The Blood Of Jesus Christ

The Sacrament of Love - The Happy Priest Reflects on the Gift of the Eucharist

The Eucharist allows us to experience His unconditional love

I have never really understood why people who could attend Mass or make Eucharistic visits during the week simply choose not to do so. It is quite possible that with the availability of so many parishes and adoration chapels, that people simply begin to take the gift of the Eucharist for granted. The Eucharist is the sacrament of love.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - This Sunday's gospel passage reminds us once again of God's unconditional love for us. "When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick" (Matthew 14: 14). In essence, Christianity is an on-going love story. It is a love story about God's unconditional love for you and me.

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds" (Matthew 14: 19). The feeding of the multitude is a concrete manifestation of God's unconditional love for humanity. Jesus cannot send the crowds away hungry. His unconditional love compels him to provide for their needs.

However, the miracle of the loaves and fishes directs our attention to the miracle of the Eucharist. Jesus' miracle is a foretaste of the greatest of all miracles, the miracle of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sacrament of love. The Eucharist allows us to experience his unconditional love. He loves us so much, that he cannot leave us.

When people are in love they always have pictures of those whom they love in a very special way. True love is unconditional. True love of spouses for each other and their children knows no boundaries. Parents always have pictures of their children, and children, when they leave home, always have pictures of their parents. Anyone who is truly in love always, in some way or another, always has pictures of those who are unconditionally loved.

When Jesus ascended to the Father, it would have been very simple for him merely to leave us with a record of all that he had said and done; however, he could not contain his love within the confines of time and space. Because of his unconditional love, he had to remain with us. The Eucharist is not a symbol, it is a reality. Jesus is truly with us.

Romano Guardini once wrote: "The Holy Eucharist is the final link in the sacred chain of life-giving nourishment reaching from the remoteness of God into the here and now of human existence" (The Lord 238-239). Do you understand why this is so?

Romans 3 Bible Study|Laboring In The Lord|The Blood Of Jesus

V 23

Paul explained that no difference existed among human beings because all have sinned. Since the entire human race was plunged into sin with Adam, all (whether Jews or Gentiles) are sinners. It is impossible to say there is a difference, that the Jews’ privileges ( Romans 2:12-21 ; 3:1 ) exclude them from God’s condemnation.

Not only did all sin, but also all fall short. This single Greek verb is in the present tense, stressing continuing action. It can be translated “keep on falling short.” The simple fact is that as a sinner not a single human being by his own efforts is able to measure up to the glory of God. God’s glory is His splendor, the outward manifestation of His attributes. God desires that humans share that splendor, that they become like Him, that is, Christlike. Yet their sin keeps them from sharing it.

v 24

In view of man’s sin, God has stepped in with His provided righteousness, because all who believe are justified. We could not make it right or even keep it right before God. Therefore, He did both for us…

God’s justification of those who believe is provided freely by His grace. God justifies by the instrument of His grace, His unmerited favor. Grace is a favorite word of Paul’s, used by him in Romans 24 times. But God would not declare a person righteous without an objective basis, that is, without dealing with his sin. That basis is the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary was the price of payment for human sin which secured release from the bondage of Satan and sin for every person who trusts God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation.

v 25a

God presented Him, Christ, as a Sacrifice of atonement.

Christ, God’s propitiatory Sacrifice for sin, was presented, in contrast with the tabernacle’s mercy seat which was hidden from view. This work of Christ is through faith in His blood (cf. Romans 5:9 ). It is appropriated by faith (cf. Romans 3:22 ). By the death of Jesus and the shedding of His blood the penalty for sin has been paid and God has been satisfied or propitiated.

vv 25b-26

God’s purpose in Christ’s death was to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (cf. Acts 17:30 ). Why did God not always punish sins in the past? Does this mean He is not righteous after all? Previously Paul said God was forbearing because He wanted to lead people to repent (Romans 2:4). Here God is said to be forbearing because He anticipated His provision for sins in the death of Jesus Christ. Such forbearance was an evidence of His grace (cf. Acts 14:16; 17:30), not of His injustice.

The Blood of Jesus Christ

The blood of Jesus Christ

The blood of Jesus Christ

The blood of Jesus Christ, as seen in its efficacy and eternality as understood in its purpose, work, preservation and preeminence

The blood of Jesus Christ