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22 AUGUST 2023 | DENVER CATHOLIC and support them. Through his strength, we can do things we wouldn't be able to do otherwise. His presence gives us hope that things will turn out well even when we suffer. His beauty illumines reality, inspiring us to beautify other things. His love gives meaning to everything so that it can become an expres- sion of love back to him. Our lives as a whole become an expression of communion with and through him. If Jesus wants to give us life, we can expect him to change us, and he will, if we let him. If he changes us, he will then change others through us. He will build an entire way of life centered on his Eucharistic presence. By eating the body of Christ, we become his body in the world, extending it concretely in time and space. This life puts God first, prioritizing prayer, while also attending to Christ who is present in others. The Eucharist is the sacra- ment of love, and thus a Eucharistic way of life must express charity, embodying God's love concretely to others. The sacrament becomes a shared center, uniting us to others by cre- ating stronger families, forming friendships, building community in the parish and becom- ing a source of celebration that provides joy throughout the year. When Mass ends, Jesus asks us, "Will you also go away?" We should answer as Peter does in John 6: "Lord, to whom shall we go?" (Jn 6:68). We all face this choice. After communion, what are we doing with the rest of our lives? Are we abiding in Jesus or going about our own busi- ness? Are we trying to sustain ourselves with human food? Most of us do not even realize that we can live a divine life of communion with the Holy Trinity. We aim lower and miss even on that level. With Jesus in us, however, everything is better and becomes a means of expressing our communion with God. Jesus becomes present in every detail of our lives, becoming present within it, changing it and directing it in his love. He becomes our daily bread, nourishing us into ever- lasting life. If Jesus wants to give us life, we can expect him to change us, and he will, if we let him. If he changes us, he will then change others through us. He will build an entire way of life centered on his Eucharistic presence." 22 AUGUST 2023 | DENVER CATHOLIC