For 2000 Years, Christ Has Been Waiting For You

~J.M.J.~

St Joseph Escriva once said, "Each time you approach the Blessed Sacrament, remember that Jesus has been waiting for you for twenty centuries for this personal visit from you."

Twenty centuries ago, Christ was at table. Longing to give of His very Presence to you and I, He took bread and wine, and invited us, saying, "Take and eat; This is My Body... This is My Blood." As such, receiving Holy Communion today is a response to this 2000-year-old invitation from Christ. It fulfils the Lord's longing to dwell in you, and you in Him, so that you may have eternal life, as we learn in John 6: 54-56. At Mass today, the priest acts in persona Christi as he repeats the actions of Christ Jesus, and gives you the Saving Host, bringing to fulfilment Christ's invitation to you. The beautiful thing about this invitation is that it is for today as much as it is for tomorrow. When you attend Mass tomorrow, it is still a fulfilment of this ancient invitation; Jesus beckons you to come as often as you wish to.

I was reflecting on this as I knelt at the feet of the Lord in the Adoration Room, reminiscing how our relationship has grown as I approach my 4th Anniversary with Him, which falls on Ash Wednesday. It took me a year to fall in love with His Real Presence, and have been longing to fulfil His invitation for three years. As I counted that there are 46 days before I receive the Easter Sacraments, I was amazed at how long I had been pining for Him. But I stopped in awe as St Escriva's quote flashed across my mind. If He had been waiting for me for 2000 years, another 46 days would get Him more excited than I am!

As the Red Candle

~J.M.J.~

May my heart melt before Thy Real Presence
As the red candle by Thy tabernacle.

May I burn with love for Thy Real Presence
As the red candle by Thy tabernacle.

May I consume myself in showing others unto Thy Real Presence
As the red candle by Thy tabernacle.

The Holocaust of Mass

~J.M.J.~

Among the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the sons of the Levites were chosen to be priests, as seen in Exodus 19:6. Their duty was to offer animal sacrifice to God upon the altar in what is known as "Holocaust". Along with these Holocausts, prayers are offered. Yet, these animal sacrifices were imperfect. Thus, the Father sent His Only-Begotten Son to be the Perfect Sacrifice.

Therefore, the duty of the Catholic priest is similar to that of the Jewish priest: to offer sacrifice to God upon the altar. However, this time, the sacrifice offered is not an animal, but the Perfect Sacrifice - Christ Himself. This is the celebration we call "Holy Mass". We learn that at Mass, bread and wine are transformed into the True Body and True Blood of the Lord, and Calvary is made present on the altar. While the crucified Christ is upon the altar, the most important prayers are said, which include prayers for the Church on Earth, the Church in Purgatory, with the Church in Heaven. This culminates in the Per Ipsum, where the priest raises the Host (another word for Sacrifice) towards Heaven, and exhorts, "Through Him, with Him, and in Him, O God Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is Yours, forever and ever." At this action, the angels bear the Perfect Sacrifice, and the prayers offered along with It, to the Heavenly Father.

Therefore, it is fitting that we join in to the Sacrifice our most important prayers, right after the Mystery of Faith, while the priest says his designated prayers. And as we see the priest lifting the Host towards Heaven, remember that our prayers, too, are offered with It, and therefore affirm the Per Ipsum with a sincere "Amen."

Host - What Does It Really Mean

~J.M.J.~

Very often, Catholics refer to the Eucharistic Bread as "Host", but some of us are unaware of the true meaning of the word. Yes, if you thought it was called as such because "the bread is a vessel which hosts Jesus," St Thomas Aquinas says you are wrong and the Church agrees with him.

In the Third Part of the Summa Theologiæ, Question 75, Article 2, St Aquinas says that the substances of bread and wine cease to exist after consecration. "Now a thing cannot be in any place, where it was not previously, except by... the conversion of another thing into itself". For example, if a person change for the better, he must cease to be bad. This means that substances of bread changes totally into the Body of Christ and wine into His Precious Blood, thus bread and wine must cease to exist.

