Emmanuel: God is With Us

On this second sunday of Advent, I was kneeling in Mass after receiving the Lord in Communion and thinking how great a gift we have in the Eucharist. I then had a thought, What if I had gone the rest of my days on earth without it? What if I had never recognized Him in the "breaking of the Bread." I can only say thank you God for opening my eyes to the gift of the Eucharist. "Emmanuel, God is with us" takes on further meaning for those who believe He abides with us still in the Bread of Life offered to the Father on the altar of sacrifice.
( He is re-presented to the Father, not re-crucified, of course) A gift that transcends the bounds of time and space and our linear way of thinking.

From the Catechism: The Benefits of the Mass

Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."²²⁶ Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet: "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me."²²⁷