#eucharist – Women Who Walk By Faith

Where do you encounter God?

green mountain near river under cloudy sky during daytime — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Where do you encounter God? Do you just encounter Him in your prayer time? Or do you see Him in everything around you?

Do you see Him in the strength of the rocks, the sturdiness and height of a pine tree, the depths of the ocean, in a smile or in the peace of a loved one as their earthly bodies begin to fade from this temporary home? Do you hear Him in the songs of the birds, the sound of the water falling, in the laughter of a child, the kindness spoken through a stranger or words you read in a book? Do you feel Him in the caress of a loved one, through the touch of the wind or the warmth of the sun? Do you know His presence is with you when you smell the scents of the wild flowers or the newness of spring after fresh falling rain? Do you taste His sweetness in the most delighted pastry or His passion in the bitterness of a glass of wine?

Are you aware of His presence through each of your senses? Everything around you, within you, that is a part of you encounters the presence of God. Are you too distracted to recognize Him in the smallest detail surrounding you?

I’ve read that when you lose one of your senses, the brain rewires and enhances other senses. Over a year ago, I began to notice that I was losing my hearing. There were some low tones that I absolutely could not hear. I love nature and I love walking or sitting near running water from a fall, a fountain or just across a bed of rocks. I also love to sit and listen to the birds. I find so much peace and rest in God’s presence when I am outdoors tuned into the sounds of nature. Losing my hearing was a bit scary and losing this piece of God’s presence in my life was just as bothersome.

In the spring of last year, after visiting my ENT, I was diagnosed with a genetic hearing disorder. My options were surgery that had a 1% chance of total hearing loss or hearing aids the rest of my life. After consulting with the surgeon, I decided to have the surgery. I remember contemplating a bad day in surgery, resulting in losing my hearing. The more I thought about it and the more I prayed about it, I began to feel at peace that if I lost my hearing perhaps God just wanted me to tune my other senses and see His presence through my sight, taste, touch and smell.

Through this experience and others in my life, I am realizing in this journey with God I can see, hear, taste, feel and smell His presence all day and all around me. And so can you – all it takes is to awaken your senses and awareness.

animal beautiful biology bloom — Photo by Cindy Gustafson on Pexels.com

In nature, you can see the possibilities and strength of God by observing the strength of the rocks and the height of the pine trees. You can discover how intricate and special you are by observing the details of a flower, a leaf, or a butterfly. You can watch the bees as they move from flower to flower and only pollinate the flowers they are intended to and recognize you have a unique purpose just as these bees do. You can taste of His passion each time you consume the Eucharist and are transformed through Him. You can feel the embrace of His love through the hug of a child or a dear friend. As the wind blows across your face, you can feel His breath, breathe life into your being.

Today, I challenge you to pay attention to the smallest of details and see God revealing Himself in some way to you in your unique life as you journey closer to Him in this temporary home.

An Intimate Relationship With Jesus

“Let me caress your soul. Let me soothe its wounds… Have great confidence in me…, Have a great love for me. See here, I will feed you from my own hands and let you drink from the inside of my heart, like a little white dove. There I will give you even more, more love… I will feed you with my substance…because I am yours… because I was born to come near to you… because I died so that even in eternity you would be all mine.” Holy Hours, Concepcion Cabrera de Armida

What if Jesus spoke these words to you? What if he is speaking to you now but your mind is too busy to hear him? What kind of emotions would it stir? How would you feel? Let your walls down, breathe in and out and reread the quote above from Holy Hours and hear Jesus speaking these words to you.

Open your mind and let him feed your soul. Open your heart and let him pour his heart into yours. Do you feel the immensity of life bursting from your soul? Is your heart burning with a fiery love for him?

Now imagine his body before you – in the tabernacle, the monstrance, the host raised before you. Do you want to take part? Do you want to be fed?

He says “this is my body… this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28) and if you eat it and drink of it, you will have eternal life (John 6:54).

He is yours and you are his. Let him caress you, hold you close and love you. Take part in this intimate relationship.

Now that you have imagined, evaluate your relationships in your life. Do they resemble this intimate love, intimate relationship?

This past week while I was on vacation, there was a couple in line behind me. Not intending to listen to their conversation, I overheard something that was very familiar and close to my heart. The wife, in a very frustrated, upset tone, made a comment to her husband about how he was looking at other women while she was next to him.

I mention this story because this is a result of a relationship that lacks the intimacy of Christ’s love. If we are fed by Christ, then we would not desire this self gratification of sexual desire or lust. He would guide us in what true love, true sacrifice of self, true connection of heart and soul is like as we embark in intimate relationships with the opposite sex. In knowing this truth of sacrificing love, true intimacy and beauty of life, the world would have less failed marriages.

