One of the most beautiful Eucharistic hymns is: “Ave verum Corpus natum de Maria Virgine” – “Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary!” The Body of Christ which we receive was formed in the womb of the Immaculata, Body from her body, Blood from her blood. Without her consent there would be no Eucharist. Thanksgiving for Holy Communion is therefore always thanksgiving also to her as the source of this Most Blessed Sacrament.
Mary is the perfect creature. God did everything for her: for her He created the world, for her first and foremost He became man and sacrificed Himself. He instituted the Holy Eucharist firstly for her. Why did He institute this Sacrament?
Out of love: in order to feed souls in their hunger, in order to console us with his presence during our exile, in order to unite Himself completely and utterly with us.
Out of love for her, to nourish her in her hunger for God, so that she, too, can feed her children through Him. She, more than any other human being ever, suffered from this exile and was consumed with longing for the eternal One. Therefore, He wanted to institute His presence in this manner especially for her so as to be most intimately united with her. All the graces that God wanted to enfold in this Sacrament Mary first received in her Communions, and from thence they were to flow into other souls. Therefore, the only way that we really and fully receive Holy Communion and the graces and fruits thereof is in her. The Church confirms this when it applies the words of personified Wisdom to Mary: “Venite, comedite panem meum et bibite vinum quod miscui vobis”, “Come and eat my bread and drink the wine that I have mixed for you.” She invites us to eat of “her bread”, because Christ gave her His Eucharistic Presence to be her own.
This means, that Mary is the Mediatrix between us and the Sacred Host. We belong to her entirely and she is spiritually always with us. Therefore, when Christ comes into our soul, He first finds the “Lady of the house” and then He finds us, too, hidden under her protective mantle, in her Heart. Her mediation at this moment is of great importance: here the Almighty continues His act of love to the utmost possibility, humbles Himself to take the form of the Host, applies His omnipotence and accomplishes a whole series of miracles, whereby each one is greater and more significant than even the creation of the whole world. And we receive Him with such carelessness, drowsiness, indifference and distraction! Should we not fear that our declarations of love sound ridiculous and in any case unbelievable, since they are often pronounced with an alarming lack of seriousness?
But now the Immaculata comes into our heart; she loves Christ more than all creatures. Through her union with the Holy Ghost, she is privileged to love Christ with God’s own love. Therefore, when we receive Him, we can offer Mary to Him first of all, and in that way be sure that our wretched heart is most pleasing to Him through her presence.
