 Growing up, I was very lucky. My parents were very loving and caring and always provided a home for me, a safe place from which I could roam for adventure and experience life. That childhood home was my anchor, the place I could always go back to, where I could rest my head and replenish all that was spent. There I received love and companionship, various important lessons and good advice, and when needed, both admonishment and mercy. There I was able to rest my mind, ponder many things and settle my heart while digesting the many lessons from the day. All of these things helped me to grow in understanding. From the compassion and care of my parents and siblings, I was able to put myself together, even after tough days, to go out into the world again the next day and every day. I know that going to school, work, and play, does not sound like a particularly difficult mission, but that was my life call at the time, and I needed the support of my loved ones in order to go out and fulfill my obligations to the best of my ability. I was nurtured for a life mission, to go and use my gifts. If we think about it, we all were, and are even today, nurtured for a life mission, even though we may not all be aware of it. I have a very deep connection to the life of Saint Francis Xavier, one of the original Jesuits, because I see in his saintly life so much of what we are all called to do in ours; it is just that in Francis’ case, they were done heroically. Young Francis Xavier was a well-to-do youth, born into nobility, educated at the best schools with the idea that his mission was to wield power, as was normal for the nobility of the day. He always did the best he could, for that was what he was raised to do, and that was part of his mission in life. At college, Francis met a fellow student who would eventually be known as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Order of Jesus. The story goes that Ignatius asked Francis one question, quoted directly from the Gospel of Mark, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36), and that thought stayed with Francis. From that moment forward, the understanding of his life mission changed. He was to become a disciple of Christ, a missionary to the world, and he was a great one, traveling far and wide to help spread the Gospel throughout Europe and Asia. Saint Francis Xavier would not do this alone, nor without support. He founded many missions and churches all across the world and met the people where they were on the road. He accompanied those seeking, the poor in spirit, and learned of their customs and traditions so that he could better relate to them, also called to a life in Christ. Too many things have been said about Saint Francis Xavier, some of it probably legend, but the one thing that I admire him the most for is his perennial dependency upon Christ Eucharistic. St. Francis Xavier spent many hours of the day before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Who gave Him the grace and the strength needed to lead so many souls to Christ. A famous story goes that while distributing Holy Communion, Francis felt so carried away by a sense of adoration toward Our Lord, who was in his hands, that he got on his knees and, in that position, continued giving Holy Communion. What a perfect witness of love and faith was his recognition of Christ in the Eucharist! Saint Francis Xavier, the great missionary saint, needed to go back to the source, back home, where his heart, mind, and spirit were healed, restored, and nurtured. The Eucharist, Christ among us, was his place of rest, the safe place from where he could go roam for adventure and experience life, even after tough days. From there, he could go out again to love and glorify God in the world day after day. This, too, is our call. It is the same way for us with Christ and His Church. From visiting Christ’s house and sharing from the banquet at His table, He sends us to the world, where we roam at work and play, accompany each other, and experience life. The Church is our home, where we are anchored; the place where we can rest to be replenished. Christ gives himself to us so that we may be restored. Once restored, we can then go and fulfill the commandment to love God and our neighbor. I like to think that as much as we are sent to give of ourselves to others, we are also recalled, so we can fill up on what is needed for the mission of love and mercy. Christ gives himself to us so that we can give from that bounty to whomever we meet in our daily lives. Can we remember our parents calling us home for dinner after a long day of work and play? From our daily mission, let us head home and share with the One who loves us. Together with Christ, we will receive what is needed. Let us pray: Lord, you are The Way and The Life. You are our home, our center, the One who loves and nurtures us. Let us approach You in trust and confidence that we may be replenished and sent on Your mission of mercy and love. Lord, may You be adored and glorified everywhere we go. Amen.