This "Host" spoken of when referring to the Eucharist is also a different "Host" referred to in the Sanctus - "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Hosts". These "hosts" may refer either to the ancient armies of Israel over which the Lord God gave protection as in Gen 2:1, the host of angels, or just the hosts of stars and consequently the entire universe. Whichever definition you accept, it still cannot be applied to the Blessed Sacrament.

When spoken of in a Eucharistic context, "Host" originates from the Latin word, "Hostiam", which means "Victim". Upon the altar, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present. Precious Body and Precious Blood are consecrated separately to mirror the separation of these two upon the Cross. When we receive the Host, we remember that It is His Precious Body, which was once broken but is now glorified.

The victimhood of Christ upon the Cross is recalled in invoking Jesus Christ as "Host". In the Host lies the promise of Christ - that our broken souls will be glorified for all eternity.

Nativity and the Eucharist

~J.M.J.~

This Christmas (as with every other), we celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus in His Nativity. There are many similarities between His Nativity and the Eucharist, namely that they are the gifts of Christ to us and that they occur by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In both His Nativity and Eucharist, Christ has one intention: to give Himself to us. Jesus Christ became man because he wanted to dwell amongst us and spread the seed of His Word. And as He instituted the Eucharist, He desired to dwell in us and us in Him (Jn 6:56). St Aquinas very clearly shows us this similarity in the second verse of the Pange Lingua Gloriosi. "Nobis natus, nobis datus, // Ex intacta Virgine; // Et in mundo conversatus, // Sparso Verbi semine; // Sui moras incolatus // Miro clausit ordine. (Born to us, given to us, // Of the untouched Virgin; // And among us dwelt He, // Sowing the seed of the Word; // His life He concluded // With wonderful order.)" Reflecting upon the Blessed Sacrament enshrined on a cross-shaped monstrance, we see a circle in the middle of four corners. The circle has traditionally symbolised God for it is infinite and all-encompassing, while the four corners can be taken to represent those of the earth. And it is indeed true that Christ has made Himself physically present among us in the world today in the Eucharist, so that He may share of Himself up to this day, even though He was born 2000 years ago. There is only one reason for Him to give of Himself to us in His Nativity and Eucharist (and for everything else He does): because He loves us. He does not want to deprive us of His Holy Presence. Because we matter to Him and He to us.

Secondly, they occur by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Incarnation narrative says, 'And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Lk 1:35)' By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is made present in the Virgin's womb instantaneously. In the Eucharist, Christ is made present, replacing bread and wine, also by the power of the Holy Spirit. For the Prayer of Consecration at Mass says, "Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. (Eucharistic Prayer II)" As Christians, we must realise the indispensable role of the Advocate in bringing Christ to us. Each member of the Trinity concerns Himself with bring us to Another. Christ said that "no one can come to the Father except through me. (Jn 14:6)" Yet, He also said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him. (Jn 6:44)" Indeed, they love one another and it is their will to reveal another member to us so that we may share in their love - the love of the One God.

Indeed, the mysteries of our Faith are intertwined. No piece of truth stands on its own, for it is all part of one infinite Truth the human mind cannot fully discover: that is God Himself.

Merry Christmas and Blessed MMXIV!

What More Can I Ask For

What more can I ask for

Than the presence of my Lord

In this Holy Sacrament of the Altar?

Nothing.

What more can I ask for

Than physical Communion with my God

In which lies Christian perfection?

Nothing.

What more can I ask for

Than to witness the Passion of my Saviour

In this Eucharistic Celebration?

Nothing.

I ask for nothing more

Than the Bread of Life.

Amen.

Receiving Communion Kneeling as a Symbol of Salvation History

~J.M.J~

A catechumen myself, I have had many dreams about receiving Holy Communion - it is something I am eagerly looking forward to. I am bent on receiving the Corpus Christi on my knees for the rest of my life because I feel that that is due to my Lord. Recently, I reflected on each action I would have to take when making Communion on my knees, and slowly realised how each action spoke of a milestone in our Salvation History from the Fall of Man to eternal life.

As I fall to my knees, I recall the Fall of Man. Desperate, and in need of a Saviour. 

