1st Sunday of Lent "Man Cannot Live on Bread Alone"

 

Blessed Alexandrina Maria Da Costa lived on the Eucharist alone for 13 years.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and there He is tempted by the devil. He would have been very hungry and His human body would have greatly sought nourishment. It was at this moment, the devil approached Jesus to tempt Him. The devil told Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus could have turned the stone into bread, after all He would someday, turn bread into His Sacred Body--the Eucharist, but Our Lord quoted scripture stating, “It is written, man shall not live on bread alone.” He chose not to use His divine power and showed us how to conquer the desires of our flesh.

As Catholics we are obligated to fast only twice a year on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and to abstain from meat on those days as well. Did you know we are to required to do penance every Friday of the year, except on Solemnities that fall on a Friday? Traditionally abstaining from meat is the normal way most people do penance on Fridays. But we can do other penance such as doing some charitable deed such as visiting prisoners or visiting the home-bound, or taking care of the poor. But almost no body does this, therefore most everyone should be abstaining from meat on every Friday of the year as penance because “Christ died for our Salvation on Friday,” and by some sort of penance we should be reminding ourselves of that pivotal element of our faith every single week.

Due to health some can’t fast on bread and water. The Church suggests to fast by eating only one meal. But if necessary, one could also eat two smaller meals that don’t equal a meal. Those who are diabetic must eat regularly. Some who have other health problems can’t fast on bread and water. But there are other types of fasting, especially fasting from sin, fasting from other pleasures like television or the internet or fasting from desserts and candy or pop or alcohol. Fasting from sin is the best fast, but fasting on bread and water helps to fast from sin and has a great number of benefits.

Children can fast too. Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia, the children of Fatima, fasted by giving their lunch to other poor children, who had nothing to eat. Whenever we fast, it is good to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Children can give up sweets and pop.

We make the sacrifice of fasting to draw us closer to Jesus and grow in love of our neighbor. We become one with the poor, who have little or no food to eat and it inspires us to be empathetic and pray for them. We should have in mind who or for what purpose to offer up our fast as a sacrifice.

In the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, She asks we fast on bread and water on Wed. and Fridays. She allegedly said fasting prevents wars and can suspend the laws of nature. Fasting does many good things such as purifies our heart from the sins of the past, it forces Satan away and helps us to not be seduced by evil. It helps to convert sinners.

When I did hospital ministry, at times a Catholic patient who is dying would refuse confession. So I would fast for them for one or two days and the next time I visited the patient, he or she changed their mind and would go to confession, just before they died. Fasting saves souls! If you know of someone who has fallen away from the Church, fast and pray for them. Its powerful!

Have you heard of St. Veronica Giuliani? Jesus appeared to her and asked her to fast continuously only on bread and water. She asked her superior who denied the request. Then every time she would eat, she would vomit up the food. The doctors could not find any medical explanation for the nausea and vomiting. Finally, the doctors came to the conclusion the vomiting was of supernatural origin. Her superior decided to give her permission to eat only bread and water and the vomiting immediately stopped. She then fasted on bread and water 5 years continuously!

There are several saints who lived only on the Eucharist. Their only daily nourishment was Holy Communion. They were unable to eat any other food. One such person is Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa of Portugal, who lived from 1904 to 1955. She jumped out of a second story window to escape three men who were attempting to violate her chastity and she became paralyzed and bedridden for the rest of her life. As a “victim soul” she offered her sufferings for the conversion of sinners. For 13 years she did not eat any food except she daily received Holy Communion. On her tombstone she wanted these words to be written: "Sinners, how much I want to tell you...Do not risk losing Jesus for all eternity, for He is so good. Enough with sin. Love Jesus, love Him!"

St. Catherine of Sienna ate only Holy Communion the last two years of her life. Whenever she would eat other food, she would throw up. Other saints include St Catherine of Genoa who lived through the fasting times of Lent and Advent on only the Eucharist. St Joseph Cupertino lived for 5 years without food except Holy Communion.

The Eucharist is not bread, its really and truly Jesus. So when Jesus said “man cannot live on bread alone”, humanly speaking that is not possible, except by the supernatural grace of God. It certainly stands that man can live on the Eucharist alone because the Eucharist is not bread and is supernatural and divine, as it is Jesus Christ Himself in what appears to be bread.

Many of you come to adore Jesus in the Eucharist during your time of adoration. There we gaze upon the Sacred Host with faith and love. Sometimes we can be tempted to think what we are doing is not making a difference for us or others. But it does make a difference, but most of the time you cannot see nor feel it. For example, did you know three people came back to the Church here at Holy Trinity and now attend Mass regularly? This is because of your prayers during Eucharistic Adoration. You may recall, before we started adoration I told you many good things will happen when we start Adoration. They are happening! And more will happen. You will see!

The devil hates when people convert. He tries to get us to stop praying because praying before Jesus in the Eucharist helps us to grow in holiness and love. The devil tries to convince us we are wasting time and could be doing something better. But Jesus helps us to overcome these temptations. Just as Jesus struggled in the desert, we can struggle when we pray. But with the help of God’s grace, we grow stronger because we persevered through the temptations.

Through prayer before Jesus in the Eucharist and with fasting, the devil loses and many souls come to Jesus. We believe in the promise of Jesus those who receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion will live forever. He said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, will live forever.”

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, give us the grace we need to fast during Lent and after Lent to fast regularly, and may She help us to offer our time in Eucharistic Adoration to help people to come back to Jesus, who loves them and wants to give Himself to them in Holy Communion.