Dearest Eucharistic Family, Happy and blessed Thanksgiving. Our Church, always on mission, is moving into another liturgical season. Together let us enter into Advent by the heart of Mary. She will help us draw our strength from the Eucharist, the only place to escape the imminent tribulations. Recently after receiving holy Communion, I went back to my pew, kneeling in prayer; I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Reminiscing in my mind the beauty of creation, the blessing of my life, family, friends, and the privilege to go to daily Mass and receive JESUS. Let us be in conversations of love during this upcoming Advent Season, in contemplation of prayer and silence to hear the voice of God. As our love grows, trust is secured, and a steadfast spirit will rise. Through our reception of Holy Communion, in spite of our lowliness, we begin to see what God sees in the light of the sacred mysteries. Time spent in the True Presence of the Eucharist enlightens us to understand the scriptures, the Word of God. By grace, the Word penetrates the silence of our souls. It lives in the mystery of our existence; quiet time this Advent will draw us into the depth of the gift God hopes for us to receive this Christmas. To be vigilant, love is necessary; to love someone is to ignite a flame in our hearts. As we prepare for Christmas, we are preparing to love more, to find the Christ child, and learn from His humble life. Jesus’ presence among us glorified Our Father in Heaven; it revealed an exaltation of love, an echo from above resounding into our souls, with the Holy Spirit to guide us. Love inspires vigilance. In preparation for Christmas, it is customary in our time to give gifts of love. The perfect gift for those we love to express our profound gratitude for their presence in our lives. A gift for Heaven may be time spent in prayer to give thanks for the desire to learn how to share. To be responsibly stewarding in our families and communities. What is the greatest Christmas gift you have ever given? What is the greatest Christmas gift you have ever received? My cousin’s husband had a brain tumor many years ago and needed surgery during Advent. My three little cousins would not receive gifts that year since their dad was ill. I was working as a hairdresser at the time, and one of my customers, a teacher, was moved with compassion as I shared about my cousin’s illness. Miraculously toys were collected through the vigilance of this lovely teacher—people of goodwill came forth. My cousin’s family was embraced with love, “hearts that speak through love in conversations of love (above quote).” The greatest gift I have ever received is the birth of my daughters. Whether we are spiritual parents or physical, or both, the gift of love for those we nurture to grow is beyond telling. God is revealed in the most miraculous way when a child is born. Eyes opened wide, recognizing voices they have heard in the womb is an expression of wonder, a reminder of the expectation of Christmas. We are birthed into the family of God by baptism, and the Sacraments give the voices we have heard in the womb a vigilance of spirit, the City of God living in us. We are blessed year after year to grow in God’s grace through the Advent Season. Jesus asks us to be vigilant (Luke 21:34-36), to gain strength, and to live in an exercise of love; this will renew our spirits. Gifts are to be given and received, an exchange of love poured out. Saint Peter Julian Eymard lived on earth by the heart and by the hand of Mary. This relationship nurtured him to become a Gift of Self and led him to the founding of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Advent blessings!
 One of the recurrent little challenges of married life for us is finding a movie or TV show to watch together, something we would both enjoy. If you look at the streaming history for my husband’s account, you will find plenty of history themes… war documentaries, epic battles, kings, and empires. On the other hand, if you were to look at my streaming history, you would find period dramas, but those that focus more on the individual characters, their stories, their losses, and their loves. My interests have always focused more on the individual rather than the whole. But compromising and watching some of the epic stories he likes has taught me about things I did not understand before. My husband has always been an avid student of History; myself, not so much. This is one of the reasons I have always had a harder time than him relating to Christ as our King. I didn't really have a proper idea in my mind of what a king is supposed to look like, of what it is they are supposed to do. The Kingship of Christ always seemed like a foreign concept to me. Yet, every year, the Church brings this to my attention when we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. Every year, I've had to grapple with the question, what does this mean for me?
One thing that I have come to realize is that this is one devotion where our two different approaches can actually meet. The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe… that is the big picture.
All things are made subject to him.
This is the part where He speaks directly to me. I might not have a very good grasp of what might go on at the level of cosmic battle or even worldwide kingship, but I know what it is to feel a battle within my own heart. A battle of good vs. evil, of love vs. selfishness. I know what it is to want His Peace to rule my heart. This is what the Solemnity of Christ the King means to me. Each year I am invited to spend some time assessing the areas in my life where I still have not given up my own ruling. Those are becoming easier to identify as His Peace rules more and more in my life. A few years ago, as an extension of a devotion that had been growing in my heart since childhood, a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we decided to consecrate our family by participating in an Enthronement to the Sacred Heart.
