Favorite Verses: Day 1

A friend of mine on Facebook tagged me in a challenge yesterday to post my favorite Bible verses each day for the next week.

Of course I was like...

It would give me a good excuse to use my blog to do this challenge as well as providing me an opportunity to ease back into posting blog posts because I've been gone for a while.

As I was returning home from work yesterday, driving home in silence, and thinking about my favorite verses, I decided that I cannot do this without first expressing a Disclaimer that will help explain where I'm coming from in doing this challenge.

Disclaimer:
I find it largely dissatisfying when people post Bible verses with A) no explanation why they are posting it, and B) not really considering the context, either within the passage or Scripture as a whole. Therefore, not only will I post my favorite verses (or even passages), but explain why through a some sort of contextual lens.

As largely tempting as it is for me to enter into lengthy theological explanations based on Scripture as I do this, I will reserve such opportunities for another time.  I don't have the time. Here, I simply just want to explain why these verses are my favorite.

Revised Standard Version(-Catholic Edition) is my preferred Bible translation for this blog and for study.  

With that said, let me kick off with my first favorite passage, from John 6:

47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” 

Full passage here.

But this passage from John 6 finds greater meaning in the Last Supper, pictured above, whereby Jesus broke bread and shared a cup with his closest friends.

As recorded by St. Luke:

19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Passage here.

Because of Jesus' teaching regarding how He is the Bread of Life--His very own flesh and blood--we have the Eucharist. We Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul, and divinity.

THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY HUGE FOR ME.

These passages are my favorite because the Eucharist is so central to my Christian life. Without the Eucharist, there's no need for me to be Catholic. If the Eucharist wasn't really Jesus, then Catholicism is a total sham.

We say the Eucharist is the "source and summit of our Catholic faith" (well yeah, because it's Jesus, who should be our source and summit of our Christian faith!). Through the Eucharist, everything else flows.

Jesus talking about Himself as the Bread of Life isn't symbolism. It's not a parable.

I mean, at face value this teaching is difficult. Without a greater understanding of God's divine revelation even from Old Testament times, it doesn't make sense. Even his disciples found difficulty with this and couldn't take it. Jesus didn't stop them. Jesus didn't retract or explain further.

So because of the Gospel, early Christians celebrated the Eucharist in remembrance of Him. To this day, the Catholic Church maintains that same teaching and understanding of Jesus' revelation and institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

Because of the Catholic Church and her understanding of the Eucharist, I'm able to encounter Jesus in a very literal way. He revealed Himself truly present in the Eucharist to me one time in high school during Adoration. It finally clicked for me that the Eucharist is Jesus in that moment, though I wasn't able to figure that out on my own. Suddenly I knew this is real. Since then, I've had very real and profound encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist through Mass and Adoration. Not every encounter I have with the Eucharist is met with warm fuzzies. Sometimes they are spiritually dry. But praise God for His graces, consolations, and desolations for drawing me nearer to Him through the Eucharist!

Because of Jesus' teaching on how He is the Bread of Life and His institution of the Eucharist for us to remember Him by (in the celebration of Mass, a re-presentation of the Last Supper) and because I've had real and profound encounters with the Eucharist, I cannot help but approach Him with love and reverence. I go to Him in the Eucharist with my woes, my anxieties, my faults, my successes, my joys, my love, my...entire self.  And there He is with His entire self in the Eucharist. Pretty awesome that we have this great gift in the Church!

So yeah. John 6 and the Last Supper passages are my first favorite because the Eucharist is so important to me. He is the bread of life. He is the blood of life.

I hunger. I thirst.
- JD

Barney, challenge accepted meme // Grog Blog
The Last Supper by da Vinci // Wikipedia

Total Consecration 2014: Day 31

Readings:
Luke 22:14-20
John 6: 53-56

from Pope St. John Paul II:
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 11

Reflection:
If there was one thing I learned from high school religious education from when I was in high school, it's that the Eucharist really is Jesus. For most of us practicing Catholics, that's such a no brainer but it's so incredibly paramount to our faith. The source and summit, if you will. It makes Christ's sacrifice so real and because it is so real, I really get a sense of His saving work for us. Not just that, but really, in the most personal way too.  It's been through the Eucharist that I've been able to grow in a personal relationship to Christ. And it's because of the Eucharist that I so desire to receive that I strive for a life of holiness to worthily receive that which my soul grasps for.

Response:
Mary received Jesus Body and Blood in a very unique way. I can't help but imagine what receiving the Eucharist post-Resurrection must've been like for her.  To help me further understand and contemplate that, I'll ask for her intercession prior to receiving the Eucharist.

Totus tuus,
- JD

The Last Supper by Rizzoli // Wikipedia

How Satanists Backhand Compliment Catholicism

I just recently visited a Bendictine monastery up in Oklahoma. I found it interesting that, posted in several places throughout the monastery, is the letter of an archbishop asking all Catholics to pray for the Satanic Black Mass to be cancelled today on September 21. Makes sense because the monastery is located in the middle-of-nowhere of Oklahoma and the Black Mass is happening in Oklahoma City.

The temptation right now is to talk about this Satanic Black Mass from an angle of whether they should or should not or whether public/private places should even hold such things simply because that's what's been covered in media. But that's not what I want to talk about. Here's a mass media article to help provide a little insight.

In my very light research of a Satanic Black Mass, I found out that while there can be some variation as to what actions or ceremonies are done within a Black Mass, it essentially is based off of a Catholic Mass. A Black Mass is a mockery and parody of the Catholic Mass. Perhaps for some, this is not a big deal because Mass is long and boring. For Catholics Who Care, that's terrible because it takes our highest form of prayer and desecrates it. But that's not what I want to talk about.

What's often required for a Satanic Black Mass is a consecrated host. In Catholic terms, this is the Eucharist. Our communion bread. A consecrated host means that the piece of unleavened bread has undergone the traditional ritual since The Last Supper which transforms this bread into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. That's a long winded exhortation of theological matters, but that's not what I want to talk about. Just note that Catholics believe that the Eucharist is truly Jesus.

So, they mock the Catholic Mass and desecrate the Eucharist.

They. mock. the. Catholic. Mass. and. desecrate. the Eucharist. They invoke Satan and try to cast out the Holy Spirit. They desecrate the (consecrated) host with bodily fluids. And other things.

