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: Laura Catherine Worhacz Letter from Saint Peter Julian Eymard to MME Antoinette De Grandville, July 25th, 1863 (Life and Letters, Vol. 4, page 180):
Dearest Eucharistic Family, A beautiful message from Saint Peter Julian to a spiritual daughter, to bless her “at the feet of our Lord.” To remind her of the Cross of suffering and the love Jesus hopes for us to find. By the Eucharistic grace of God and the heart of Mary, we can find love this side of Heaven. My own spiritual attraction to Saint Peter Julian is set on fire by the newness of life that can only be found in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is our HOPE. Torture and graces seem to be part of everyone’s life. We suffer with those suffering. What will it be like to pass from this life? Will Jesus see His love through our lives? For those of us practicing our faith, we hope and long for eternity while we love one another this side of Heaven. Oh my Jesus, it is by our sincere relationship with You that we learn to love Your dying love, a love that brings self to death and an eternal gift of love for the Glory of Our Father in Heaven. That we may try to love others in the hope of returning love to You. Help us to be reminded by the nails that pierced You that our suffering is a way for us to learn to love You more. Can we see God’s love through sufferings? I know that my humanity initially leads me to abandonment, rejection, and a desire to be indifferent when misunderstandings and sufferings come my way. Prayer pulls me out of self and into the divine life; it so important we go there, into the silence, to hear God’s voice, seek His wisdom, understanding, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. By our will, all can be transformed into blessings and thanks. Joy in the heart is found in doing God’s will and learning to love one another. Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
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What is the first thing most of us do before buying an item or service? We look for reviews, usually first online, but if possible, we ask our family, friends, and neighbors for their experiences and recommendations. It’s all about trust, isn’t it? In the end, we are always searching for the truth. So what happens when we hear something that seems “too good to be true”? When the stakes are high and there is no room for error, a trustworthy witness becomes really important. This is not a problem unique to our times; we hear this question in a very familiar Gospel story, The Story of Doubting Thomas.
Jesus has risen from the dead! Talk about something that seems too good to be true! Can the stakes get any higher? In all of the Resurrection stories, we see that there is doubt until Jesus speaks. Mary Magdalene hears Him speak her name; the disciples on the road to Emmaus feel their hearts burning when He explains the Scriptures; the eleven doubted when they saw Him but believed when He spoke to them. When the disciples told Thomas they had seen the Lord, they only had the power of their own words behind their testimony. It was not until Jesus spoke to him that Thomas believed.
The disciples, before Pentecost, had only the power of their word. But, after Pentecost, the new Apostles speak God’s Word, and lives are changed. We, who have been made a new creation through Baptism, are also called to be witnesses of the Resurrection, and the stakes are really high!
Isn’t this what everyone is searching for… Goodness, righteousness, and truth? Our friends and family need our word-of-mouth recommendation, our story, our witness. We must strive to live lives of holiness so that it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within us who will speak the Word to those around us, who will pierce their hearts with the power of Truth.
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay
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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. |