23 August, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

Holy Viaticum

1. When the prophet Elias was afraid and discouraged because the chosen people had abandoned God and slain all the other prophets, he fled into the desert. One day he was tired and dejected and lay down to sleep in the shade of a juniper tree. He was awakened suddenly by an Angel of the Lord who showed him on two successive occasions a hearth cake which he pressed him to eat. The prophet ate and drank “and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God.” (Cf. 3 Kings 19:4-8)

Some commentators see in this bread which Elias ate an image of the Blessed Eucharist, and in his journey to the mount of God our own voyage through life to eternity. Sometimes we also feel tired along the way and it seems to us that God has abandoned us. Often we are troubled and sorrowful, humbled by our many lapses into sin, despairing of ever becoming holy. On such occasions, like Elias, we need nourishment, the nourishment of the Blessed Eucharist. This spiritual food, which contains the real living Jesus, the author of grace, is all that can give us the courage and strength to continue our journey and to overcome the obstacles which we encounter on the way. Let us have frequent recourse to this wonderful means of sustenance, through which Jesus supplies us with the supernatural strength which we need. Then we shall be able to repeat the words of St. Paul: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

2. Although the Holy Eucharist sustains us through life’s journey, we need it most of all when we are nearing the end and are at last in sight of our heavenly home.

Men can do no more for us in these final moments. Our friends, if we have any left, will have nothing to give us except their affection. The doctors will have abandoned us once we have passed the stage where medical aid is of any use to us. Life will have become an elusive memory, a sad memory if it recalls a long succession of sins, but consoling if it reminds us of good deeds and acts of mortification.

As a general rule, a dying man experiences a longing for some kind of assistance. Our yearning will be satisfied if it is our privilege to receive in our final moments the divine Healer who is also our Saviour and Redeemer. Since death can seize us unawares, however, we cannot depend too much on this last consolation. Whenever we receive Holy Communion, we should ask Jesus not to deprive us of Holy Viaticum at the hour of death.

3. If we wish to have Jesus to assist us in our last battle against temptation, let us receive Him as often as possible in Holy Communion with the same fervour with which we should like to receive Him in our final agony. Then we may hope that our long fidelity will be crowned by the grace of Viaticum. How wonderful it will be if at the close of life we can clasp Jesus to our hearts and tell Him that we have always loved Him, or at the very least that we have always done our best to love and serve Him.