See, as terrible and targeted as this is, I think these two facts are, in a somewhat farfetched way, back handed compliments for Catholicism. 

Farfetch'd from Pokémon, to illustrate the point

First of all, it's a Black Mass. Not a Satanic Black Worship Service. Not a Satanic Black Bible Study. Not a Satanic Black Prayer Meeting. A Satanic Black Mass. Very intentional that it mocks the Catholic Mass. Which leads me to think that the Catholic Mass seems to be worth mocking. And our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters should be seriously offended that their forms of worship aren’t the model for a Satanic Black Mass. 

Second of all, while most Christians believe that their hosts are merely symbolic of Jesus’ Body, only Catholics believe in the fullness of truth regardingthat during a Catholic Mass, the host becomes Jesus’ body, blood, soul, and divinity after consecration. Sure, some other mainline Protestants also believe that theirs become Real too, but not with the same full understanding that the Catholic Church has.  Oh, and Satanists affirm the Catholic understanding. They believe it really is Jesus, too. That’s why they strive to steal the Eucharist from Catholic parishes. There’s no way to obtain one unless one goes to Mass, take one, and try to leave with it. Or they attempt to break into a Catholic parish and steal it from the tabernacle. Again, most Christians don’t believe it’s Real. But Satanists do! That’s so crazy! That’s why Satanists want to desecrate the Eucharist because they know it’s Jesus! They would have to settle for a symbolic ritual of desecration by using communion wafers that you can buy leisurely at LifeWay. Or something. Again, our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters should be offended that their form of matter for communion isn’t the first preference.

As they think that they’re doing the right thing by opposing the influence of God and the Catholic Church, they provide some interesting backhand compliments.

So, should I be honored that this Black Mass is happening tonight? Should I be angry because they’re taking two very important things to me (the Mass and the Eucharist) and spitting (literally) on them? 

I’m not honored but perhaps slightly flattered that the elements of my Christian spiritual life are the ones worth targeting. However, I don’t advocate for Black Mass, even for the curious. I’m aware of the realities of opening oneself to the influence of evil is not a good thing. It’s serious stuff. Even they say this is serious stuff. I'm grateful that (allegedly) they're not using a consecrated host this time.

But, our response as real Catholics, isn’t to go beheading those who attack us or who are different from us. If the Satanists want to desecrate our Mass and the Eucharist, our response is to…have special Masses, special gatherings for prayer and adore Christ in the Eucharist all the more. Again, back to the letter of the archbishop of Oklahoma City, he calls for all Catholics to do something for tonight’s Black Mass at the same time it is happening.

That’s where I’ll be tonight. Adoring Christ in the Eucharist. Fellow Catholics (and our Christians brothers and sisters and other people of good will!), come let us harness the power of Google and find out if a local Catholic parish is hosting anything tonight in reparation for the Satanic Black Mass. There are Masses, times of prayer, Adoration, and Eucharistic processions that might be happening, especially around Oklahoma City. 

“Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…”
-JD

This post was inspired by Mark Shea's, "Monstrous" post.

This post also linked at Catholic Bloggers Network.

Farfetch'd // Pokemon Wikia

An Example of His Humility

Last Sunday, I went to go visit two nursing homes. I’ve been on hiatus for the past few months knowing that I’d be busy and stressed out with other things, but now I’m back on rotation. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m part of my parish’s ministry to visit the sick and infirm in local nursing homes. Our primary purpose is to pray with Catholic nursing home residents and to bring them the Eucharist. Elderly, sick people often don’t have the opportunity to go to Mass so a good handful of volunteers at my parish rotate visiting different local nursing homes to bring them the Eucharist and to pray with them so that they’re not left out of the parish community and Church.

As an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion serving in this capacity, it’s my responsibility to safely carry the Eucharist from the church to the nursing home. I use a pyx, which is a small container for such purpose:

Here's mine, but they can look different

My duty to minister the Eucharist to other people is extra-ordinary. Serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is extra-ordinary because ordinarily it is the ordained who should minister the Eucharist (ie. priests and deacons). Priests and deacons aren’t necessarily in abundance at all times to serve the needs of the faithful in this way, and that’s why it’s legit to use trained people, called Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, to minister the Eucharist. Sometimes that means non-ordained like me involves going to nursing homes with Jesus. :-)

Last Sunday, I blogged about my frustration with seeing baby pictures all over Facebook. I had arrived at a very sickening point of jealousy and envy last week. Lots of interior healing needed. When I drove from my church to the first nursing home, I couldn’t help but be humbled by the fact that the God of all creation and the universe is in my pyx. In my pocket. In my Honda Civic. Whenever He’s with me like this, I totally have the radio turned off. I don’t think I should be distracted by Beyoncé's musical stylings when God is with me in this way. After all, I shouldn't be distracted at a time when I needed interior healing from dealing with my jealousy of seeing others’ baby pictures, and the Divine Doctor just so happened to be right next to my heart (yay dress shirt pockets!).

I arrived at the first nursing home probably a decent 10 minutes before my partner showed up. I couldn’t help but take that opportunity and spend that time with Jesus in the Eucharist on my dashboard (after removing Him from my pocket). I also spent that time begging for His help and mercy in order to have a sense of gratitude and humility to combat my jealous feelings. Very humbling experience. I don’t know that I am eloquent enough to capture the rawness of that.

So my partner arrives, and we do our thing visiting 7 residents between two nursing homes. It is such a privilege to be able to literally bring Jesus to these nursing home residents. They're always so grateful, and oftentimes I can tell that they need Him. I mean, if I need Him to deal with my own set of problems, how much more is He needed for these residents in order to deal with their own sufferings? Regardless, my residents and I recognize our need for healing--our need for Him. And it totally blows my mind how He humbles Himself in the form and appearance of bread to allow Himself to be accessible in such a tangible way yet He is truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity. Like, whoa. It makes having this "personal relationship with Jesus" that Christians oft speak of such a very real thing.

Unfortunately our resident lists for the two nursing homes we were assigned to visit has grown shorter in the months that I’ve been absent. Actually, my previous blog post about one of my residents who was so genuinely afraid to die, she passed away a few months ago. Let's pray for the repose of the souls of those who are no longer with us.

