My life for the life of the world

Jesus said:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."

The way the meet Jesus in the Eucharist overflows into our daily life. It is the most intimate of encounters where somebody shares their whole life with us so that we may discover what brings us life. This is not just a giving or receiving of something it is a giving and receiving of someone. This opens us the realisation that our lives have eternal worth and that this encounter changes everything. It is all too easy to see this as something we do rather than something we become. We receive Eucharist so that we can become one with Christ. We do not just do this as individuals but as a communion which draws us close to each other. Just as we reverence Jesus in the tabernacle so we should also reverence each other where Jesus becomes the tabernacle of our heart. As Augustine says, "It was in the flesh that Christ walked among us and it is His flesh that He has given us to eat for our salvation." When we genuflect to the tabernacle we honour how God calls us to be present to his saving grace which is for our good and the good of the whole world. We are called to be disciples of that grace which draws us closer to him and closer to each other.