Belief in the Eucharist expressed in many ways

The Church in the US is preparing for a National Eucharistic Congress. There has not been such a congress since 1977. It will be held in Indianapolis on Sunday, July 21, 2024. As a sign of preparing for this upcoming congress, four processions to Indianapolis are already underway, making their way from the south, west, east, and north. 
The southern procession will visit Mobile on Saturday, June 15 as it travels from Brownsville, Texas to Indianapolis. A Mass will be celebrated in the Cathedral at 8 a.m. and then a procession will proceed from the Cathedral to St. Mary Parish Church for prayer. Afterwards, people are invited to participate in works of mercy. All are invited and further information will be available in The Catholic Week.
As we take this opportunity to celebrate the priceless gift of the Eucharist, it would be helpful for us to reflect upon our Catholic belief in the Eucharist. Our belief in the Eucharist is very rich. It is like a finely cut diamond. As one turns a diamond, light is caught and reflected in various ways displaying different colors as it turns.
So too our belief in the Eucharist can be expressed in a variety of important ways:
The Eucharist is Real Presence. It is the unbroken faith of the Church. Since the time of the apostles, the Church has believed what Jesus said, “This is my Body, this is my Blood.” We believe that at Mass the bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. As St. Justin wrote in 155 A.D.:
For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. (St. Justin)
The Eucharist is mystery. We can only marvel that God, the Creator of the cosmos, can become truly present in the mere elements of bread and wine. Nothing is impossible for God.
The Eucharist teaches us who we are. As Psalm 8 says, “What is man that you care for him?” We are loved by God. The all-powerful God loves us, His creatures, which were created from dust. God showed this on the cross and whenever we celebrate the Eucharist. God chooses to be with us until the end of the world. There is no greater sign that we are united to God than when we actually receive Christ into our bodies.
The Eucharist is a mandate. After the Last Supper, the first celebration of the Eucharist, the Lord called His apostles to follow him. We who celebrate the Eucharist are called to follow the Lord into the world as His instruments, to care for our neighbor and to show we are His followers through our witness. The word “Mass” means “You are sent.” If we receive the Real Presence of Christ at Mass, we are to be the real presence of Christ in the world.
The Eucharist is Communion. Of all the ways the Lord could have given us to worship God, He gave us a meal. Food gathers people together, and the Lord uses food to bring us together around the table of the Eucharist. No better way could have been selected to show that we, who are sons and daughters of the Father, are therefore brothers and sisters to one another.
The Eucharist is strength. As we receive the Eucharist into our very bodies, we are reminded that Christ is with us in all things. He is feeding us, travelling with us, strengthening us, experiencing all we are experiencing.
The Eucharist is sacrifice. The Lord made the one perfect sacrifice on the cross, never to be repeated. Yet He commanded us to “Do this in memory of Me.” At Mass, we not only remember the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but this one sacrifice is again made present to us at that moment. God is above time. What He did on the cross 200 years ago, He again makes present to us at every Mass.
The Eucharist is thanksgiving. The word “Eucharist” is a Greek word meaning thanksgiving. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are giving God praise, honor, glory and thanks.
May we pray to grow more deeply in our faith in the Eucharist and more fervent in our thanks for this priceless gift.