Réquiem aetérnam dona eis, Domine, et lux pepetua luceat eis. 
Requiescant in pace. Amen.
- JD

Translation:
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Regarding the Need for Healing

At the beginning of Lent, I attended our parish mission. A parish mission can be thought of as a time for the parish to rekindle zeal and grow in faith, especially during special liturgical seasons (like Lent!). We usually bring in Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to lead our parish mission, which for us occurs over the course of three consecutive evenings (not every parish mission is done the same). This year we had Fr. Juan Diego--Canadian by birth, beard by choice. And then there was Fr. John Anthony, who is still a toddler priest since he was ordained sometime after Rio last summer (because I met him in Rio since he was with that other Texas group we happened to share the hostel with, and he was only a deacon then).

They covered three different topics each of the night. The first one was on the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. The second night was on Confession. The third night was on healing.

Of all the three days, the third one stood out to me the most. 

Fr. Juan Diego gave the talk, and he began by reading from the Gospel about the hemorrhaging woman. She suffered some sort of blood flow illness for twelve years, but had heard that Jesus was nearby. Knowing that He could heal and perform miracles, she made the effort, in faith, to get near Him. While He was teaching, she touched His garment or a part of His garment, and upon doing so, His power flowed and healed the woman. Jesus, noticing that power had gone forth from Him, asks the crowd, "Who touched me?" and the woman tells Him the truth. He says to her, "Daughter, your faith has made  you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."

After reading this account from the Gospel, Fr. Juan Diego carried on with his talk. He recounted various stories in his life as a friar where people recognized their need for healing. One particular experience he had was rather gut wrenching. When he was newly ordained as a priest, he was assigned to go to Central America. Upon arrival, he got to know a beautiful family with many kids. One tragic day, one of the youngest, Francisco, was run over by a bus. The family was utterly devastated, and Fr. Juan Diego was called upon by the family to pray, to counsel, and to help with the burial process. Not only that, but he had to deal with the families on both sides of the tragic accident including the bus driver and his family. In telling us this, Fr. Juan Diego made the point that God allows bad things to happen so that a greater good can come out of it. Inevitably, the question, "Why, God, why?!" comes up. While I won't discuss the problem of evil, the point is that even though bad things happen, it ultimately points back towards God. We can respond in despair or seek healing. The reality is that we're going to suffer at some point. The question is...how do I deal with it? Do I let God help me through it? Or do I cast Him aside?

I wish I can convey the cohesiveness and fullness of Fr. Juan Diego's explanation of these stories that he told to illustrate the need for healing, but it's one of those, "you had to be there!" sort of things.

The last part was the procession. Before explaining that, I've mentioned in other blog posts how Catholics believe that the Eucharist, under the appearance bread, is really, truly Jesus Christ present: body, blood, soul, and divinity. Each of the nights, during the friars' talks, we had Jesus exposed in the monstrance (the gold thing, Spanish "mostrar" means "to show"...see the etymology, kind of?). This last night of the mission, we had a special kind of Eucharistic procession that really brings to life the account in the Gospel with the hemorrhaging woman. We become the woman in all our brokeness, our sickness, and our need for healing. In this kind of procession, the priest walks from person to person while holding the monstrance containing Eucharist. He is cloaked in a humeral veil to cover his hands, and this physically signifies (which points to the spiritual reality) that it isn't the priest who is walking around from person to person, but rather Jesus Himself. As He goes from person to person, we have the opportunity to "touch His cloak" like the bleeding woman in the Gospel.

I was one in of the first few groups of people-in-the-pews to approach the altar rail of our sanctuary where Fr. Juan Diego was processing with Jesus. But of course I was moved because I really prayed about something where I needed healing (future blog post(s), maybe). When I returned to my pew, I reflected on how much I need the healing love of Christ, and in a very tangible way, I experienced this opportunity to allow Him to heal me.

Apart from the very real, truly personal effect of this Eucharistic procession for me, I was probably more intrigued at seeing everyone else have this opportunity to touch His cloak. Like I said, I was one of the first few groups of people to do so, therefore I got to glance up every now and then and see others experience Jesus as healer. I could tell by the look on many of their faces that they really needed this. Some were in tears...many had solemn faces (not in a sad, depressing way)...and some had a look of joy! Now, I don't know each person's story, but over and over again, seeing everyone's response after they touched His cloak really drove home that we all have this very real need for healing for our sufferings.

Obviously, when I've got bronchitis or some other sickness, I'll go to the doctor (maybe that happened once...or thrice...). When I have chipped my tooth, busted up my face, and potentially suffered a concussion, I'll go to the ER and dentist (maybe that happened once...). When I'm suffering in these physical ways, I obviously don't want to let it keep bothering me or causing me to suffer. I will go seek help to get healed. I mean, that's not an unreasonable response, right? Not only that, but I obviously wouldn't go to my podiatrist to give me a root canal. My doctor probably wouldn't be able to give me a prescription for my contacts. In other words, when I'm dealing with certain ailments and problems, I'll go to the correct person to help heal that problem.

So what about when I'm sick on the inside? This totally happens from time to time where I suffer in a way that isn't physical yet my mind is clear but heart is troubled. Who can help heal me when the problem isn't necessarily something tangible that a normal doctor can heal? How can I have a restored sense that I'm genuinely loved? How do I break away from despair, from sadness, from hopelessness? How can I endure all my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual sufferings? To whom shall I go?

The hemorrhaging woman knew.
- JD

Picture of bleeding woman from Wikipedia
Picture of Pope Francis with monstrance from Catholic Sun

Babe's And Billboards

I think it was earlier last year in the spring when I was driving towards Dallas through Denton on I-35E. I noticed a big billboard that simply said "Behold the King of Kings" with a picture of the Nativity. 

I didn't take this Instagram...

"That's pretty cool, but...it's awkward because it's sooooo not Christmas right now. Maybe this is accidental in leaving the billboard up...", were my thoughts. I didn't think too much about it and went on my merry way (but not merry in a holiday way, because it 'twas not the season). I mean, being up here in north Texas, it's not uncommon to see Christian billboards. (Do you know how many pro-life ones I pass by on the way to work? Lol.)

