Abides in Me, and I in Him

This week we continue to reflect on the mystical passage of John Chapter 6, using Fr Michel de Verteuil’s gem of a book ‘Eucharist as Word’. Today we reflect on Chapter 4 of his book ‘Eucharist as Self-Giving’.

‘…there is a sense in which we can say that we ‘become what we eat’. In fact the opposite is correct - what we eat becomes us.’ pg 26

‘When we look around the Church after communion we do not see Jesus, all we see is one another; we can say that he has been transformed into us.’ pg 26

‘He comes to nourish us spiritually, to take us out of our sinful ways and to make us more like himself, but he does this all without taking away our individuality. Like food, he nourishes us by entering humbly into our unique way of being in the world.’ pg 26

I believe Fr Michel captures Jesus’ phrase ‘abides in me, and I in Him’ wonderfully.

We are in the process of ‘becoming Christ’.

As we delve deeper into Fr. Michel de Verteuil's reflections, we are invited to contemplate the profound mystery of transformation that occurs through the Eucharist. This process of "becoming Christ" is not a mere symbolic gesture, but a real and intimate communion that nourishes our very being. The Eucharist, as Fr. Michel describes, is a self-giving act where Christ enters into our lives, not to overshadow our individuality but to sanctify it, making us more like Him while preserving our unique identities.

When we receive the Eucharist, we are not only participating in a sacred ritual but are also embracing a transformative journey where Christ lives in us, and we live in Him. This mystical union challenges us to recognize the presence of Christ in ourselves and in each other, reinforcing the call to live out His love and compassion in our daily lives.

We embrace this transformative journey by cultivating a slower, quieter, and more deliberate contemplative life. In a world often dominated by noise and haste, the call to slow down becomes an invitation to deepen our awareness of Christ’s presence within. By intentionally creating space for silence and reflection, we allow ourselves to listen more attentively to the whispers of the Spirit, to discern the movements of grace in our lives, and to respond with greater intention to the call of Christ.

This contemplative approach encourages us to live each moment with awareness, recognizing the sacred in the ordinary, and embracing the fullness of life with a heart attuned to God's gentle guidance. Through this way of living, we become more aware of the transformative power of the Eucharist, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and relationships as we gradually become more like Christ.

It is my hope that this newsletter serves as a catalyst for embracing a new lifestyle, one rooted in contemplation, intentionality, and the transformative power of the Eucharist. As we journey together, may these reflections inspire us to not only transform ourselves but also to bring Christ's light into the world around us.

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