The Eucharist, conformation to Christ, and salvation

I'm coming to the end of "The Hidden Manna". The author's own reflections on the Eucharist comprise the last part of the book. A few things really stand out.

First, how the act of receiving the Eucharist conforms the receiver to Christ. The Church has always taught that, unlike natural food that becomes part of us, consuming the Eucharist results in us becoming like Christ. Christ's sacrifice on Calvary is an all-sufficent offering - good for all people at all times. But our hearts are not large enough to accept the offering all at once. Christ's gift is too big for any soul to accept. But each time we receive the Eucharist worthily, that reception enlarges our hearts and our souls so we can accept a little more of the gift - we can become a little more like Christ - a little less enslaved to the world. Once again this teaching conforms to my own experience. Attendance at each Mass - each reception at the host - is a blow against the hold of sin on me. Becoming like Christ requires constant efforts of the will; it is not a singular act of faith after which we can continue to live our lives the way we want, as so many Protestant faiths seem to preach. Each morning I try to make a new act of faith; a new turning of my soul towards the Lord and away from sin. A priest at my church used to say: When we face the sun, we can't see our shadow; when we face our shadows we can't see the sun.

The second thing that really caught my attention in the last part of this book is a continuation of the first: a discussion as to whether the Eucharist is necessary for salvation. The author holds that since reception of the Eucharist conforms us to Christ, and conformation to Christ is necessary for salvation, that for the most part, for most people, reception of the Eucharist is the normal path of salvation. It is the ordinary path that Christ meant for most people to follow. Certainly for me it is absolutely required. At this point in my life, for me to turn my back on the Church and the Mass would be equivalent to turning away from God, preferring myself to God. That would be a loss of salvation! The Church does teach that the Eucharist is not absolutely required for all people. It is the ordinary means but Christ also holds out the hope of extraordinary means; mostly this involves the intention and effort of the person to live according to God's law.