There was another non-holiday instance of me driving through the Metroplex, and I noticed the same billboard. This time in a completely different location! And I was like, "Dang, whoever is sponsoring this billboard ...they're intense! ...or forgetful-because-it's-still-not-Christmas." But now, I had the opportunity to look at the billboard more closely and such a closer look revealed something that I wasn't expecting.

Babe's?!?! Whaaaa!

I had no idea that one of my favorite restaurants had any sort of Christian affiliation with it!

And so they definitely do, according to their Visions & Values on their website.

Since I'm writing this in the Christmas season (which for Catholics, is celebrated as an entire season and not just a single day...ends January 12th this year), I really do get the opportunity to behold the King of kings! I'm celebrating His arrival! Word made flesh! God humbling Himself as a babe (not a chicken house)!

Y'all, that has so much theological richness to it that I can't hope to even begin to talking more about it! But, I'm appreciative of the fact that Babe's has billboards all over the place reminding me to behold the Him.

===Update 1/5/2014===

I unintentionally seemed to have posted this blog post on the weekend of the Epiphany of the Lord, where the Church celebrates the three "Wise Men" coming to see the babe to worship Him. Seeking the Child in Jerusalem, they asked King Herod where to find Him. After visiting Herod, they went on their way

and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (RSV-CE Matt 2: 9-11)

At this morning's Mass, our priest highlighted that the Epiphany used to be an even greater celebration than Christmas itself! This is simply because here we have Jesus being revealed to the world...to other eyes besides Mary and Joseph. Quite a big deal! The "Wise Men" have come to behold and worship the King of kings! Upon hearing this stressed importance during the homily, I had a sort of epiphany about Epiphany.

Either way...today is the day which we celebrate beholding the babe as King as the three Orient kings did those ~2000 years ago.

While the Solemnity of the Epiphany is a once-a-year celebration, I think, going forward, these billboards that Babe's (Chicken Dinner House) has placed around town will be good reminders for me to go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament--where I can really behold the King of kings truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity.

Behold.
- JD

Picture of Babe's "Behold the King of Kings" billboard from The New MethoFesto blog

Close up picture from Humor Outcasts
"There's Myrrh" meme from Catholic Memes
Picture of Pope Francis holding monstrance with Eucharist from Catholic Philly

Scared to Die

Yesterday, going down the nursing home's hallway, I finally came up to her room and saw that the door was open. I knocked on the door out of courtesy but no response.  I enter quietly, and I see her there fast asleep.  I made a few attempts at calling her name in order wake her, and she eventually woke up. But she started crying as soon as she woke up.

I have the privilege of visiting nursing homes about once a month. Inspired to do this after doing a week-long service camp last summer, I am part of my parish's ministry to the sick at nursing homes. We visit Catholic residents at many of the local nursing homes in order to pray with them and to minister the Holy Eucharist to them so that they receive God in Word and Flesh because they normally don't have opportunities to go to Mass due to their current health situations. I've been doing this for about a year now, and just due to the nature of interacting with elderly and sick individuals, the reality of death is very apparent to me. But, on this particular visit to one of my usual residents, the reality of death was not something I, myself, personally related to in a profound way.

In the previous times I've interacted with her, she was coherent and very talkative and good-natured.  Sometimes she has short-term memory loss.  In recent reports from my fellow ministry volunteers, it seems as though her health has declined recently. Knowing this ahead of time, I wasn't sure what to expect upon arriving.

This happens frequently where I stop by a resident's room only to find them sleeping. And I usually make a few attempts to wake them up, and in her case this time, I was able to wake her. But like I said, she started crying.

I didn't know what to do but since she's a talkative one, I kind of waited for her to explain.  She kind of apologized for being a mess because had been crying a lot. And she said, in flowing tears, that she's scared to die. I didn't know what to say.

She further explained that she had a choking episode earlier in the morning.  Through this unfortunate experience, she realized she could have died had no one helped her. And after the fact, as I was dealing with this after the fact, the reality of death must have been ... totally real to her. 

I'm not gonna lie. I'm sensitive to death. And I nearly started tearing up out of sympathy for her because that's a certain kind of suffering that I can't totally fathom, but I understand. I mean, it's understandable to be scared to die. But since I've grown deeper into my Catholic faith, death for me personally is something less to be scared of, but I know that other people aren't at peace with the idea.

She went on for a bit expressing her fears, and I tried giving her some comforting gestures like pats on her shoulder and head and that's okay to be scared. I mentioned earlier that she has some mild short-term memory loss or has a short attention span. Thank goodness though, because I was half-expecting my interactions with her to be me having to listen to her cry for a long while.  But out of nowhere she stops crying and gets distracted by the TV that was on. That led to her noticing the verse of Scripture that someone had banner'd across the top of the wall above the TV:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

She explained that she's glad that [whoever] had posted that on her wall because it helps her deal with what her fears. I then felt it appropriate to let her know of a quote by St. Augustine.  I only offered it because it's something that I've been reflecting on a lot lately, and it just somehow felt fitting to give her:

...our heart is restless until it rests in You. (from his Confessions)

The way I was understanding her fear of death was that it is out of anxiety and not being at peace with the idea of death. A sort of restlessness.  In my own life right now, I'm terribly restless and have only found peace by resting in God (usually through Adoration of the Holy Eucharist). And it's been a frequent reflection of mine for a long while now.

She really liked that quote. I'm not sure that she'll remember it, and I regret not having written it down for her, but I could tell that it did strike a chord with her.

After that, I offered to read her Sunday's Gospel reading, though I read the shorter version. These were the parables that Jesus told regarding the rejoicing of finding the lost sheep as well as the woman who lost one of her coins and rejoiced after she diligently searched for it and found it. Since I read the shorter version of Sunday's Gospel reading, it didn't include the fan favorite: the parable of the prodigal son.  She really liked hearing the Gospel that I read, and she even offered her own personal reflection (briefly) from the reading.

And we kind of got back into the conversation of being scared to die. To which I then asked her if she wanted to receive the Eucharist (because she sometimes doesn't).  She was a little hesitant because she let me know that she wanted to go to Confession as well.  Haha, she actually asked me if I could hear her confession, but I told her that I can't do that since I'm not a priest, but I offered to have a priest come visit her at some point sometime soon.  She very much liked that idea.

She ultimately decided to receive Jesus in the Eucharist because she felt that it would help her deal with her restlessness and fear regarding death.  So after humbly obliging to rinsing out her dentures at her request so that she could talk better and eat better, I was able to minister the Eucharist to her.

