins.

Towards the end of the Mass, the priest eats the sacred Body of Christ and drinks His precious Blood.

In the sacred host, the whole of Jesus is present—His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His divinity and not His Body alone; and in the cup, under what looks like wine, the whole of Jesus is present, His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His divinity, and not His Blood alone.

And then the cloth is spread, people go to the railing, the priest comes down from the altar, and places on each person’s tongue, a sacred host which is Jesus Himself, His Body, His Blood, His Soul, His divinity. Then each one goes back to his place, carrying in his heart his heavenly Guest.

And soon you, too, will be able to go to the railing and receive on your tongue, from the hands of the priest, the same Jesus who once came to earth on Christmas night and once died on a cross, all for you. Then carefully swallowing the sacred host, you will carry the dear Christ within you, back to your seat and there, kneeling with bowed head and closed eyes, love Him with all your heart. With your face in your hands, it will be easy to think that Jesus is sitting down and that you are kneeling at His feet with your face buried in His lap. Feel His hand resting on your head and stay like this as long as you can. When you get tired, look up into His beautiful face and talk to Him. Thank Him for coming clear from Heaven to be your Guest, thank Him for making you a soldier in His army and for washing away all your sins in His Blood, thank Him for the wonderful place He has ready for you in His Father’s House. Ask Him to let you die before you commit a mortal sin, ask Him to make you a good Catholic and to bless your father, mother, brothers, sisters and friends. Tell Him what you would like to be when you grow up; tell Him your worst sin and ask Him to help you to kill it; tell Him about something you will try to do to please Him before His next visit. When you can think of nothing else, read your prayer-book or say some little prayers until you have stayed five or ten minutes after Mass is over.

To receive Holy Communion, you must not have a single mortal sin on your soul and you must take nothing to eat or drink after twelve o’clock the night before. If you should forget and take a drink or a bite to eat, you could not receive Holy Communion that day.

If you should have only venial sins on your soul, you could receive Holy Communion, but in that case, first make a good act of Contrition. And of course we ought to try to have our souls without a spot so that when Jesus comes, He will see nothing that will make Him feel badly.

And when we are sick, if we send word to the priest, he will carry our Lord to us and let us receive Him in Holy Communion.

When you have made your First Communion, ask the priest how often you can go to Holy Communion and then try to go as often as he will let you.

The greatest thing we can do is to receive Jesus and the greatest moments of our lives are when we hold Him in our hearts. If we receive Him often all through life and receive Him carefully, He will keep many dangers away from us and will make us more and more like Himself, gentle and kind and obedient and truthful. And then, when we die and go to visit Him, what a welcome He will give us!