During the Mass, the priest will pray (often inaudibly) the following words over the wine and water to be consecrated, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”

This is one of the many beautiful parts of the liturgy that we often gloss right over without a second thought. Surely we can do more than simply gloss over words like, “may we come to share in the divinity of Christ.” What is this divinity of Christ? And what does he mean, we get to share in it?

It’s grace! The same grace that we received in Baptism, we receive through the Eucharist. This grace is God’s divinity – His divine life – within us. When we receive the body and blood of Christ, we receive more of this grace – more divinity. Who could ask for more?

What can we do with this divinity – this grace? We can do God’s will – we can imitate Jesus more perfectly. Grace isn’t going to help us achieve worldly glory, but it will help us to unite our own wills with the will of God. Through grace, we can humble ourselves as Christ humbled Himself. We can learn to recognize our own weakness and the infinite strength found in Christ.

What about life without grace – do we really need it? Read the Old Testament – the history of a people who lacked God’s grace. Their own human nature, like ours, was never enough for them to live consistently righteous lives.

On a personal note, the grace of God has helped me overcome addictive and sinful behaviors that I struggled with all my life. Though my own humanity was too weak to break free from these chains, the grace of God has been powerful enough to overcome any obstacle.

God is all powerful, and yet He “humbled Himself to share in our humanity.” He showed us that true strength is found in humility. How great is God, who humbled Himself only to pour out His blood for all of us, so that He could offer His divinity to us through this same blood.

A candle can serve a number of purposes. It can provide primitive light, a pleasant scent, or warm ambiance. But from a spiritual perspective, the candle can be a beautiful symbol of the way that we Christians are called to live our lives. One can look at the symbolism of a candle in many ways. For instance, some of us may feel like we are candles burning from both ends! But what about the votive candles that are often found in our parishes? What do they symbolize?

When we offer a prayer or petition to God before a lit candle, it stands as a reminder that our prayers continue even after we leave the church. The glorious symbolism of a candle calls us to remember the light of Christ. The light from a candle is steady, and while the flame might waver slightly in a strong breeze, it immediately returns to the task at hand. The candle completely offers itself in a sacrificial way, from the inside out. It lives to serve just one purpose, to consistently shed light for others until its time comes to be extinguished.

As my conversion continues and I grow in the spiritual life, I seek to find these hidden reminders in the beauty of God’s creation. I pray that one day, the light of Christ will shine through me in peaceful and consistent manner, just like the flame from a candle.

Each time we celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we stand before the true body and blood of Our Lord. This great mystery should fill us all with awe. Yet sometimes we become complacent, just going through the motions. We receive Holy Communion without any extraordinary sense of the powerful mystery in which we share. To avoid taking these heavenly gifts for granted, I often meditate on a number of themes during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. One theme in particular that helps me feel more spiritually involved, is a meditation on the precious blood that has been shed for us.

Blood can offer very powerful imagery. Blood is necessary for life. Without it, we cannot exist. To shed blood is very painful. It can be downright gruesome – especially the way in which Christ shed His blood for us. The agony and suffering inflicted by scourging Him, crowning Him with thorns, forcing Him to carry His own cross, and ultimately killing him by nailing him to a cross is truly horrifying. The blood and water flowing from His innocent and precious side are a very graphic representation of the way that Jesus gave himself for us completely.

If we are injured in some way that causes us to lose blood, the blood of another can be given to us to keep us alive. In the same way, the blood which Christ willingly shed for us is life giving. This heavenly blood offers us true sacramental grace, and can be life changing if we let it. It can become like a very powerful transfusion of grace in our lives.

Mass comes from the Latin word, missa. In Latin, the words, Ite Missa est, signified the end of the Mass, or the dismissal. The people were sent forth, much in the same way that Jesus sent His Apostles forth. This is a good reminder to us all that the grace we receive during the Sacrament of the Eucharist is not meant to be kept to ourselves. We are called to use this grace to glorify God and spread His message to others. While all may not be well equipped to preach His gospel through confrontational means or by intellectual debate, all of us can work to unite our wills more fully with the will of God. By living with the grace and peace of Christ, we can convert souls by our actions. During the Mass, we are dismissed with a commission to do just this.

I’m not sure why I keep doing this, but I have a painful habit of worrying about and trying to orchestrate the future. I’ve heard it stated (and maybe even mentioned it here before) that worry is a lack of faith. Still, I often try to get all of my ducks in a row, then rearrange them, then line them up in reverse alphabetical order, then…you get the idea.

It’s difficult to have peace when I fail to be in the moment. If I can slow my mind down long enough, I always realize how great my life is, how much God loves me, and how joyful I am to be a Catholic convert. One day, I hope that I will learn to find this peaceful state more quickly, before I lose two or three hours of sleep worrying about things that are beyond my control!

Truly, God does have a plan for me, and it is much better than what I could ever plan for myself. I have to continue discerning his will and deepening my conversion. More faith in God and his plan will result in less worry and more sleep for me.

Have you ever wondered, why bread and wine?  In order to be physically with us forever, Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper.  He knew that his time with us was drawing to a close, and that we would need him with us — physically — for all time.  So he chose to make himself present to us through the Sacrament of the Eucharist — through bread and wine.

Of all the things Jesus could have chosen, he selected bread and wine.  Though there are certainly practical reasons for these choices — bread and wine were readily available to people of all classes — there has to be more to it than just practicality.

Think of the primary ingredients to bread and wine, wheat and grapes.  In their raw form, they are simple and unimpressive, yet complete and whole.  Each is certainly useful as is, without any modifications.  But when the wheat becomes bread, it becomes so much more than just wheat.  And when the grapes become wine, they take on a completely different nature, capable of bringing great cheer.

And what do these raw ingredients have to endure to become new?  The wheat is pulverized, smashed, and nearly destroyed.  The grapes are stomped and crushed — they give up all of themselves.   Both of these ingredients are completely destroyed before they rise to new life.  Christ, the innocent Son of God, was scourged, beaten, forced to carry the implement of his death, and finally crucified — but he rose again to become something even greater than we could have ever expected.  He delivers new life to us all.

Do you suppose that bread and wine were chosen only because they were practical and convenient?