Then, the priest draws the Blessed Sacrament from the ciborium and brings it down to my tongue. With the ciborium representing heaven, and my tongue the earth, this action mirrors the Incarnation, when "He came down from Heaven" to dwell among us.

I retract my tongue and break the Host with me teeth. The breaking of the Eucharistic Bread signifies the crucifixion and death of Christ, just as during the Fractioning at the Agnus Dei. Therefore, I fulfil Jesus' command. "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body, which will be given up for you." 

Then, I swallow the Host. Now in complete Communion with Christ, I rise to my feet - for just as Jesus rose from the dead, so too am I suppose to rise with Him. For Christ Himself promised, "I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven; whoever eats this Bread will live forever, and the Bread that I give is My Flesh for the life of the world." (Jn 6:51) Thus witnessing how a sinner was saved by the grace of God.

And I awake from my sweet slumber, realising it was all a dream. But I look forward to time when I shall savour the Bread of Life for the rest of my days. For St John Vianney said, "Every consecrated Host is made to burn Itself up with love in a human heart."

Præsta meæ menti de Te vívere,
Et Te illi semper dulce sápere.

The Greatest Eucharistic Miracle

J.M..J.

In 700 A.D., a priest, doubting in the Real Presence was saying Mass. After the words of consecration, the bread visibly changed into Flesh, and the wine into Blood.

In the 13th century, another priest, also doubting the Real Presence, witnessed blood dripping from the Host, staining the corporeal, as he barely said the words of consecration. Pope Urban IV investigated this miracle and, in honour of it, established a new feast: Corpus Christi.

These are just two of many Eucharistic miracles which have occurred throughout history - all of which are testament to the Real Presence of Christ Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Some say this miracle is the greatest, others claim another. In my opinion, this is the greatest Eucharistic miracle:

The Transubstantiation.

Yes, the miracle that is, was, and shall be repeated at every Mass is my favourite of all Eucharistic miracles. Mere bread and wine, by the power of the Holy Spirit, transform into the true Body and true Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Is that not plain usual and boring?

Well, the Transubstantiation is the most important miracle because it is indispensable, and is the most amazing simply because it happens at every single Mass. It is the miracle that fulfils Christ's motivation behind instituting the Holy Eucharist - to feed His flock. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." (Jn 6:56) So infinite is this miracle and the grace that flows from it!

Imagine what would happen if the Gifts ceased to turn into the Body and Blood of our Saviour. All the faithful will be denied of the graces promised in this great Sacrament. In addition, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, "Without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist." And if the Transubstantiation does not occur, we worship bread, and will be idolators. I believe most of us would condemn ourselves to Hell over such a grievous sin.

All the other miracles add to the faith of those who choose to believe them, yet many still persist in disbelief and find ways and means to offer alternative explanations behind these miracles. If they never happened, those strong in faith will still confess in the Real Presence. Therefore, these miracles only confirm, for the doubters, what is already true: that Transubstantiation occurs. Yes, these miracles are great, deserve to be proclaimed, and are useful in evangelisation. We should praise God for them. But they are still dispensable.

Therefore, I urge you to, at subsequent Masses, recall the moment of consecration, where Transubstantiation occurs, as the greatest Eucharistic miracle. As the priest elevates the Host, adore Him with intense love, and as the priest genuflects, bow your head in deep thanksgiving for that wonderful miracle.

Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem efficit:
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
Et si sensus deficit,
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
Sola fides sufficit.

(Pange Lingua Gloriosi Verse 4 - St Thomas Aquinas)

Disclaimer: I do not belong to any religious order. In fact, I am a catechumen seeking baptism in the Catholic Church. Nonetheless, while at Adoration, the Lord has instructed me to write about His Real Presence. If I have confused the my own perceptions with the Lord's wisdom by writing something contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, I firstly seek your forgiveness, and ask that you bring it up to me in the comments so that others may not be misled. Thank you.

If you wish to journey with me through RCIA, you can read my blog at myrciajourneymmxiii.blogspot.sg.

