As Catholics there shouldn’t be convincing why the Eucharist is the Real Presence, but unfortunately there are those who continue to claim to be Catholic who have stopped believing, so here is an apologia (a presentation and defense) to remind all about the benefits of the Eucharist.  There are those who come sporadically to the Eucharist. They shouldn’t be receiving it, because the commandment of the church is to receive the Eucharist on Sunday. If a Sunday is missed, then the person needs to go confession prior to receiving it again the following Sunday.  The Sequence proclaimed today echoes the words of Saint Paul who says this sacred food can have different effects depending on how it is received.  For those who are not adequately prepared it will bring judgement and condemnation. It can give life or death depending on whether the person is in a state of grace.   So, the person needs to be in a state of grace for the benefits of the Eucharist to take place.   Some people are confused about why they do not feel anything happening while they partake in the Eucharist.  They must take a closer look inside themselves, because perhaps they are not receiving the Eucharist for their benefit but for their detriment.  They don’t feel anything because they are not receiving it worthily.  The effects here mentioned are for those who receive the Eucharist worthily and frequently.   The Eucharist as mentioned in the Sequence is food for the journey.  The Eucharist strengthens the will to do good and avoid doing evil, as the person as walking in this world toward heaven.  The Eucharist sustains and it enables the person to act in a moral matter by strengthening the will.   The Eucharist (well-received) helps a person to have more patience in life.  Many people struggle with patience in their lives, and it manifested in many ways, mainly anger and frustration. The Eucharist helps the person to have more patience by increasing the amount of love for others.  There is a beautiful song that says “Ubi Caritas Est Vera” which means “Where there is God there is true charity.”  Where God dwells, charity (which includes patience) grows.  When God comes in to dwell in the person through the Eucharist, charity for others grow. Impatience is diminished.  It is fitting that this is one of the songs that can be sung during Holy Thursday Mass.  Another benefit closely related to the previous one, the Eucharist helps a person offer forgiveness.  Many people are stuck in resentment and hatred for their neighbor (and sometimes these are family members).  The heart is heavy, and this is a very sad way to live.  The Eucharist starts to soften the heart and prepare it for reconciliation.  The prophet Ezekiel asks for God to give the people a heart not of stone but of flesh, that may have sentiments of love.  The Eucharist using this image starts chipping away at that stone and transforms the heart into a more sensitive one.  For those who have problems forgiving, forgiveness grows with adequate reception of the Eucharist.  The process of healing starts and ends with the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity.   Another benefit for those who partake of the Eucharist worthily is purity.  Many people struggle with purity in many ways with the excesses of the flesh.  For some this is a lifelong struggle, yet God does not abandon in this battle but sustains also with the Eucharist.  The Blood of Christ purifies, and the blood of Christ refreshes.  A good prayer is to ask the Blood of Christ to purify with its saving grace.  There is a beautiful psalm that states “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”  The Eucharist helps diminish the impurity, but it very important to go first to confession so that the Eucharist is not received in an impure state.   For these and for many more benefits it is important to reaffirm our faith in the Eucharist and receive it in a worthy manner.   It is sad that some people do not understand what they are missing out on by not receiving the Eucharist due to their impediments. It is even more sad that some people who partake would need convincing of the powerful effects of the Eucharist.  Let us pray to be fully aware of the effects of the Eucharist in daily life as it is given for sustenance in the way to eternity.