Eucharistic Reflection - Oh, The Angels Cry!

(St. Francis Xavier Hyannis, MA)

“No wonder Angels frown. Jesus Christ so loved man that He died for him; and ‘greater love than this no man has!’ Ah, Jesus Christ is God and he has a greater love for man than man’s love. He gave man’s proof of love by dying; He gives God’s proof by living. Jesus Christ died; He arose from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and yet, He would not leave the earth! No. He loves man too much! He must be near man. That is love’s way. Nearness is not enough; love craves union! So Jesus Christ became Food and Drink that He might live in man and man might live in Him. The Divine Beggar has beggared Himself. More, He cannot do…

Christmas night rocked Heaven. Angels were aghast at the Incarnation. But Holy Thursday night struck them dumb. That God should become a Babe in swaddling clothes was cause for overwhelming surprise; but that God should bury Himself in Bread and become the very Food of man dazzled and stupefied the nine choirs of Heaven’s court. And yet, great as was God’s action, they were not completely bewildered by it. No! It took man’s reaction to do that! Heaven was not completely bewildered until it saw man’s coldness to God’s condescension.

Bethlehem closed doors – but Bethlehem did not really know who Joseph was or whom Mary tabernacled. Roman soldiers scourged Christ and hammered Him to a Cross while High priests howled and frenzied Jews mocked; but none of these fully understood what they did or who He was. But you! – you have made profession after profession of your belief. You say that you know that God is on your altars; that He is there with His Body and His Blood, His soul and divinity under the guise of Bread and the appearances of Wine. You proclaim to believe that God is Emmanuel – God with us – yet, you leave Him alone!...

[Seraphim] do not understand men and women and even growing children who say that they want life and love, and then deliberately neglect the only Food and Drink that will give them life and love, preserve them in life and love, and augment their lives and their loves! Heaven cannot understand your neglect of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Can you?”

(From A Trappist Asks Do You Want Life and Love? By a Trappist author)