Why I Believe in the Bible

~J.M.J~

If you asked me, "Why should I believe in the Bible?" to be honest, I have no satisfactory answer for you. But if you asked me "Why do YOU believe in the Bible?" I am very clear on that. And here is my answer:

Because I believe that someone powerful (i.e. God) is truly present in the Holy Eucharist through my many deep encounters with this Sacrament. And when I finally questioned the validity of the Bible (why follow the Bible and not the scriptures of other religions), I could only answer: because the Bible teaches the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, who is God, and I have experienced for myself that those teachings are true. In a similar light, I place my faith in the Catholic Church.

Twisted? How can faith be built upon one Sacrament rather than the Word of God? Actually, my path of faith is perfectly reconcilable with the teachings of the Church. CCC 1324 states, 'The Eucharist is the "source and summit of Christian life."' That the Eucharist is my source of Christian life is a fitting description of my journey of faith, since my faith in all the other aspects of this Christian faith is built on it. All Christians agree that faith should be grounded in Christ. And this is how my faith is.

Therefore, it follows that I either be Catholic, or not Christian at all. Because if I were to renounce the Real Presence, my faith in the Bible and all the other tenets of Christianity will be thrashed with it.

Certainly, I cannot rely solely on Eucharistic Adoration to increasing my faith. The Sacrament of Silence remains silent most of the time; I only heard Him once. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to listen to Scripture, where the voice of the Sacrament of Silence is more audible, and thus increase my love for and knowledge in God. Yet, I spend time with Him in the Sacrament of Silence because presence is essential in any relationship.

Yes, it was indeed by the words of the Word Incarnate that mere bread and wine transformed (and thenceforth still be transformed) into His own Body and Blood. Precious are the words that He spoke, yet more precious is the Gift those words brought about - the Gift of Himself to us.

Adoro Te devote, latens Deitas,
Quæ sub his figuris vere latitas:
Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit
Quia Te contemplans totum deficit.

Three Manners of Receiving Communion (Corpus Christi Special)

~J.M.J~

I'd sat on this one for a long time, thinking of what to write as a special on this Feast of Corpus et Sanguis Christi (The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ). It's a day late, but I finally decided to write about the manners in which Holy Communion may be received: kneeling and on the tongue, standing and on the tongue, and standing and on the hand.

Kneeling and On the Tongue

On Corpus Christi 2008, Pope Benedict XVI asked that communicants kneel while receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. Ever since, he had been administering Holy Communion only to the faithful who knelt at the altar rail until he retired from the Petrine Ministry. Currently, Pope Francis administers this Sacrament only to his priests, and they all kneel when receiving the Flesh of the Lord. There is only one message from these two popes: Holy Communion is preferably received kneeling. There are two reasons: reverence and Tradition.

Imagine the scene on the last day when you meet the Lord face-to-face. Would you be standing or kneeling? Most probably, the answer would be kneeling. Why? Because you wish to show your submission to the Lord your God, your respect for the Lord your King, your love for the Lord your Saviour. If you firmly confess in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, you would behave similarly before the Blessed Sacrament - you would kneel. After all, you have admitted that you are not worthy that He should enter under your roof.

The second reason is that of Sacred Tradition. For one-and-a-half millennia, since St Gregory the Great decreed so, the entire Latin Rite has been kneeling to receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ, at least when they were not celebrating Mass. The countless saints have all humbled themselves before the Lord by kneeling to receive him. Therefore, in continuity of Tradition, Holy Communion should be received kneeling.

It has also been argued that receiving Communion standing was driven from the diocesan level towards the Holy See, which was then pressured to make the change in policy to permit, in certain dioceses, that practice.

Standing and In the Hand

For the first four centuries of the Church, Communion was received standing and in the hand. This means that three of the Four Fathers of the Latin Church, Sts Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome, received the Body and Blood of Christ in this manner. The only one who did not do so was St Gregory the Great, as he himself decreed that the Host be received on the knees. Therefore, receiving Holy Communion in this manner is more traditional than kneeling or on the tongue.

Theologically speaking, the Lord, who is present in the Blessed Sacrament, is risen. Thus, we should receive Him standing. As to why on the hand, it is because Jesus said, "Take and eat," which suggests the using of hands.

