From the Deacon’s Desk: Prayer and Inspirational Thoughts
June 6 – The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Sunday
Do you believe in miracles? This week we celebrate the greatest miracle of all time – when Jesus makes himself present to us through the transformation of bread and wine into his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, to be with us in the most intimate way. In Pentecost and Trinity we honor an untouchable and invisible God, but through the Eucharist God becomes present to our senses as we can see him, taste him and feel him to the very core of our being. This Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ takes us back to the Last Supper. To the source and the summit. This is a yearly reminder to us of the awesome gift we celebrate that is the Eucharist. It reminds us to respect this gift, to reverence this gift. When we come into Church, we genuflect to pay respect to the Divine Presence and to remind us that we are before the Lord. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts of the pandemic has been to remind us of this great gift we so often take for granted. We yearned to taste the Eucharist again. God’s presence in our life brings us comfort and strength. Without his presence through the Eucharist, many of us became unsettled, and searched for ways to bring him closer – whether through visits to the parish to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, or the recitation of our Spiritual Communion. Nothing totally replaces the Eucharist for us though.
As Vincentians, we are the presence of Christ through our home visits to our neighbors in need – and that has been lacking for them. We bring comfort and hope to them through our presence, through our listening, through our compassion. We found ways to replace the home visits, but hopefully also look forward to the day we are able to return to them, for Christ also reveals to us His great love through the eyes of those we minister to. Presence – physical presence – allows us to connect to one another and bring strength, comfort and hope. During this time, we should continually pray for God’s mercy and intervention into the lives of those we minister to, those we serve with, and those who are in need (including ourselves). We bring hope to those we serve precisely because of God’s mercy. His presence and ours fosters friendship and mutual love connecting us to one another in Christ Jesus Himself. Do I search for ways to make myself totally available even in this time of social distancing? Do I seek to have greater patience and understanding? Am I open to and actively pursuing a return to home visits at this time?
Father in heaven, we are so grateful for the gift of your presence through Jesus and the Eucharist. I love You above all things, and I desire to never be separated from the intimacy of your Eucharist again. I embrace You and unite myself wholly to You. Give me the courage, the confidence and the boldness of the apostles at Pentecost to go into the world and be your presence to others. I pray that your mercy may be revealed and graced upon those who are in despair. Grace me, that I may show them your presence in their lives through my love and friendship of them. Help me to be aware of your miraculous presence in the work we do. Help me to find new ways to be present to all around me that I may make your love and friendship visible. I pray all of this in your Son’s name. Amen
Deacon Mike