ELISHEBA BLOGLaura, Ivonne, and Rick
write about their lives in the Eucharist. |
ELISHEBA BLOGLaura, Ivonne, and Rick
write about their lives in the Eucharist. |
By: Rick Hernandez “How kind is our Sacramental Jesus! He welcomes you at any hour of the day or night. His Love never knows rest. He is always most gentle towards you. When you visit Him, He forgets your sins and speaks only of His joy, His tenderness, and His Love. By the reception He gives to you, one would think He has need of you to make Him happy.” – St. Peter Julian Eymard
I have always been a bit of an anthologist, a collector of stories. Some of my most cherished childhood memories revolve around the times when we had visitors to our household. Even as a young child, I loved to sit at the table and listen to the interactions between my parents and their guests, mainly because these always come with great retellings of the stories of their lives. Some of these tales were light and funny; some were heavy and sad. Sometimes, deep questions were posed, and that would spur great debate. Other times, strong hurts were exposed, compelling us to empathy and mercy. On occasion, great personal insight was shown. It was a beautiful sense of togetherness. But beyond all that, what moved me the most, was that these were stories that celebrated life. Our visitors LIVED through these experiences, learned from them, and were now sharing those lessons with us. What wondrous gifts these stories were for us! There were always laughs to be had and tears to be shed when the heart was willing. Through the retelling of these stories, these dear friends brought us into their inner circle and passed down their hard-earned wisdom to us. They were sharing their life, and by that, they were also sharing who they were. Thought that time shared, we received their gifts of self, time, presence, acknowledgment, and love. As a child, being able to participate at this table acknowledged my dignity as a family member. Today, when I am at the Eucharistic banquet that is the Mass, I am once again as that young child, watching attentively at this reunion of the elders. In the Liturgy of the Word, the beloved ones break open their life stories, shared with us through Scripture. In fact, the Word Himself, our Lord, breaks open and shares the stories of His public life, as a gift of Grace and Wisdom to the ones genuinely present, that we may grow ever closer to Him who loves us so dearly. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Christ, our Lord, raises us to His table and gives us our true dignity as members of this family, the family of God. He cares for our stories too! We are called to share our experiences with Him in this celebration and unite them in love, to the offering of Our Lord in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. And then we are sent to the world to share the good news! If we are, to a certain extent, the sum of all of our experiences (including the ones we glean from others), then when we offer those up to our brothers and sisters daily, we are fully emulating Jesus, who gives us everything He is, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. So, next time a dear one sits with us and starts sharing of who they are in their story, let’s listen well and with a willing heart, for that may be a great gift for us. May we, at that and every moment, indeed be Christ to one another. Amen.
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By: Laura Worhacz "It is by suffering that we are sanctified, by crosses and trials that the soul is strengthened, freed from self, in order that it may find its satisfaction in God, and God alone. This is the lesson of the mystery of Mary’s Purification, and of Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple." - Saint Peter Julian Eymard (Volume 7 Eymard Library, page 75)
Dearest Eucharistic Family, On February 2nd our Catholic Church celebrates Candlemas, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. In this great mystery there is an array of spiritual insight for us. The Spirit of God dwells in Jesus, being brought to the Temple. In the fourth decade of our joyful rosaries we may pray for the virtue of purity of heart and obedience to God’s Holy Will as we meditate on the presentation. Mary brings Jesus to the temple for the first time after his birth. She is elated to bring her Son to God and finds there the spirit of God in a message that is unexpected, “(and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34). Where would we be without the CROSS? Most of humanity desires to be in bliss, yet God is not always found there. God is found in offering ourselves as our Savior did, presented by our Mother in the Temple. Mary is with us, as our guardian, our precious mother, with St. Joseph by our side. The Spirit of God is gift. It is a gift of life, of self, and an offering. Jesus’ life came to birth. An offering was freely given with what His parents had, small as it was in His temple, two turtle doves. Whatever we have to offer in our church today is the perfect gift for God, and the spirit of God will dwell in it. Love is offered in many measures, and longed for by our Father. The Crucifixion is the reality of our Christian life. When we find consolation in our sufferings, God’s spirit will be exemplified. The emptying of self, the offering of our gifts in the temple, will bring us true consolation. Mary embraced the message from Simeon, as excruciating as it was, and lived her life in JESUS. We are called to do the same. To pick up our CROSS and live in the Eucharist! This is the JOY of the Gospel, the Spirit of God, and the passion of God’s love found. |
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AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. |