Deeper Union With Christ

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In the book, “Meeting Christ in the Sacraments,” O’Neill beautifully gives us an image of how the Eucharist is an invitation to deepen our union with Christ. He presses at its core the Eucharist, which is not just a ritual or a symbol; it’s a sacred encounter with the living Christ, an opportunity to experience His love in a tangible and transformative way. This sacrament, along with the others, comes from the grace of God. O’Neill tells us, “The Council of Trent defines that the sacraments of the new law contain the grace which they signify and confer grace on those that place no obstacle to it.”1 This can only be experienced completely by fully accepting this spiritual gift. Referring to St. Thomas, O’Neill makes sure we are aware that,  “if the recipient approaches the sacrament worthily he will infallibly receive an increase of grace.”2

The Eucharist at Mass as an experience is far more meaningful than anything else I have ever encountered. It is almost impossible to describe. This starts for me after the sign of peace between members is exchanged. The Holy Spirit takes hold, and the next thing I know, I find myself full of indescribable joy, standing in line, surrounded by the hushed reverence of fellow worshippers. As I approach the altar to receive the Eucharist, I can feel the body and blood of Christ near me as my body is being prepared to receive this most blessed sacrament. My eyes get moist as I enter a heightened sacred moment, a divine communion that transcends the physical and touches the very essence of my soul. This immediate increase in grace lasts until I return to my pew, kneel for my prayer, and each person completes this union in the Church. I find myself full of emotion at this point as my wife and I squeeze each other’s hands in a celebration that no one can see. O’Neill lets us know, “It is a fitting consequence of this that through the instrumentality of His sacred and precious blood, we receive the bread and wine as a life-giving blessing.  He should be in some sense united to our bodies.”3 From my experience, O’Neill is clearly on point here.

From the book, O’Neill reminds us that the Eucharist is like a banquet hosted by Christ Himself as we partake in one bread, making us one body. Specifically, O’Neill tells us, “Because all Christians eat this one body, they form one body.”4  With arms open wide, Christ invites us to partake in His presence, feast on His love, and be nourished spiritually. It is not about consuming bread and wine; it’s about consuming the essence of Christ’s being and allowing it to fill us with grace and strength for our faith journey. Union with Christ is the meaning of His sacrifice, as O’Neill refers to in scripture.  “This is the meaning of His ascension. It makes Him in His humanity a life-giving spirit.”5

But the invitation doesn’t end there. O’Neill emphasizes that the Eucharist allows us into a richer relationship with Christ, a union characterized by intimacy, trust, and love. Just as the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, so too are we transformed by our communion with Him. We should see this through our actions as we move forward with our lives. As we are drawn into deeper communion with Christ and one another, we are interconnected as members of the Christian community called to love and support one another on our shared journey of faith. This means in the Eucharistic invitation that we are challenged to see Him in the faces of those we meet, to serve Him in the least among us, and to carry His light into a world desperate for hope and redemption. So, the next time you approach the altar to receive the Eucharist, remember it’s not just a symbol or routine gesture. It’s an opportunity through grace to encounter the living Christ, to be transformed by His love, and to journey deeper into the mystery of faith. It’s an opportunity to open your heart and say “yes” to the divine invitation to union with Christ. Christ is the host, eagerly awaiting our arrival. With arms outstretched in love and welcome, He invites us to join Him at the table to taste and see the goodness of His presence. In the bread and wine, we find the “real presence “of Christ, offering Himself to us in the most intimate way imaginable. O’Neill makes the point, “For the Church, accordingly, which is instituted to apply to men the fruits of Calvary, the central aspect of the Eucharist is that it contains the body of Christ, the created source of all grace.”6 At the heart of our desire for the Eucharist lies a deep longing for connection with God, one another, and the divine mystery that transcends our understanding. O’Neill writes, “Grace and charity imply always in the faithful on earth a desire for the Eucharist.”7

From the moment of our creation, we are wired for communion. It’s woven into the very fabric of our being. We long to be known and loved, to belong to something greater than ourselves. I believe O’Neill beautifully captures this innate human desire for connection and fulfillment and reveals how the Eucharist speaks directly to that longing. The Eucharist satisfies our hunger for God. Deep within each of us is a spiritual hunger, a yearning for the divine presence. It’s a tangible reminder that God is not distant or aloof but intimately present, nourishing us with His grace and sustaining us with His love. O’Neill describes how the Eucharist is a mystical encounter, a moment of union with Christ that transcends time and space. It’s a sacred exchange of love, a marriage feast where Christ offers Himself to us completely, and we, in turn, offer ourselves to Him. His quote, “Biblical theology correctly insists that our union with Christ, our conformity to His mysteries, is not purely ethical, but involves a vital union with Christ.”8

I want to close this blog with joyous news: as you approach the altar to receive the Eucharist,  remember that you are not just receiving a slice of bread or a taste of wine. You are receiving Christ, who offers Himself out of boundless love. It’s an invitation to encounter the living Christ, to be transformed by His grace, and to journey ever deeper into the mystery of His love immediately and throughout your life.

  1.  O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (119) ↩︎
  2. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (124) ↩︎
  3. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (170) ↩︎
  4. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (168) ↩︎
  5. 1st Corinthians 15:45 (24) ↩︎
  6. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (170) ↩︎
  7. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (174) ↩︎
  8. O’Neill, Meeting Christ in the Sacraments, 1991 (50) ↩︎