After she received the Eucharist, she was just incredibly grateful for my visit.  And she was just really grateful for us praying together and her receiving the Eucharist. By that point, I had to leave to go visit other residents, and I assured her that I would continue praying for her and that I would call our parish office to have a priest come by and visit to hear her confession.

I left her room feeling really grateful myself for having had this opportunity.  This was my first time talking about the reality of death with a nursing home resident. They're usually A) asleep, B) wanting to talk about other things or C) incoherent.  It just seemed really providential that it all worked out this way.

I was thinking just now how this little episode visiting her kind of ties in with this past Sunday's Gospel. Would a lonesome sheep not be scared that he is separated from the rest? The woman who lost her coin was probably scared because she lost something valuable.  The prodigal son was probably freaking out once he lost everything and was fearful in coming back home.  Yet, as Jesus shows us, there's much rejoicing to be had whenever the lost has been found.  And when we know this and take it to heart, we have nothing to fear, not even death itself.

I did call my parish earlier today, and a priest will be visiting her soon! :-)

Her name is Judy. Please pray for her! ...that she finds rest and peace in God and that whenever her hour has come, she's ready to come home.

Pax.
- JD

The Return of the Prodigal Son (1773) // Pompeo Batoni, Wikipedia

Singing to Jesus...Literally

I think every Christian can understand the idea of singing to and for Jesus.  Through song we praise and worship our Lord and Savior. Walk into any Christian church on a Sunday and you'll find the congregation (and choirs, if applicable...though usual) singing hymns and songs praising the glory of God.

And praise God that we're able to hear such songs outside the walls of our churches. One of the ways we can do that is through the radio. I know of several Christian/family radio stations here in north Texas. Obviously, in order to fill the air waves with Christian music...you need Christian music artists.  And I'm sure we can list all our favorites!

From what it seems like to me (and I could be wrong), a lot of Christian music artists also double as worship leaders.  And by "worship leader" I mean they lead congregations/groups of people in worship of our Lord through song whether they're singing/playing solo or with a band.

Thank goodness we have such people who help us focus our minds and hearts towards the Lord through praising and worshipping in song! And oftentimes, we, the congregation, really feel the power of praise in song. Like, it gives more sense of legitimacy and intention in our prayer through song. St. Augustine is often quoted in saying:

He who sings well, prays twice.

(though apparently he didn't really say that exactly, but...that's a famous mis-quote).

So if Christian music artists and worship leaders help bring our focus and attention towards God through song, and then there's that whole Gospel-according-to-Matthew idea about Jesus being present whenever two or more are gathered in His name...then yes, combining these two help bridge our prayers to Jesus, Who is present because two or more are gathered (unless our churches consist of only 1, =P).

Now, I have to ask the awkward question...

What would it look like if I were to take a famous Christian artist/worship leader leading a large congregation, and place that artist/worship leader, hypothetically, in front of Jesus Himself? Like, Himself in the flesh. Like, able to reach out and touch. Would the focus of the Christian music artist/worship leader be different? Would we, the congregation, have a different, perhaps more profound, sense of our praise and worship knowing that Jesus is truly there in front us?

(you can fast forward to ~4:20 for the song to start...the first 4 minutes are exactly what the big screens of Copacabana Beach were showing so you'll see what I could only see during Saturday night's vigil of World Youth Day...Pope Francis had asked for silence...after that, some brief reflections in different languages...then Matt Maher sings)

I think that YouTube video helps answer that awkward question.

So yeah, I was there on the beach! So was Jesus. So was Pope Francis. So was Matt Maher. So were 3+ million of my fellow Catholic brothers and sisters. I think the lyrics of Matt Maher's "Lord I Need You" really resonated with a lot of us that night since Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist, and we all recognized the necessity of God in our lives. And looking at various comments on YouTube videos after the fact...it seems as though this was many people's favorite moment/song through all of World Youth Day. And I agree!

This scene is especially striking to me because here we have a famous Christian music artist and worship leader on his knees facing Jesus literally and singing to Him literally...and focusing on Him literally...yet at the same time leading the 3+ million of us to do the same. At slightly higher elevation is Pope Francis, the successor of St. Peter, sitting and adoring in reverence with his helpers kneeling...all of them before Jesus elevated above everyone else.  Without a doubt, with everyone facing towards the Eucharist, the focus was definitely on Jesus. It makes it easier to worship and focus on our Lord when you can see Him. Even if I didn't know what was going on...to see Matt Maher kneeling as if facing something (not the crowd)...I would begin to ask what it is exactly (or rather, who) he is facing and why?

Maybe the YouTube video doesn't convey the profoundness of singing this song to Jesus while kneeling...maybe this blog post doesn't even convey that...but, I assure you, as a first-hand eyewitness to these moments...this experience was profound but ... normal to me.

This was profound to me because I was sharing this moment with surrounded by, truly, the universal Church from all over the world. And to kneel there together adoring Christ, recognizing my need for Him...I couldn't help but be grateful for the gift of spending that hour adoring Him with humility. But this experience at World Youth Day was also normal for me because I'm a fan of Matt Maher, and I listen to his music often (maybe just a few days earlier I saw him live in concert in Rio de Janeiro). And I often go to adore Christ in the Eucharist on my own, usually after work or before/after Mass. And sometimes I go to Adoration where there is some sort of music leader leading adoration, praise, and worship.

But...as cool as it is do have Adoration done this way with song, with the Pope, with other people, etc... my favorite way to adore Christ is in silence, usually in an empty-but-open Catholic church.  There's a greater profoundness spending that time with Jesus truly present in the Eucharist when it is just Him and me in silence, free from the distractions of other noises and other people. And I mention this because I'm at a point in my journey of faith that I don't require music to be playing in order to praise and worship our Lord. And though Adoration is a form of worship of Jesus for us Catholics...I think it's important for us Catholics to know that Adoration is possible without all the bells and smells of a setting like this experience at World Youth Day or at retreats.

Anyway, don't get me wrong... it is still very much a good thing that our worship leaders and favorite Christian music artists, and choir ministers lead us in praise and worship of Jesus in our churches. But I think to do that before our Lord, truly present, brings about a deeper and more profound sense of focus and really helps us call to mind a deeper sense of why we even sing to Jesus in first place.

