He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:54

St. Thomas Aquinas says, "The Lord feeds his faithful ones, that they may not fail in the way of righteousness; but in their strength they may come to the table of heavenly glory."

The Eucharist strenghtens us on the journey to heaven. Just as the Israelites were given manna in the desert so God gives himself to us in the Eucharist. The good life is not one of pleasure but the life that is leading to our ultimate good which is life with God in heaven. In the Eucharist we become one with Jesus in his suffering, in his death, and in his victory over death.
When we participate fully in the mass we enter into the life of Jesus, we receive his grace into our lives and we receive a pledge of future glory. The Eucharist brings the past and the future into our lives in the present moment.