Our third response to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is transformation. If we really understood what has happened, we should not be the same after the reception of Communion as before. A miracle has taken place before our very eyes–bread and wine transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus–and a miracle has taken place within our own bodies–in the indwelling Eucharistic presence of God himself. Though the accidents of bread and wine still remain, there has been a transformation, a transubstantiation.  Though we remain externally and physically the same in receiving Eucharist, internally and spiritually we are being transformed by the power and presence of God.

In the first case, the transformation from bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus does not depend on us but on the word of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. But in the latter, the intention of Jesus in the gift of his Body and Blood to us is that we enter into a deeper relationship with him. But whether this takes place or not depends on our intention and surrender to the Lord. The grace enabling transformation is given by God; putting on the mind of Christ comes from my decisions. (To be continued)