At the time, we did not fully grasp what it meant to place Jesus as the King of Our Family, as the King of Our Hearts, but with childlike faith, we entrusted our most precious possession into His Most Loving Heart. This was a conscious decision on our part. A realization that, though we fall short often, our desire is to allow Him to fully reign in every aspect of our lives. And you know what happens when you give Jesus permission to come in and take charge? He takes you at your word. Gently, perfectly, through happy times and sad, little by little, you find that you truly belong to His Heart. And, as beautiful and consoling as knowing that Jesus is in me, ruling more and more of my heart, His Kingdom doesn't stop there. It doesn't stop at our family either, for we are all connected, part of the same Body. We know that one person's sin affects many; we have all experienced this in our lives. If sin has effects outside the individual, imagine how much more effect GRACE has.
When our home becomes a stronghold for the Kingdom of God, it becomes a source of grace for all. Each domestic Church, even with all our failings and shortcomings, is called to be a beacon of light, a refuge for sinners, a place where Love reigns and Truth shines. Each of our homes, beginning with each of our hearts, becoming those places where the King can rest His head for a while.
And when the world asks, Who is this king of glory? Where will we point them to, but to the live-beating Eucharistic Heart? This is the One they seek, yet they don't know, just like this is the One we seek, but we forget.
Let us then open up the gates of our hearts and let the King of Glory in. Let Him take possession of every aspect of our lives… Let His Eucharistic Kingdom reign, and His Peace rule our hearts. The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who practice devotion to His Sacred Heart (*Private Revelation) (The Twelve Promises | Sacred Heart Apostolate, Inc.)
 Whenever I am given a task, I take it upon myself to try to be efficient, yet I was raised to be thorough. These two things are sometimes at odds, but they should not have to be. In order to be expedient, we are often tempted to take shortcuts that minimize our effort and increase our efficiency, yet that sacrifices our thoroughness. This is not a good compromise, for a job done quickly but not thoroughly might not fulfill the expectations of the taskmaster. In our spiritual life, rather than efficiency, it is thoroughness that is asked of us. Our honest and faithful effort is the main measure by which we are evaluated. When we take a shortcut, we may miss some of the learning opportunities presented by the path; there is a reason Christ Jesus spoke about entering through the narrow gate.
If we choose the short and easier way, we are short-changing our tasks and failing to give our all. We end up missing the opportunities to grow that the full journey provides for us. There is a process for every task and a reason for every process. Following the process allows us to follow a well-threaded path that is proven to get us where we need to go. Our Church is like this; it provides us access to the narrow gate. It helps us navigate the fullness of the path, and it stands with us along the way. To live the Eucharistic life means putting in the effort to know Christ, living the sacraments, and sharing in thanksgiving with our brothers. It means that sometimes we go out of our way to care for one another, even when it is difficult. The path to sainthood does not have to be a lonely journey; it is, in fact, preferred to navigate it in the company of our brothers so that we may all together testify for each other and support each other.
We depend upon our brothers to help us complete the journey. They also depend upon us to help them with all that we have and all that we are. Dishonesty on small tasks may also lead to dishonesty on large tasks. Let us not take shortcuts. Let us experience the path to its fullness, for we know Who the path is.
Jesus, our Lord, did not do anything halfway, but He always stuck to the process. Jesus always waits for us to state what we need and then asks us to do what is required, like in the healing of the leper from the Gospel of Matthew.
After the healing, He asked the leper to present himself to the priests. The life Christ Jesus lived while on this earth is an example that shows us there are no shortcuts on the path to Heaven. There is always something that is required from us; our willingness to follow His path and do what is necessary to the fullness of our ability and with our most honest effort. Let us approach Him who loves us, with faith, and follow His lead. Let us pray: Father, help us and guide us that we may grow firm in our faith in You. May all our efforts be done in accordance to your will for us. That we may endure and absorb all your lessons, that we may follow Your lead and that of your Holy Church on the path to Heaven. Amen.
