Sacrifice, that all our life may be brought to fulfill his purposes. His own Sacrifice was one of obedience, and the last words that express our desires before we partake of it are the words of the obedience and faith of the Centurion at Capernaum, who recognized his own unworthiness, and yet received the blessing he sought (Matt 8:8).

We are sometimes tempted to think that we are denied privileges that those who lived during Our Lord's earthly life enjoyed through his presence among them. The appropriateness of the words of the Baptist and of the Centurion as we receive Holy Communion remind us that we too are living in Gospel times with Our Lord still living and acting among us. Through the Blessed Sacrament, his presence is no longer to be sought in one land alone, but may be found wherever the Bread of life is given to his people. So now, kneeling at the altar rails, the people wait to receive the ever-living Christ.

"The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?" asks the Apostle. "For we being many are one Bread and one Body: for we are all partakers of that one Bread" (I Cor. 10:17). By receiving the Blessed Sacrament we are made to share in one Communion both with him and with one another. We are given Communion with him since his life is imparted to us, and with each other since he is the ground of our unity together. The Blessed Sacrament is the sign of the unity of the Church and the cause that effects it. By receiving Our Lord's Body, not only are our own souls hallowed, but our bodies also are dedicated to God's service in this world, and they receive the pledge of their resurrection to the fullness of life hereafter. The "pledge of future glory" relates not to part of our being only, but to the whole person, body and soul.
"The Cup of Blessing which we bless, is it not the Com