However, it may be argued that the Church continually renews herself to bring the people closer to God, thus newer teachings of kneeling should supersede the older teaching of standing. As to the argument about Jesus' words, they were probably uttered in Aramaic, then translated to Greek, and then to Latin, and then to English. Things could have been lost in the translation. St Jerome, who translated the Bible to Latin, may have been influenced to choose the word "accípite"(Latin for "take") by his current practices.

Standing and On the Tongue

What is not consecrated should not come into contact with the Precious Body. That is why the hands of a priest and vessels of the Eucharist are consecrated. Our hands commit sin, and therefore renders them impure, and should never touch the Sacred Host. 

In addition, fine crumbs of the Body of Christ will be inevitably stuck on the communicant's hands, and scattered all over the ground and trampled upon by the faithful. This is deep sacrilege to the Heavenly King. Only the priest washes his hands in holy water after administering Communion and consumes the entire mix of fine crumbs of the Precious Body, small drops of the Precious Blood, and the holy water.

However, there exists a hygiene concern as the tongue may occasionally touch the hands of the priest or extraordinary Communion minister (ECM). Also, no priest or ECM would consume the Sacred Host if it fell of a communicant's tongue and onto the floor. The communicant would have to pick it up and consume it, which would be rather foolish as they have to touch the Blessed Sacrament after all the trouble (s)he has gone through to avoid that.

Also, the Holy See prefers that Holy Communion be received on the tongue. For a diocese to receive the Eucharistic Bread on the hand, the bishops in a country have to vote and pass by a two-thirds majority that they want this practice to be enforced. After which, the findings are reported to the Holy See, and then approval may be granted at the Holy See's full discretion. That a two-thirds majority is required clearly demonstrates that the Holy See prefers that Communion be received on the tongue. It can be said that they have casted 2/3 - 1/2 = 1/6 of the votes against Communion in the hand. Watch this video for more information. It touches on the issue at 5:00. The rest of the video is informative too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap1KL2D5ae4

Conclusion

Personally, I prefer to receive Holy Communion kneeling, that is after my baptism of course. I see no difference between the Sacred Host held in the hands of a priest before me, and when I go before the Throne when I meet the Lord face-to-face. I feel that even kneeling cannot sufficiently express how much I respect and love my Lord, but that is the best I can do with my body to demonstrate my sincerity. 

If you say that you would stand before the Throne of the Lord, then I encourage you to stick to your beliefs and receive the Blessed Sacrament standing. For some local cultures, it may be more reverent to stand instead of kneel, and for others, receiving things on the hand may be very respectful.

Therefore, I offer only one piece of advice: Do whatever you feel best expresses your feelings towards the One in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Hymn Analysis - Pange Lingua Gloriosi

~J.M.J.~

Disclaimer: I do not belong to any religious order. In fact, I should not even be called a Catholic, as I am not baptised yet. (I have signed up for the R.C.I.A after this Easter.) Nonetheless, at a recent Adoration, the Lord has instructed me to write about His Real Presence. If I have confused the my own perceptions with the Lord's wisdom by writing something contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, I firstly seek your forgiveness, and ask that you bring it up to me in the comments so that others may not be misled. Thank you.

Hi everyone. This is my first blog and as mentioned above, the Lord, at a recent adoration, bade me write about His Real Presence. So what better way to start than by discussing a hymn which calls my tongue to speak of the glorious mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ, Pange Lingua Gloriosi, by St Thomas Aquinas.

(Full credits to Steven's Blog)

-Uses of this Hymn-

On Holy Thursday, which is in about a week's time, you would most likely chant this hymn at the Eucharistic procession. So it is kind of fitting for me to write about this now. Otherwise, this hymn can be used any time to praise the Lord Jesus, especially in the Blessed Sacrament.

The last two stanzas of this hymn are often set apart as a separate hymn known as Tantum Ergo, and often used at Benediction. Personally, I open every adoration with Tantum Ergo to venerate the Lord. I usually throw myself down at the words "veneremur cernui" (vererate with faces to the ground), and raise my torso as I begin the last stanza, where the Holy Trinity is praised, crossing myself at "Procedenti ab utroque" when all three Members of the Holy Trinity have been honoured.

