Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
Eucharistic spirituality and devotion: the difference between doing Eucharist and being Eucharist.
Contemplation and action are the two wings that elevate the soul to the heights of genuine encounter with the Lord in his sacrament of love. It is the combination of doing and being. Active contemplation demonstrates fully conscious, active participation in building the body of Christ from the riches of the Eucharist. In this way, one may view eucharistic spirituality and devotion as a spiritual bridge uniting the divine and the human. We taste the goodness of God in his sacrament of love, where the body and blood of Christ become our spiritual nourishment and remedy against sin for our souls. Jesus offered himself to be more present to us than we are to ourselves. He makes of us Eucharist for the world, bread broken and shared for our fellow humans and for all God’s creation.
Our spirituality is shaped by the praise and worship of the Eucharist and by its significance in the lives of all believers. We carry the mission not only to do Eucharist through our acts of worship and by proclaiming Jesus Hostia, but also to become channels and vessels of love. The two poles make up our eucharistic identity: doing Eucharist and being Eucharist. Doing Eucharist and being Eucharist cannot be separated. Together, they form a unique and genuine relationship that combines the spirit of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) and makes the devotee a disciple-apostle of the Eucharist.
Therefore, one cannot be neutral in living eucharistic spirituality and devotion. It moves us from being to doing, and the combination of the two provides a perfect model of discipleship and apostleship. Our humble service points to our absolute gift of self, which constitutes the spiritual stepping stone to our sanctuary of eucharistic spirituality and devotion. Most of all, we learn from the Lord to abide in him, to be united and renewed.
Let Us Pray:
Lord Jesus, we thank you for the gift of the Eucharist. May we be your faithful disciples as we both be and do Eucharist in our communities and our world. Amen.
