Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Corinthians 10:14-22)

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because we who are many are one bread and one body

-- for we all partake of the one bread and one cup.  

 

 

The mysterious Sitio which the Divine Crucified One made resound from the height of his cross has found an echo in my poor heart. I have meditated on it, I have relished it, I have understood it and I, in turn, have cried out in burning ecstasy: “I thirst.” In the ardent zeal urging me on, I would like to be a magnet to attract all hearts in order to give them all to Jesus Christ. But since, of myself I am nothing, I turn to him and in the name of his blood, of his love, I implore him that he himself bring all hearts under his gentle sway to make of them so many springs of living water where he may quench his burning thirst. 

 

I cannot find words to express to the extent of the burning desire which gushed from the heart of my Jesus into mine. Jesus is thirsting for love. I would like hearts to return him love for love, to make up to him for the neglect, indifference and impiety of sinners; hearts that will unite to pray, make reparation and suffer in union with the holy victim who really knew how to love, obey and suffer for the happiness and salvation of souls. But those he has loved even to the folly of the cross, on whom he lavished his gifts, whom he has treated as friends, his sisters and brothers, leave him after insulting him and heaping abuse on him. In vain, O Jesus, do you cast upon them, to win them, a long and loving gaze. The follies of the world absorb them. They see nothing, they hear nothing. Others must devote themselves in their place….Inebriate them anew with your blood,; then, come, drink from their hearts, quench there the insatiable thirst for souls enkindled in you by the fire of love….Like Jesus, through Jesus, in Jesus we must pray for those who do not pray, for those in anguish, for those who blaspheme, for those who risk their eternity for perishable interests, for those who are ungrateful, who ignore and forget the DIVINE CRUCIFIED ONE and who crucify him anew every day. 

Come and drink of the chalice the Lord the Lord offers you; it is full of so delicious a draught that once you have touched it to your lips you will want to drain the cup. Come; here you will find the way that leads to true sorrow of soul, to the holy anguish of zeal which is no longer a penance but a grace. Come, come to rest on the sacred tree of the Cross; come, under its crimsoned boughs, take your delight and feed on its fruit; come and hide from the pursuit of the enemy of salvation; come and see from experience how sweet and light is the Lord’s yoke. … always be seen on the summit of the holy mountain holding in [your] hands the chalice of salvation and uniting [your] voices to that of the Precious Blood in order to beg grace and pardon for [yourselves] and all people. At the sight of this striking sign of the inexpressible love of his Word made flesh, the heart of our Father who is in heaven will be touched and the waves of his mercy will flow over every point of the globe.

 

Love! Oh, Love! That is the divine seed which produced the fruit of the Cross. It is love that burdened Jesus with the wood of sacrifice and gave Him the strength to fly to the holy mountain. Yes, it is love that urged him to immolate himself for us. It is love that made of him the King of martyrs. The life of Christ was one perpetual act of love. In his Mother’s womb, in the crib at Bethlehem, at Nazareth, on the bloody mountain, Jesus offered to his Father sacrifices of love.  Now, on the altar, the new Calvary to which love enchains him, he immolates himself anew each day; he lances darts of fire on just souls to kindle in them the pure flame that consumes his heart, and on sinners to touch them, convert them, and draw them to the repentance of love.

 

 

 

 

Our blessing cup is a communion with the blood of the Lamb

 

What return shall I make to the Lord

For all the good He has done for me?

I will take the cup of salvation

I will call upon the name of the Lord.

 

How precious in the eyes of the Lord

Is the death of His children

Your servant am I your handmaid's son

And You have loosed my bonds.

 

I offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving

I will call upon the name of the Lord

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill

In the presence of the people of our God.

 

Our blessing cup is a communion with the blood of our

Lord Jesus Christ

He is the Lamb of God.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament

you have given us the memorial of your passion:

grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries

of your body and blood

that we may know within ourselves

and show forth in our lives

the fruits of your redemption;

for you are alive and reign with the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Church of England)