People often say that you haven’t really lived until you’ve done this or that. Another popular expression is, “This is to die for.” I believe Jesus best exemplifies both of these ideas.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Jesus also says that His flesh is true food and that His blood is true drink. Normal food nourishes only our body, but true food nourishes our entire being. Jesus desires to be so close to us that He gives Himself to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist, nourishing us physically and spiritually. He is physically and spiritually present within us when we consume Him and we literally are carrying Him out into the world.
We can accomplish many good and productive things in this life. I love working on projects around the house and working to make things better around me. I find great satisfaction in doing my job well, volunteering, and spending time with my family. However, the best thing I can do to get ultimate satisfaction is live my life with Jesus. He must be an integral part of our life and we should strive to be as close as possible to Him. While living in this world can wear us down, Jesus gives us the grace to reach the finish line.
