Christ's Transforming Power

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington
(From the issue of 8/14/03)

Today’s scripture readings, especially the Gospel, clearly point to the Eucharist, and today’s Mass and procession in our parish tangibly focuses on our Blessed Mother Assumed into Heaven — Maria Assunta. (On Friday, we shall celebrate in our liturgy the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary). As we reflect on these two Christian realities, the Eucharist and the Assumption, we come to understand more fully how God’s transforming power is at work.

On Holy Thursday of this year, our Holy Father gave to us a priceless gift in his Encyclical "On the Eucharist" — Ecclesia De Eucharisita. In chapter 6, he invites us to ponder the connection between the Eucharist and Mary. As he states in the opening sentence to this chapter: "If we wish to rediscover in all its richness the profound relationship between the Church and the Eucharist, we cannot neglect Mary, Mother and model of the Church" (no. 53). In this chapter, he gives us many insights, describing Mary as a "woman of the Eucharist" (Ibid.).

Then, in the Conclusion, Pope John Paul II again turns our attention to Mary. "Above all, let us listen to Mary Most Holy, in whom the mystery of the Eucharist appears, more than in anyone else, as a mystery of light. Gazing upon Mary, we come to know the transforming power present in the Eucharist. In her we see the world renewed in love. Contemplating her, assumed body and soul into heaven, we see opening up before us those ‘new heavens’ and that ‘new earth’ which will appear at the second coming of Christ. Here below the Eucharist represents their pledge, and in a certain way, their anticipation: ‘Veni, Domine Jesu’ (Rev 22:20) (no. 62)" Come, Lord Jesus!

So, with Mary, let us reflect on the transforming power present in the Eucharist. Why is there this transforming power in the Eucharist? Because Jesus is truly, really and uniquely present in the Eucharistic mystery.

Every time the Eucharist is celebrated, Christ makes present before us His sacrifice on the Cross and His Resurrection on the third day. Yes, He renews in our midst His Dying and Rising, the Paschal Mystery. As we ourselves proclaim after the Consecration, "Christ has died, Christ is risen…" Think of the transforming power within this supreme action of divine love: sin is forgiven and grace is restored. "By his dying he has destroyed our sins. By his rising he has raised us up to holiness of life" (Passion Sunday Preface).

Every time the Eucharist is celebrated, Christ becomes truly, really and uniquely present among us. Think of the transforming power present within this enduring sacrament. Jesus Himself becomes our spiritual food. As He reminds us in today’s gospel, "I am the bread of life. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." In today’s first reading from the First Book of Kings, Elijah, weary of living — "This is enough, O Lord!" — continues to walk for forty days and forty nights, strengthened by the food God gave him. How much more can we walk on, through difficulty and trial, strengthened by the bread of life, Jesus Himself!

We become transformed ourselves by the transforming power present within the Eucharist. We are empowered by Christ to remove all bitterness, fury, shouting and reviling, along with all malice and instead become kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another (cf. second reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians). Yes, transformed, we become "imitators of God and live in love."

Every time the Eucharist is celebrated, we anticipate Christ’s coming in glory, to take us, body and soul, to be with Him in heaven. As we also proclaim after the Consecration, "Christ will come again." This promise by Christ to take us to be with Him has already been fulfilled in one like us, in Mary His Mother. The Assumption of Mary means that when her earthly life ended, Mary was assumed, body and soul, to heaven. Mary is therefore the pledge and sign to us that one day, we too shall be raised up, body and soul, to live forever in the presence of God and all the saints. As she is now, one day we too shall be.

Moreover, today’s parish celebration of Mary Assumed into Heaven — Maria Assunta — is, in its own way, another sign of God’s transforming power. For generations, our ancestors in Tusa, Sicily, lived their Catholic Faith, seeking to imitate Mary and to become more transformed into the image of Her Son. Keeping their eyes on Maria Assunta, they walked in hope, and lived in Christ-like love. They saw in "Maria Assunta" "a sign of sure hope and comfort for the pilgrim people of God" (cf. Lumen Gentium, chapter 8).

Eighty-three years ago, the tradition of honoring Maria Assunta came alive here in our parish, brought here by these ancestors of ours form Tusa. Since then, so many people in Pawcatuck and beyond have found deepened faith and hope as they focused on Maria Assunta and sought to imitate Mary and to live like Jesus, who became their spiritual food in the Eucharist.

As we are again touched by the transforming power of Jesus in this celebration of the Eucharist and as we publicly praise God for bringing Mary to heaven, body and soul, let us recommit ourselves to become, like Mary, people of the Eucharist, revealing to everyone by the holiness of our lives, the transforming power present in the Eucharist we celebrate and live!

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