Eucharistic Reflection - The Door Of His Heart Is Always Open

[The following reflection assumes that persons presenting themselves for Holy Communion, are free from mortal sin]

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

Love and confidence can be awakened by considering that this Lord, though great in majesty, justice, and hatred of sin, is equally great in goodness and mercy for sinners. That is why He descended from heaven to earth and assumed our flesh. For sinners He fasted, traveled, sweat, labored, kept vigil, suffered persecution and the contradictions of the world. For sinners He preached by day and prayed and kept vigil by night. For sinners the door of His heart is always open, so that He will never drive them away, however miserable they may be.

He so earnestly desired the salvation of sinners that He did not cease until He was nailed to a cross between two thieves and shed His precious blood for them. Not content with this, having finished the course of His earthly life, He instituted this Sacrament [the Eucharist] by which He might remain among men, so that all who need a remedy would always find it. The same cause that led Him to die for sinners, led Him to institute this Sacrament It was love that brought Him down to earth and put Him in the hands of sinners; it is love also that brings Him back again and puts Him in the same hands. There was no other cause for this Great work but love on His part and need on our part. Therefore, this Sacrament is a common remedy for the just and for sinners.

This is what they do not understand who stay away from this Sacrament. They do not realize that this Sacrament was instituted not only as food for the healthy, but as medicine for the sick; not only as a gift for the just, but as a remedy for repentant sinners. And he who is weaker needs this Sacrament more. The weak man is much less able to live than the strong. The strong man can go for a longer time without help, but he who is so weak that as soon as God’s eyes are turned from him he begins to fall away, where will he end if he does not use this aid?

Therefore, the Lord especially compassionated this type of person when he said: “If I let them go away hungry, they will fall by the wayside, because some of them have come from afar.” Then as now those who have come from afar were in greater danger because they have had a longer journey; so also the weak suffer more because they have yet a long way to travel before they reach the perfection of charity. And since this heavenly bread was meant as a help for such as these, it is not temerity but a very salutary prudence to make use of this remedy and medicine which has been provided by Him at the cost of no less love than blood. One of the great faults of men and for which they shall one day have to give an accounting, is that they have not taken advantage of the remedy of the Blessed Sacrament.

(From Summa of a Christian Life – Preparation for Communion by Venerable Louis of Granada, O.P.)