In today's Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father that all those whom he had given him might be one as he and the Father were one. To be one is the closest possible relationship we can have with each other. To be one with God is to be in union with him. When we are all in union with him, our oneness becomes extra special. This union with God is not just another relationship; it is the ultimate relationship we can have with God, one that exalts us to the highest level of our existence. We Catholics should rejoice that we have the Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament, given to us by Christ himself at the Last Supper. The Lord knows human nature fully, so the idea of providing us the consecrated bread and wine to consume at Mass is ingenious. Without this physical union, spiritual union remains an abstract concept. The Eucharist seals the deal here. In union with God, we become his and he ours, and we are no longer of the world. It is the intimate relationship most desired by our Lord. All Catholics should make seeking union with God through the Holy Eucharist their top goal. (Again, I recommend reading the book He and I by Gabrielle Bossis, a spiritual classic which has become increasingly hard to find.)
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