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You. Every hour I need You. My one defense, my righteousness. Oh God, how I need You.
- JD

Praise band from Hearts On Fire Rally 2009 // xuthiensun, Flickr

The Silence of Millions

Earlier in the evening while people were staking out spots on the beach

The night of the Prayer vigil at Copacabana Beach with Pope Francis was a crazy^3 time. Do recall that this was not Plan A to have it at the beach because Plan A involved a long trek to Guaratiba, which had flooded due to the week's rains. So, I'm sure Guaratiba had the capacity to handle millions of people, but Copacabana does not.

The purpose of Saturday night's Vigil during World Youth Day is to share some time in prayer together with everyone and the Pope. There was some sort of theatrical drama/ceremony involving St. Francis and the cross, followed by a talk by Pope Francis regarding that. But after that, he initiated Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which in Catholic terms means to adore and worship Christ truly present in the Eucharist. Not just a mere symbol of Christ's body in the form of a wafer, but the very body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ under the appearance of bread. 

Apparently this night, there were 3+ million people

Because of our distance away from the stage/altar, we had to view what was going on the stage via big screens along Copacabana. We were between the last and second-to-last big screen. For whatever reason (due to me being distracted by the sights and sounds of the thousands around me, and the big screens not necessarily showing what was going on), I missed when Pope Francis exposed the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist) in the monstrance. I didn't really get the hint until I started seeing a bunch of people around our camp kneeling, because that is the usual posture whenever Jesus first gets exposed for Adoration.

After seeing those around me kneeling, I knelt myself. It was cold and windy, but it felt comfortable to kneel supported by the sand underneath the tarp we laid out. Then the big screens started showing more frequently Pope Francis and his helpers kneeling before Jesus in silence. After a brief while, everyone I could see all around me was kneeling. Pope Francis asked for some moments of silence, and all conversations had stopped. No one really moved around. All were adoring Christ, even though we were multiple football fields away. 

The silence was loud, if that makes sense. Imagine the entirety of Copacabana Beach tightly packed with people...and all were in silent Adoration. The only sounds that I could hear were the crashing of the waves, and the rotors of an overhead helicopter or two. But other than that, no human voices could be heard. The silence was loud and profound to me. The silence seemed to expose the reality of this intimate moment between humans and Christ. This intimacy made for a legit, prayerful experience with a real, authentic encounter with Christ. And all this shared with others.

See, this is what's beautiful and awesome about being Catholic! We are united in the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith. And to share these silent moments with our brothers and sisters gathered together from across the globe is an awe-inspiring expression of what it means to be Catholic. I felt joyful and peaceful to be here with all my bros and sistas in Christ with Christ! And like I normally do when in Adoration, I tried being intentional with my prayers consoled by the fact that yes, Jesus was right there on the beach.

Sure, the silence was eventually broken by the crowds in the streets because they didn't get the memo that we were in Adoration (hey, they couldn't see the screen). And yes, they continued the Holy Hour with reflections and reflection songs.

But in the small handful of moments in silence in Adoration there on Copacabana Beach last Saturday night, I remembered the reason why millions even gather for World Youth Day in the first place: to encounter Christ and His bride, the Church.

Having all sweetness within it,
- JD

View of Copacabana Beach on Saturday Night // Catholic News Agency, Facebook

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 11)

--- 1 ---

So last weekend, my parents and bro were in Canada for my mom's sister's wedding.  That pretty much left me at home to fend for myself, which is no biggie. It was just me and my dog.  I took off work last Friday so that I could go to the doctor for a checkup and for my dog to go see the vet for her checkup and annual shots.  I spent most of the weekend away from home because of errands and prior obligations.

--- 2 ---

One of those prior obligations was sitting/standing outside in the Texas heat.  After all our (English) Masses this past weekend, I was outside collecting prayer requests from our parishioners so that my pilgrimage group for World Youth Day can take them and pray for those intentions while we're on our trip in a few weeks.

Despite the heat, it was worth it.  It was really cool to see how grateful most of the people who decided to leave us an intention were.  It's going to be great because there will be plenty of opportunities for us to go pray while we're in Rio.

If you would like to submit a prayer request that you would like me to pray for while I'm there, please feel free to check out my online form that I set up:

--- 3 ---

In addition to my after-Mass heat endurance exercises, I visited nursing homes on Sunday morning for my parish's Ministry to the Sick.  It was a really weird day because a good chunk of the residents I visited were asleep! One of my residents kept falling in and out of sleep which made consuming the Eucharist a little awkward as me and my helper stood their awkwardly. A little bit of water really helped.

But, this is an important ministry even though it can be awkward at times, and I'm gratefully unworthy to be doing it!

--- 4 ---

My dad and bro got back from Canada on Monday.  My brother then moved out of the house into an apartment on Monday.

Haha, so my bro will not be returning to the dorm life for his second year of college.  I got to visit his apartment after work on Monday.  It's pretty decent in a not-so-shady part of town and it's about 10 minutes away from his campus.  I'm not worried.

Despite him moving out, I feel like I've seen him everyday the past few days because there are things he had forgotten.  Yesterday, on the 4th of July, we spent a good chunk of the day with him to buy him some necessary things like food, a bed, and other practicalities.

This is sad.  My grandmother and brother have moved out of the house before me...

--- 5 ---

And my mom returned from Canada on Thursday.  She spent a few extra days spending time with her family and seeing other awesome places in Alberta.  Le gasp, she even crossed the border on a boat! But! Ya know, Montana. Canada.

Please pray for her health's return though! Her feet absolutely do not react well to bug bites of any sort, and she endured several mosquito bites on her right foot.  Right now it is swollen and painful so it makes it difficult for her to walk.  Much appreciated!

--- 6 ---

Someone from my pilgrimage group had asked if there was going to be a blog that we would keep to chronicle our trip.  I decided to look into it and have gotten something together.  For me and this blog, I was definitely planning on posting about my trip here.  But! I may pull double-duty or do some crazy cross-blogging!

More details later.

--- 7 ---
Things got crazy this past week at the Capitol. But you can find other commentary on that elsewhere.  I was browsing through my Twitter feed the other day and saw an interesting tweeted picture...which I decided to comment on while chowing down on a Carl's Jr. salad (not burger...blasphemy, I know) on the 4th of July.

