If I truly reflect on what happens at the time I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus and afterwards, I may recognize a dysfunction.  My eyes gaze on Jesus sacramentally present and later my eyes are allowed to gaze on creatures in a lustful way. My mouth receives the Lord of Lord and my mouth is used to curse, to gossip, to lie, to put down another. My hand acted as a throne for the King of Kings and later these same hands are used in sinful ways. My heart says I love you Lord at the time of Communion and the same heart turns away from the Lord later.

What did Jesus say about the vine and the branches? I am the vine, you are the branches. The branch can’t receive its life from the vine if it becomes decayed and rotten, if it is broken or cut off. And yet, isn’t that what we do when we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord and so easily and so soon  forget, allowing sin to be part of our lives? (To be continued)