“I find myself so weak that were it not for Holy Communion I would fall continually. One thing alone sustains me, and that is Holy Communion. From it I draw my strength: in it is all my comfort. I fear life on days when I do not receive Holy Communion. I fear my own self, Jesus concealed in the Host is everything to me. From the tabernacle I draw strength, power, courage and light. Here, I seek consolation in time of anguish. I would not know how to give glory to God if I did not have the Eucharist in my heart.” Divine Mercy in my Soul # 1037
Oh so true! I have found my soul’s defense in the Eucharist. Since our move, daily reception of the Most Holy Eucharist has become available and necessary for my protection and strength. Beginning each day with Mass and Holy Communion sent me into the day with the power of Jesus’ Precious Blood and Body, Soul and Divinity coursing through my veins.
Through the years, I have come to understand the power of this incredible gift. I noticed when I received Jesus daily, my tendency to sin dropped considerably. Those recurrent sins that I struggled with began to disappear. Daily reception of the Eucharist, partnered with at least bi-weekly visits to the Sacrament of Mercy (Confession) defended me against the enemy’s wiles and temptations. The voice of the Shepherd in my heart became louder and all other voices became just noise and chatter.
My heart was devastated when I heard the news that all public celebrations of the Mass would be cancelled due to the Coronavirus. How would I live without the Eucharist?!?!? Without the Eucharist, I knew I would fall back into my old self. I needed Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity as a daily booster to continue on. What would I do? This news was horrible.
As I lamented to God about this travesty, I heard the Jesus speak to me. He told me, “I am Good – all the time! In times of fear, all the time, I AM Good. Don’t let the voice of fear control you. Listen ONLY to MY Voice. This is a time of great Grace, My son. I desire to see your face transformed in prayer. You are so flooded with earthly concerns, flood your hearts with hope that I AM here. Always, even now. You can still draw me close to you, receive me into your soul. I am never separated from you. Trust me.”
God wants to draw His Church to a deeper love. The old saying goes, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” In this time of the physical absence of the Eucharist, God wants us to take a deep breath and pray more. We can still receive Jesus through our Act of Spiritual Communion – every day and even several times each day. And, when my soul feels the craving for Jesus, I can drop to my knees. “I desire to see your face transformed in prayer” Truly, there is nothing that can replace the Eucharist but, Jesus is no less present now than He was everyday Mass was publically celebrated around the world. Just now Jesus is asking us to trust Him in a deeper level. I know those who follow my blog and are reading this post truly believe that Jesus is fully present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. But, He is ALWAYS present whenever we call on Him. Actually, in my life lessons, I’ve learned He is present even when we aren’t calling on Him.
“My sheep hear My Voice, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand.” Jesus gives His sheep eternal life, nothing can change that, not even a scary little virus. We just need to listen for His Voice. Spend this time as a retreat in prayer to learn to hear and recognize the voice of the Shepherd, to feel His Presence in all of life’s courses.
I can only imagine what it will be like that first day back to Mass, receiving the Eucharist in my soul again. The thought of that moment nearly brings me to tears now. I can already hear His voice telling me, “see, I never left you.”
This is a time for heroes to stand up and lead in His Mercy. If you know of anyone who is feeling alone in these days, be a hero of mercy and share the good news and hope in the fact that Jesus will never abandon us…ever.
Act of Spiritual Communion:
“My Jesus, I believe that You are in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I long for You in my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You have already come, I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You; never permit me to be separated from You”
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