better than french bread

Ever wondered how things would be if we lived in the time when Jesus walked the world? I mean, how would it be talking to Him, touching Him, and listening to Him right then and there, face-to-face? Even a song that's not really religious asks, "What if God was one of us?"

What if He's within one-meter radius? Would you ask Him who His favorite actor is, or what his favorite show on TV is? Would you ask Him to heal you, or fill you with water that will never make you thirsty again? Or how about asking Him to feed you a million breads from one loaf? Whew! Now that would definitely be something.

But wait a minute! Hasn't your neighborhood priest or anyone told you that Jesus is still hanging around? I know you'll probably think he's speaking of God's spiritual presence in every place you go to, but have you ever considered that what he/she is speaking of is God's physical presence? I mean not just Jesus looking over you, but Jesus truly beside you? - Jesus "with" you?

Well, if no one has told you that, let me be the first one to tell you - God is still here on earth, available for all of us to look at, listen to, and touch more than we can imagine!

Now some may say, "Hey, I never see Him on TV. All I see are actors who portray Him. I'm sure CNN, ABC or even Fox News would be talking about Him if He were here. Where the heck is the presence you're speaking of?"

Well, the presence that I am speaking of is talked about daily, at almost all points in the globe and at any time in your watches. If you really haven't heard a lot about it, "You're missing a lot!"

As Saint John Chrysostom said, a lot of people are asking about where Jesus is, or what does He sound like, but He is here, for you to touch, to listen to, as a source of nourishment and healing.

So how's that? During the Last Supper, Jesus uttered the words that made all who believe in Him receive Him more fully. "This is my body...This is my blood," He said. No mere symbols there. It's really Him! He didn't say "This bread is my body, or this wine is my blood." They were no longer bread and wine, but body and blood! Now if you know who Jesus is, you know He can't possibly lie about that.

And you know what, He asked His Apostles to do what they have done, which is receive God's body and blood, in remembrance of Him until the end of time. After all, Jesus said, "I will be with you always." And so through Apostolic succession, or through handing down the authority God bestowed to His Apostles, we are able to see, hear and touch God's Real Presence here on earth. We can be sure that until He "returns", He is still with us in a very real sense.

Want to see Him, tell Him something, or touch Him right there and then, face-to-face? Chances are, you do! You even place Him inside of you each time you go to communion.

Now if you know that what you receive during the Holy Mass is Jesus Christ Himself, not any mumbo-jumbo symbols, would you not do everything to prepare and receive it? I mean, if that would mean the greatest ever you can have, would you still take a billion dollars in exchange for it? After all, Jesus said that unless we eat His body and blood we could never be saved.

Or would you not treat it with greatest respect and reverence? If you've been wishing all your life to show and tell Jesus everything you've ever wanted, what you know He is worthy of, isn't this your chance? No sense asking those silly questions again now that you know God is still physically present to you.

Now how about the way you treat your closest friends? Ever noticed how easier it is to get along or be closer to those people you don't just talk to through phone or letters, but be with physically? Or ever noticed how much easier it is to get to know or understand those which are with you in the physical sense?

While it is true that God is everywhere, God is not physically present everywhere. God understands how much this presence is important that He gave us the Holy Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist. Knowing this, would you say you'd just talk to Him anywhere although you have the opportunity to do so? Would you tell your neighbor that you'd always just talk to each other on the phone though you're free to visit him?

While prayer outside the real presence is great, praying to God face-to-face is far-out! Just as the saints say, the more you expose yourself to the Eucharist the more graces you receive. And I don't find that hard to believe since almost all, if not all, of the saints and holy men place special reverence and devotion to the Eucharist.

I can't possibly over emphasize how great this gift is. I'm even sure I didn't say enough about it. I just hope that each day you're made to choose between God and the world, between the Eucharist and any bread, you'll choose God, you'll choose the Holy Eucharist. After all, it's far better than French bread, even if you put some cheese on it! So don't just stand there. Go to Jesus already. Tell Him or ask Him something. Better yet, listen to Him.