-Analysis-

This hymn begins with a call to praise the Blessed Sacrament, with the words "Pange lingua gloriosi Corporis Mysterium, Sanguinisque pretiosi" serving as a fitting introduction to the prayer. The rest of the hymn is nothing but praise of the Blessed Sacrament, with occasional reminders to the devotee who is praying this hymn. The highlight of this stanza is that the King of nations gave to ransom to the world. This means that His incarnation was simply to achieve one goal: to free the world (us) from eternal death which we deserved for our damning sins. 

Stanza 2 begins by emphasising that Jesus was given to, and born for us sinners. By becoming man, he shared with us all human traits, and this is truly humbling; He was to become hungry when He went without food for forty days, and felt pain when tortured during His Passion. 

That aside, He sowed the seeds of His word, and closed His life with great order. He closed His life with the Institution of the Eucharist. The next stanza reveals so. On what account then, was the institution of the Sacrament an ordered way of closing His life. Firstly, He knew that He was about to suffer, die, rise from the dead and ascend, body and soul, into Heaven. Desiring to continue dwelling among us physically, He performed this wonderful rite so that even today, we may surrender our concerns to Him, with Him before our eyes. Secondly, this rite allows that those of you who may receive Communion to have His body infused with yours. This is a privilege unavailable to those who lived in His time. In some sense, it is a compensation for us who cannot see his face as some others did 2000 years ago. 

Stanza 3 recalls the Institution of the Eucharist itself. The most striking part of this stanza is the last part, "Cibum turbae duodene, | Se dat suis manibus." To those of you who are baptised Catholics, recall how, at Communion, the priest (or extraordinary Communion minister) holds the Precious Body before you, proclaiming, "The Body of Christ." This paraphrases Jesus' words, "This is my body." This moment reenacts Jesus giving His body with His venerable hands to His apostles. 

This leads me to a question.

Do you allow these words to sink into before you sincerely declare "Amen", or do you say it out of routine? If your answer is the latter, you have committed mortal sin. "For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself" (1 Cor. 11:27, 29) So even if you received Communion, then acknowledged His presence, you have already committed mortal sin. Therefore, be mindful of this and should you feel that you cannot give a sincere answer "Amen" to the Lord, do not commit yet another sin by lying with an "Amen". Instead, indicate that you wish to receive a spiritual communion (aka blessing) - at least you did not commit a mortal sin. After Mass, consult someone who may assist you in building up your Eucharistic faith.

Stanza 4 describes how by the words of the Word Made Flesh, bread is changed into His flesh and wine into His blood. (Verbum caro, panem verum, | Verbo carnem efficit) Poetic as these words sound, St Aquinas reminds us that Christ is the Word, so His words is the Word, which is the Truth. When He said, "This is my body", we are all to believe so. St Aquinas understood that this is a great challenge as His Real Presence is so unintuitive, and so consoles us by telling us to fall back on our faith in the Truth with the words "Et si sensus deficit, | Ad firmandum cor sincerum, | Sola fides sufficit."

Having justified that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, St Aquinas calls us to venerate Him. That aside, the "antiquum documentum" refers to Holocaust, and the "novo ritui" refers to the Eucharist, so he is saying that the Eucharist is the new rite which replaces the Holocaust. The Eucharist is perfect, because Christ, Who is sacrificed in the Eucharist is the Perfect Sacrifice. (Recall Eucharistic Prayer I: This pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim...) After all, no sacrifice of animals could appease the Father, so He had to send His Son to die for us on the Cross. Then, once again, the Eucharistic doctor beckons us to use our faith to supply for our limitations in sight.

Finally, like all other hymns written at that time, this hymn concludes by honouring the Trinity. Bear in mind that in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Son is truly present - body and soul, humanity and divinity. As the Trinity is undivided, the Father and Holy Spirit are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament too. So we should not forget to honour them.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that this attempt at explaining this hymn will help you find the Eucharistic procession on Holy Thursday more meaningful. Habemus Papam! God bless you this Lent.

Let our lives be focused on the Small White Circle - the Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Hence, to the Devil will we never turn our eyes, and towards the present One shall we draw.