Dearest Eucharistic Family, In adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, these three words came to me immediately from Jesus: bless, forgive and live. Amazing that we have entered the month of November; it is a time to count our blessings. We are praying for the holy souls/the faithfully departed. This time of year also sets the scriptures to prepare us for the new Liturgical year. We think of and pray for all those who have gone before us. And also think of our death, hoping to be mindful that our purgatory begins now on this earth. Our communication with Heaven lives in our Eucharistic Lord most intimately. Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. He remains with us in the Eucharist for us to live in this blessing, to forgive as He has forgiven us, and to live in the freedom of His miraculous love. We are blessed beyond this world. How do we bless as Jesus blessed? Forgive as Jesus has forgiven? Live as Jesus would want us to live? Saint Paul seemed to grasp the answer in his message of obedience and service in the world. As we read this aloud with conviction...
This time of year reminds us of the importance of prayer. To recommit to set time apart to be with God. To rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide us in our days. Living in the Incarnation and partaking in a pattern of prayer like Mary will help us listen to God’s voice. Silence and setting a guard around our soul will allow us to be mindful of our eternal home and to be secured in our Father’s love. How often have we experienced a situation that tries to take over our thoughts and distracts us from blessing, forgiving, and living? It is a constant battle on many levels and in many situations. In prayer, we learn to bless every situation, forgive and live. Being mindful of prayer and obedient to the offering will always take us to the right way of living, and then pray for those who have gone before us and are with us now. Christianity shines like the sun when compassion rises from our human state. The frailty of our families and the brokenness of relationships have come to heights that we would never have expected—people living in heartbreak, guilt, and inner torture because of various situations. In Jesus’ love, we can be with the Kingdom of Heaven now. In our choices and the blessings of the Sacraments, we will remain in the grace of the present moment. In the mercy of God; bless, forgive and live.
From one daily Mass to the next seems like an eternity for me, and the longing to receive our precious Lord Jesus is the most extraordinary grace of each day. The Church suffering, the Church Militant, we are on our way to the Church Triumphant, the fullness of Heaven, and the beauty that is ours by loving, blessing, forgiving, and living. Note: A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence by visiting a cemetery each day between November 1st and November 8th. These indulgences apply only to the souls in purgatory.
 Standing at 5’2” tall, most people would describe me as ‘short.’ This is why it is easy for me to relate to Zaccheaus, who “was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature” (Luke 19:3). When a parent notices that a child can’t see, they often carry them up in their arms or shoulders. I remember my dad would do that often for me. When we were lined up to see a parade, I had the best seat in the house. Perched up on my dad’s shoulders, I could see the whole world from a safe place. … talk about a VIP seat! But now things are different. I’m still short, but I’m a full-grown adult. Hopping up on someone’s shoulders is not a solution anymore. I can not count the times I have been unable to see because of the people in front of me. It is even worse now; due to my disability, I must often remain sitting while others stand. Even sitting in a reserved wheelchair area, crowds often gather in front of me and block my view. They don’t intend to block me, but they do. In their eagerness to see, they miss the full picture. Not aware of my presence and how their actions affect me, they focus only on themselves and what they came to do. Going back to the story of Zacchaeus, he was so determined to see Jesus that he found a way.
The crowd gathered was there to see Jesus, but it was Zacchaeus who was caught in His gaze. Perched high up the sycamore tree, on his VIP seat, he did not let the unfairness of the situation get the best of him. His heart was not divided; He did not lose sight of Whom he sought.
But what about the crowd? Weren’t they focused on trying to see Jesus?
I imagine that climbing the tree was not Zacchaeus’ first action plan. I can see him pleading with his fellow men, saying, “Excuse me, may I please move in front of you? I just want to see.” And like an echo from the night Our Savior was born, their voices answered saying, “Sorry, there is no room for you here.” (cf. Luke 2:7).
We cannot be blind to the needs of those around us. Not wishing them harm is not enough. We will be judged on what we failed to do. We will be judged on when we failed to love. Will we be one more in the crowd blocking the way to Jesus, or will we lift others on our shoulders so they can see?
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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. FOLLOW IVONNE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
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