"Supporting women's health is patriotic." Love, PP. No matter what.

Sure, but ... coming from everyone's favorite name brand in all things "women's health"? And seeing the actions of their supporters? I suppose it is patriotic.  o_O Blog post here.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- JD

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 10)

--- 1 ---

What a crazy week in the political realm!  Perhaps our government decided through an act of congress to make this week a crazy week. Whatever the case, the movements of the government on the big issues are indicative of times when everyone's Internet/social life is filled with exchanges of slogan statusing and passionate opinionating.  Surely some glorious meme-ing as well.

I usually stay out of it.

It's not that I don't have my own opinions to express... But, I just rather not get caught up in the excitement and passion.  People get too emotionally invested or too sensitive about certain issues, and that's fine, but sometimes keeping charity and recognizing the dignity of the person behind the physical or on-screen keyboard is lost, and that's not cool. And also... I'd prefer to take the time to get informed about the issues before expressing something about it.

So, the unfortunate (fortunate?!) consequence of dealing with all this stuff by taking the time to get informed about the issues is that by the time I have a good grasp of what the real issues are, it's usually after the emotions stop running high regarding those issues. In other words, the fad is over on the social medias.  I guess that's why I'm left with dealing with these issues ...offline.  I guess I like it better that way anyway.  I'd rather do something about these issues face-to-face with people.

With that said...

--- 2 ---

...I'm a total jerk to today's culture. In the real life. Simply because I'm leading a group through learning about Blessed Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. This.  This is going to help provide the foundation at which to deal with the big issues like abortion and so-called "same sex marriages." Well, at the very least...in a Catholic context.  And things in a Catholic context tend to have a universally applicable vibe once I dig deep enough.

While I'm not going to provide a treatise on the Theology of the Body, other people have.  And that's how we're learning. Because other people have made the Theology of the Body more digestible for the rest of us.  And now I have to lead group discussions on it through the digestible portions offered by others like Christopher West, the Everts, and countless others.

So yes, we need Catholics to teach Catholics how to be Catholic using Catholic things that are Catholic.

Yo dawg, I hear you like teaching Catholics.

--- 3 ---

And speaking about Catholic things...  My parish is currently refreshing all of our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion through mandatory trainings.

I don't always minister Holy Communion, but when I do...it's EXTRAORDINARY

I'm grateful for this because as an EMHC, it's important that we're all on the same page regarding how we approach our ministry.  Some things aren't liturgically or canonically correct to do such as laity seemingly communicating that they are giving a blessing (with the Eucharist!!!) when this action is only  reserved for ordained priests and deacons.

Not that we had widespread issues as a whole ministry, but we've had enough discrepancies or lack of uniformity to merit this.

By being on the same, correct page, we communicate the proper spirit of our ministry.  And this is a good thing.

Heaven forbid we do our stuff without being properly taught...

--- 4 ---

While on the topic about not being properly taught your own ministry... A group (let me stress that specific collective noun) from one of my beloved organizations on campus at Texas A&M did something rather dumb.

A group of Fish Camp counselors took some pictures at the Bonfire Memorial.  It's a tradition to take counselor pictures on campus. These pictures depicted them taking group and partner pictures at the memorial, standing on the memorial, suggestive poses at the memorial, and other types of pictures.

More on the story here: KBTX - Reported Fish Camp Counselor Pictures.

It's really, really disrespectful to the 12 Aggies that passed away in the Bonfire collapse back in 1999.  Really, really poor judgment on the part of the counselors.

As a former Fish Camp counselor and someone who has really strong, indirect ties to one of the 12, this is definitely appalling.

But! I'm not going to blame the rest of Fish Camp for the poor decisions of a select few.  I know Fish Camp will handle this as best as they can.  Well, they need to because Fish Camp's ministry (or purpose) is to help transition incoming freshmen to the Aggie life, including getting them on the same page because some certain things are not okay to do.  (see, there's a connection to #3).  Counselors, in order that they may communicate the proper ways to be an Aggie, need to exemplify the Aggie Spirit...even when having photographic evidence of fun. Freshmen will see that.

So thank goodness I'm an Aggie Catholic because I'm able to forgive them. But, justice needs to be served.  This short-sighted decision does have consequences.

--- 5 ---

In superficial news, I upgraded to a Keurig. My last coffee maker involved many parts to clean up after brewing, which became a hassle for me and my family.  The convenience of its maintenance is the attractive part of owning a Keurig.  It saves a ton of water during brewing and cleaning.

But! I don't see myself buying a lot of K-Cups.  While really, really convenient, they're also more expensive.  I don't want to raise my daily coffee expenditure more than I have to.

Thus, I'm on a quest for a reusable filter...

--- 6 ---

Summer seems to be a popular time for weddings.  And out the small handful of weddings I've been invited to this year, this weekend's wedding is one that I cannot make.  For one, it's in Canada. Two, I have too much stuff going on back home for me to spend the weekend in Canada.  My aunt is finally getting married and my mom's side of the family is mass gathering in Sasketchewan for it.

In the meantime, I'm holding the fort. With my vicious beast of a Chihuahua.

--- 7 ---

In a letter to Amy Ronald on December 15, 1956, J.R.R. Tolkien said that:

I am a Christian and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect 'history' to be anything but a 'long defeat'- though it contains ... some samples or glimpses of final victory.

Something to reflect on.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- JD

Bonfire Memorial / MSC Hospitality, Zeinert Photography

Philippine & Canadian Flag / Philippine Embassy Ottawa

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 7)

--- 1 ---

I simply cannot explain the obsession with narhwals.  I think this is part of their devious plan to take over humanity by storming the world by land, sea, and Internet.  And they have taken over our youth ministry...everywhere I look...narhwal. Narwhal. Narwhal. Narwhal.

By Pokémon standards, they are Uncommon and found in the seas of the Artic...but only on Wednesdays and if the fisherman on Route 3290 calls you letting you know that there are some to be found.

To be honest, I didn't know they even existed til they seemed to have infiltrated our young people's obsessions.  Unicorns are not impressed.

But I hear narwhals taste like bacon...

