There is this English saying that goes, “We become what we eat.” Accordingly, the idea of this saying is to give us a keen insight about our health: eating healthy food results to good health and eating unhealthy food results to bad health. If you eat good food, you could have a healthy body. But if you eat bad food, like for example, junk foods, you might suffer from many illnesses. If you eat less, most likely you could have a slimmer body. But if you eat excessively, you might gain too much weight and might endanger yourself by becoming obese. Thus, you become vulnerable to many diseases like diabetes.
Well of course, this could not be absolutely true because having a healthy body does not only consist of eating healthy food or having a balanced diet. It also requires physical exercises and activities to flex and work out our muscles. But for the sake of the argument, let us consider the saying as perfectly true that “we become what we eat.” Let us then ask ourselves, for the past years that we have been receiving the Body of Christ in the Holy Communion, have we become more like Christ? Are we being transformed into His likeness, becoming holy and just? It is imperative that we grow and make progress with our spiritual life every time we receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist because our Lord himself is our spiritual food, our spiritual nourishment.
The holiness which the Eucharist contains should overwhelm us, both body and soul. That in our words and actions, others may see in us our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. St. Augustine said, “Believe what you see, see what you believe and become what you are: the Body of Christ.” When we say “Amen”, we are saying “Yes! I believe this is the Body and Blood of Christ and that I will be the Body of Christ to others.” Jesus does not give us his flesh not only for own benefit but also for the benefit of others. Without the Eucharist, life is meaningless.
We may be physically healthy by eating healthy food. But if we neglect to receive Christ in the Eucharist, we then become spiritually weak. We need Christ in the Eucharist so that our lives may be complete. Remember His words, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:51). Jesus gives us his very self as our daily bread not only to satisfy our hunger and sustain our earthly life but for us to attain eternal life with him in heaven. By giving His Most Sacred Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, Christ prepares us to be citizens of His Kingdom by transforming our humanity to his divinity.
May we always desire to be in communion with Christ, the Bread of Life, at all times. May we always make ourselves worthy in receiving Him in the Holy Eucharist and continue to be transformed into His image and likeness. Amen.
- Fr. Emil Valeza