Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes.
One meaning of this phrase is that the more you do something
the easier it is to get bored in doing it. Often this leads to going through
the actions without the thought. You are on autopilot. How many times have I
driven a stretch of road and couldn’t remember if the light was green or red?
Did I blow off a red light?
Celebrating Mass and serving at the altar is not immune to
this, especially when you are doing so every day and sometimes two or three
times a day. Once you become bored with something you can become lackadaisical
in doing it. One of our spirituality teachers taught us a way to help safeguard
us from falling into this trap. It is a principle called FLO.
Say (serve) every Mass as if it were your First Mass.
Say (serve) every Mass as if it were your Last Mass.
Say (serve) every Mass as if it were your Only Mass.
As I thought about this principle I realized that it applies
just as much to the laity as it does to the clergy. You can never know what is
in someone’s heart or what is going through their mind but if you watch the
communion lines there seems to be a number of people on autopilot. When you are
distributing the Eucharist you can see in many eyes that they are just not
present in the moment.
Receiving the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the
single greatest thing we as humans can ever do. Jesus makes himself fully
present to us even when some of us aren’t fully present to ourselves. Then there are those who commonly receive the
Eucharist as if they are in line at a fast food restaurant. They grab the
Eucharist and quickly swallow as they hurry towards the door. There will be
some that will be in their cars and down the street before the last person in
line receives our Lord. They have given little thought to who they just asked
to dwell within them. They have gotten their ticket punched and are on to
better things. Better things?
Let us apply the FLO principle to receiving the Eucharist as
well.
Receive the Eucharist as if it were your first time. Think
back to the day that you were a first communicant or, if you are a convert, the
Easter Sunday you became a full member of the Church of Christ. Remember how
awesome it felt to receive the Lord, something up until that point you could
only watch. I remember being full of joy unable to hold back the tears.
Receive the Eucharist is if it were your last time.
Viaticum, food for the journey. This will be the last time you will be able to
receive the Lord before standing before him in the judgment. He gives you
himself as nourishment for the journey home. The last thing you want to do is
grab and go. You want to spend as much time with him here as possible.
Receive the Eucharist as if it will be the only time you
will ever receive him. This is the first and last times combined. If you could
only receive the Eucharist just once in your life would you run for the door?
Each and every time we receive the Eucharist we should
practice FLO. Be fully present to him and realize just who you are accepting
into your body. Cherish him as if he will be the last food you will ever
consume. Take time to prepare yourself properly and be in a state of grace so
you can receive all the grace the Sacrament has to offer. Take time to be with
him and invite him into your life. The rest of your life will wait for this
moment to be over. There is nothing more important that this moment. Be present
to him.
Lord, I welcome you into my life. I ask you to live in me
and dwell within me. Let the light of your love fill me completely and burn out
all of the darkness within me. Use me as an empty vessel to carry the light of
your love to those still in darkness. When they look upon your light let them
see only you through me. Make me an icon of your love. I love you Lord. Thank
you for giving me your body and blood.