--- 2 ---

Honestly, I just need to suck it up and not freak out so much that I'm under mandatory 50 hours a week for work.  Oh sure, days are longer but evenings are drastically shorter...but...this is simply a cross I have to bear for the time being while meeting deadlines.  Or not meeting deadlines, but trying real hard.

The only difficult thing about it is my decision to come in to work 30 minutes earlier and stay 30 minutes later.  But I'm too stubborn to get out of bed and to sacrifice after-work time to embrace this change.

And you know what? I'm still grateful to even have this job but...I just wish it wasn't 60 miles away...

--- 3 ---

This past week, I found out that one of the local airshows that I like attending will still be going on.  Which was enough cause-for-a-pause because I wasn't aware that there was any threat to it being cancelled. Turns out that the Blue Angels will not be performing this year.

Budget cuts. :-(

Actually...look at this schedule.

A visual pun.

When I saw that...I found myself in an emotionally driven state of sadness and fiery motivation.  Temperance is a virtue.

--- 4 ---

Wiki-stock photo of a Eucharistic procession

I went to my first Eucharistic procession this past Sunday for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  It was awesome!  I had the unique privilege of speaker carrier following the choir right behind Jesus and our monsignor.  Not only was it a speaker...but a speaker on a tripod stand.  Images of the 4th Sorrowful Mystery kept popping into my head along with the 5th Station of the Cross since I had buddies to help me.

I'm not too familiar as to why Eucharistic processions are done but...even without knowing that, simply following our Lord around literally with chant and prayer was a unique and joyful experience.

--- 5 ---

One of the challenges I faced this week is trying to come up with an attendance-taking solution.

But...ya know...beyond the sign-in sheet.  Perhaps I do maintain a database of attendance information and I'm seeking an easy way to transfer sign-in sheet info to something digital.

Much Googling in my near future...since I have not yet arrived at something that I think would be slick.

--- 6 ---

I keep forgetting that having Amazon Prime means that there is a library of movies and TV shows that I can watch without having to piggyback off my bro's Netflix consumption.

Inspired by this quick take's #1...I decided to watch Blue Planet, episode 1, on the seas.  Who knows, maybe a narwhal will be featured.

And it's that much more epic because it's a British guy narrating. Complete with a Classical score to further draw me into the oceanic immersion of life on this blue planet we call home.  God and St. Francis of Assisi are impressed. (as opposed to meme-ingly not impressed)

On a tangent note...I really feel like watching Finding Nemo now...

--- 7 ---
It seems my dog is more hesitant to jump up onto my bed these days.  It also seems that my placing of my recurve bow beside my bed may have something to do with my dog not chillin' on my bed like she normally does.  But! I'm not complaining because she's learning to chill in her crate that is in my room, which she has classically not used.

I'm wanting to get back into shooting my recurve bow so I have it out, strung but unloaded, waiting for an opportune moment to practice.  But free time is so precious this summer...

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- JD

Narwhals / Narwhal News Network

Bacon Narwhal / Serious Eats

Blue Angel / Destroyxofxworld's Myspace

Eucharistic Procession / Wikimedia Commons

Nemo Meme / We Know Memes

I guess I care enough...

...to be rather upset and shocked when praying in Jesus' very proximate presence.

How can this be?

I had just finished going to Confession when I decided to spend some time before Jesus to do my penance.  I was not at my own parish. And this particular parish I was at, like some others, has their tabernacle containing the Eucharist in its own chapel separate from the main sanctuary. 

I entered the chapel, and no one else was inside.  Not gonna lie, after praying silently for a bit, I was actually having a genuine moment (ie. nearly weeping (but that's okay since Jesus wept ... John 11:35)).

Looks more like a facepalm...

Then I heard voices outside. I knew that the start of Mass was approaching so it wasn't surprising to me to hear people in the main sanctuary.  But then...

...the voices came into the chapel.  It was a group of about 5 or 6 people. They walked in and didn't really acknowledge me kneeling there and praying.  No one in the group genuflected (or maybe they did when they entered the chapel and I didn't see them) or gave a solemn bow before the tabernacle containing Jesus. The head of the group, who appeared to be teaching the others about logistical Mass preparation things, nonchalantly walked up to the tabernacle and unlocked it.  Then she removed the ciborium containing the Eucharist (ie Jesus) and kind of let it bounce in her hands to let the others see how heavy it is.  Then she passed it around to the others to let them feel how heavy it is.

Someone had asked how many hosts could it hold, and the leader said that it can hold up to 600ish.  That's a lot of Jesus.  She also stated that the inside of the ciborium has numbered markers that help estimate how many consecrated hosts are within it.  And oh my gosh! She started spinning the ciborium around in her hands just to be able to show those markers to everyone.

Throughout all this I was just...shocked! Not that it necessarily weirded me out that they're having a teaching moment ...but...just the lack of reverence for Jesus truly present in the Eucharist.  I could just tell from their body language and actions that this was just no big deal.  They didn't act as if the God of Creation was in their midst and acted accordingly with reverence owed to Him.

Now, I was a little frustrated that my quiet prayer time was unintentionally, rudely interrupted. But again, I was more in shock about their lack of reverence in the presence of Jesus.

But I'm not judging them because I'm not sure how they have been formed in their Catholic faith.  Not every Catholic fully appreciates the Eucharist.  So as a practicing Catholic who cares and has a humble understanding of the Eucharist, I cannot affirm that the Eucharist is truly Jesus present body, blood, soul, and divinity unless I truly believe it and act accordingly.  That's where I'm at in my faith, and I simply seek to go deeper in that regard.

Equally as shocking is how God, who humbled Himself to be in the appearance of bread, puts up with us whenever we act irreverent, sinful, stupid, foolish, etc.  How great is our God, indeed.  I was recounting this experience in the chapel with a friend, and we both agree that it is doubly shocking how Catholics can be so ho-hum with the Eucharist and how shocking it is that God in His infinite mercy deals with us.

Lastly, I begin to wonder what the rubrics are on who exactly is allowed to access the tabernacle containing the Eucharist.  Honestly, not just anyone can walk up to the tabernacle unless they've been properly formed and educated to properly handle the Eucharist.  This requires further seeking of truth, on my part.

How can I inspire my fellow Catholics to better understand, know, and appreciate the Eucharist?  

- JD

"Jesus wept" / Flickr - Terry Alexander
Ciborium / MatthewSheehan.net