The secret of sweetening our sacrifices is to attend a little less to what costs us and a little more to what we value - St. Teresa of St. Augustine (Martyr of Compiegne)
Lord God, you called St. Teresa of St. Augustine and her companions to go on in the strength of the Holy Spirit from the heights of Carmel to receive a martyr's crown. May our love for You too be so steadfast and strong that it will bring us to the everlasting vision of your glory.
So what are we called to do as Catholic Christians by this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ we are celebrating today? We are called to: (a) acknowledge and honor the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist; (b) to thank God for remaining with us through the gift of His Son in the Eucharist; and, (c) to be grateful to God for feeding and strengthening us with the Body and Blood of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to wake up and like Jesus, reemphasize the importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony in our lives as Catholic Christians because this sacrament reflects God's self-giving love in the love spouses have for each other; in the act of procreation and in the act of educating our children in the Catholic faith.
Let us be truly present, and sincerely participate actively in the Holy Eucharist with a sense of obligation, love, faith, confidence, devotion, and reverence. Let us also receive the Body and Blood of Christ in a state of grace, properly prepared by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and visit Him regularly in the Blessed Sacrament where He remains ever ready to receive us and listen to our requests.