Ladies, if you are not married, date Jesus before you embark on a serious relationship. If you are married, hopefully your spouse doesn’t have a problem with you dating Jesus together to improve the intimacy and selfless love of each other. Feel what true intimacy feels like. Experience the meaning of self sacrificing love. Then model this love and if you are not married search for it to be reciprocated. If you find it, you have met your soul mate, the one intended for you by God.

Be fed by the body of Christ and satisfy your thirst from the depths of his heart. Let him caress you and set you on fire, bringing you life through all eternity.

Spiritual Food

You water the mountains from your chambers; from the fruit of your labor the earth abounds. You make the grass grow for the cattle and plants for people’s work to bring forth food from the earth, wine to gladden their hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread to sustain the human heart.” Psalm 104:13-15

As I listen to the rain pour outside my window, I think about all that has poured into my life, just as God waters the mountains from His chambers. Although my spiritual journey began when I was younger, it wasn’t until several years ago it was truly awakened. The one thing that fueled my spiritual awakening was the Eucharist, “the bread to sustain the human heart”.

When I was a child, my parents did not take me to church regularly. I went to various denominations, whatever church invited me and my siblings to go to, we went. I didn’t know anything about the Eucharist as a child. I do recall people going up to the alter in a line, including my parents, when we attended a baptism at a Catholic church. I had no clue what it was but even then I believe I was being drawn to the Eucharist. Although I did not know what all this was or meant, I felt like something was missing when I went to church. I later did learn about the Eucharist when I attended RCIA at a local Catholic church but I still did not really know what it truly meant, especially to me in my spiritual journey.

It wasn’t until several years ago that the realization of the Eucharist and it’s impact on my faith journey bore fruit, pouring into my very being an abundance of grace. When I truly recognized Jesus in the Eucharist, I longed for it. My desire for the Eucharist was immense. It became the spiritual food that fed me. It strengthened my desire to read and understand the Bible. It helped me to endure the heaviest cross I’ve had to carry. It made forgiving easier and loving even easier. I yearned to sit in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It was there that I recognized the Spirit and could hear Him speak to me. I took refuge in His presence and adorned all He has sacrificed for me. I embraced His love for me and learned to love myself and discover my worth in His eyes. Just as God watered the mountains to bear fruit on the earth and sustain life, He poured out life into my heart and my soul through the ultimate food on earth, His son – present in the Eucharist.

After communion one day, my daughter asked me why so many people cry after they receive communion. I smiled, I’m often one of those people, and told her that perhaps they are thanking Jesus for His sacrifice for them and the love He gives through the Eucharist. For me this emotional flood gate is knowing what the Eucharist truly is, not a symbol, but the true presence of Christ, that pours into my heart. It is knowing that at each Eucharistic celebration He is being sacrificed as I also sacrifice myself by releasing my will into His as He becomes present within me, consuming me.

Are you being consumed by Jesus? Are you being spiritually fed, sustaining your heart? Are you embracing Jesus as He pours out to you in the Eucharist? Is He bearing fruit in your life through the sacrament of the Eucharist?

A Captivating Banquet

When I am invited to your banquet, you captivate me. My heart is wide open. I’m ready to embrace all that you offer. I kneel in your presence anticipating this feast. I long to taste all that you are, to be consumed as I consume your body and blood. The moment draws near, my heart beats faster with eagerness and delight. I slowly approach and bow in your presence. My heart skips a beat as my body becomes weak. There in front of me your body is revealed, illuminated and perfect as the priest offers it to me. I see you veiled in the priest. You place yourself up on my tongue, the sweetness of honey, the bread from heaven. To your cup I approach and your blood I intake. How precious and great is this kiss to my lips? As I walk to my pew, I feel your presence through my veins and in my heart, your body imparts the sweetness of love.

In this beautiful gift small and meek, a grand entrance of love manifests within me. I can’t contain the tears as they flow from my eyes offering praise and thanksgiving for all you have given. You sacrificed yourself upon that cross that I glance up on in this moment. A river of mercy and love for me and mankind streamed as my tears do right now. How can I repay you for such a grand gift? You whisper to my ear “accept my love and follow me”. I can no longer refuse. “Here I am at the foot of your cross, waiting for your hand and your guidance.”

Have you been captivated lately? Have you taste of the sweetest love, savoring within your heart and soul? Have you longed for a greater love?

Open your invitation that was sent to you this week to the most marvelous banquet. You are sure to fall in love with the one who is waiting for you to celebrate his love for you.