The greatness of Communion is predicated on love. Its greatness is in its representation of unselfishness.

We must love Christ through the Eucharist and then extend that love to our fellow humans. The more we receive, the more we should give. It all comes back. Love attracts love.

Every time we love someone, something good happens throughout the universe. Every time we love a person, we are poised to cause a chain reaction.

When we’re nice to somebody—when we show consideration, especially to a stranger—he or she is often nice to someone in turn. Then that person also does something nice, and soon there is a domino effect.

Every time we send love, we set the stage for a beautiful turn of events. We erase past incidents in which we sent dislike and even hatred.

Every time we send love, we make up for a time in the past when we failed to send love.

We make up for incidents of dislike, irritation, and impatience. We atone for ill thoughts.

Think of all the people you’ve interacted with during your life and how many times you’ve felt aggravation. Count the times you’re tempted to anger. Count the times someone irritates you or negativity enters your thoughts.

Keep a mental log of the incidents. Count the times you honk your horn or insult someone under your breath. Count the times you think of someone as inferior or “dumb.”

The most simple acts of aggravation are troublesome to God. He does not forget a minute of our lives.

When we die, we’re made to feel the emotions we caused in every person we ever had contact with—good and bad. It’s all on record.

But I like to think that every time we love, every time we send out good feelings, we erase a time when we failed to love.

Each blessing—each kind thought we think about someone—erases a past curse.

If we bless people all day long, we eventually make up for all the times we’ve sent curses in the form of negative thoughts.

We erase all the hatred or dislike we previously held in our souls, and there is that much less to purge in the afterlife.

Bless your family each morning. Bless your friends. Bless your neighbors.

Bless those who share the road, highway, or sidewalk with you. Bless those behind you and those ahead of you.

Bless those at the office, the convenience mart, the restaurant, and the cafeteria.

Bless those on the elevator. Bless your boss. Bless your coworkers.

Bless those at the bank, the mall, or the gas station—and even the aggravating person taking his or her time at the supermarket checkout.

Think of the person who has been causing you anger or anxiety. Think of the person who dislikes you, or who is arrogant, or a fierce competitor. Think of the person who has been envious or negative, or who has been throwing fiery darts, and feel love for that person.

In prayer, love the person who is most difficult for you to love. Love him or her. Pray for such people.

If you can love them, you can love all. You’re on your way to loving everyone.

Love flows to each person who crosses your path, and you develop much more benevolence.

Bless everyone around you all day, every day, and then you are the walking Eucharist. Then you are a personification of the Host. Then you are with Jesus.

As Mother Teresa said, works of faith and love are always a means of bringing us closer to God. Faith is trust, and trust brings us closer to Him.

If we are close to God, we spread joy to everyone around us. Such benevolence, especially in the way of charity, is what Mother Teresa called “the key to heaven.”

We go to heaven if we live an earthly life as though we are constantly before the Eucharist, which means as though we are constantly in the Presence of God.

[resources: Secrets of the Eucharist]