Monday, February 19, 2007

A New Diet For Lent: Daily Eucharist


"God elaborates on a suitable and wholesome new diet for the newly-formed and new-born babe. He says it consists of the one who nourishes and who is the Father of all that are generated and regenerated -just as manna, the celestial food of angels, flowed down from heaven on the ancient Hebrews.....But when our kind and loving Father rained down the Word, he himself became spiritual nourishment to the good. This is a truly amazing mystery, because.....this is the kind of diet the Lord administers: he offers his flesh and pours out his blood, so that nothing is lacking for his children's growth. This is almost too much to take in! And then we are to throw out the old and carnal corruption, our old diet, receiving in exchange a totally new diet -Christ himself as we ingest him for him to remain hidden there. Then, with our Savior enshrined in our souls, as it were, we can correct the affections of our flesh."

-St. Clement of Alexandria

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