Archbishop's column

There's no mistaking the craggy face, diminutive size and radiant smile of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa was known throughout the world for her charity, her simplicity and her truthfulness. When she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" Instead of responding with some form of global initiative, she simply said, "Go home and love your family."

None of us deserves to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Holy Communion is always a completely unmerited gift that we receive as a result of God's grace. Nothing we can do by our own initiative makes us worthy that the Lord should enter our hearts. All we can do is try to be ready, try to "stay awake" and be attentive, and try to be truly grateful when our Lord gives Himself to us in the great eucharistic mystery.

Pope Benedict XVI has observed that the mission that was given to the apostles by our Lord contains a paradox. On the one hand, they were invited to remain with Him, to stay close to Him as intimate friends and companions. On the other hand, they were sent out to the whole world to proclaim His Gospel and to baptize in the name of the Holy Trinity. "Staying close" and "being sent away" is the paradoxical mission given to each of us who seek to follow Jesus Christ as His disciples.

God the Father bestows on us indescribable blessings through the humanity of His Son.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

Christ is present on our altars -- to show us the love which He bears us, by being pleased to dwell night and day hidden in the midst of us.

St. Alphonsus Liguori

This quotation from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord's Supper in the New Testament. The narrative emphasizes Jesus' action of self-giving (expressed in the words over the bread and the cup) and His double command to repeat His own action.