The eyes and ears of faith

Faith is a precious gift: a gift we do not always appreciate as much as we should.

Among its many benefits is that faith enables us appreciate the reality that transcends what we see and hear: helping us avoid this world’s traps of meaninglessness and despair.

That is not to say that the eyes of faith wear rose-colored glasses or see things that do not truly exist.

A person of faith must see clearly the things that exist in this world, while seeing the meaning that lies beyond them as well as the things of eternity.

Faith is indeed a precious gift.

The precious gift of faith enables us to appreciate our Lord’s beautiful words in today’s Gospel (John 6:52-59): words that speak simply and yet profoundly of so much, most especially the most precious gift of the Most Holy Eucharist.

In these words, the ears of faith find joy in an appreciation of the Eucharist as Communion.

For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my Flesh
and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.

Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.

May we appreciate the gift of faith more and more.

May we ask the Lord’s grace to strengthen our eyes and ears of faith.

May we also appreciate ever more deeply the most precious gift which is the Lord Jesus himself, as he told us in yesterday’s Gospel:

The bread that I will give is my flesh
for the life of the world.