Ever since the gates to the Garden of Eden were closed to
Adam and Eve, we have been on a journey. A journey we hope will bring us to a
new garden, a garden of rich foods and choice wines where we are all seated at that
table of plenty.
And for our journey, God has invited us to his earthly
banquet of heavenly food as nourishment for our travels. It truly is a real
Banquet, a true gift from God. God is
inviting us in the Eucharist to His table, to share in the banquet He prepared
for his Son.
An exceptional gift for those who are prepared. A gift that
every saint before us ate, was feed and yet, wanted more. With deep reflection, often times in ecstasy,
they understood this was their personal encounter with Jesus, the one who has
emptied himself for us. They were called to the table of plenty and were fed.
And today, God is calling us to this same feast, to the
banquet at the altar of his Son. So many are invited, but so few come, and
those that do, how many are truly prepared to receive the ultimate God given
gift?
For us, receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can and
should bring joy, joy so deep it is indescribable. Receiving Jesus with a heart
dressed in the white garment for a wedding feast, with righteousness and
holiness, can bring tears, real tears of joy, for a gift we can’t explain from
an amazing God
On death beds or after serious repentance, many times brings
to a person the true meaning of receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of
Jesus? But why? Why does it sometimes take
a severe affliction to our lives to understand how much Jesus loves us?
Marie, who recently passed away was in a nursing home. For weeks she couldn’t receive the Blessed
Sacrament because of physical reasons, but when we visited her, she would whisper
and pray so hard and beg us to allow her to receive Jesus, her closest friend.
She cried for Jesus.
One time we walked into her room and Marie was asleep and as
we walked over to the other resident in the room we began to recite the Our
Father with that woman, and Marie who with eyes closed, had her hands folded in
prayer, lip-syncing the Our Father, squeezing so hard her knuckles were white.
Tears of joy and yet, tears of loss, flowing down her
cheeks. She couldn’t physically receive the Blessed Sacrament, but she prepared
and brought herself to the table of the Lord. Her heart was dressed in the
white garment for this feast.
There was Jose, a patient in the hospital who didn’t speak
English and I didn’t speak Spanish, a farm hand recovering from an accident. I
thought he would understand when I said “do you want to receive Communion,
Jesus.
I could tell he didn’t know what I was saying. I showed him
my pyx, but still I wasn’t getting through.
I opened the pyx and held up the host, the blessed Sacrament in front of
him. He knew then, his eyes filled up
and he cried and said sobbing, si, si. Yes, He understood, he understood that
this was a feast, God the Father’s gift, and he was prepared to join Jesus at
his table. He needed Jesus.
When we receive God’s Gift of Jesus today, we may not shed
the tears of joy like Marie and Jose. But, it’s OK if we do. But in your heart welcome Jesus as a friend,
a helper, a brother, the Son of our amazing God. Our food for the journey
Receive Jesus, knowing that it is Jesus and the greatest
Gift the world has ever known, a gift from God the Father to those who are
prepared to receive Him.
Yes, the rich foods and choice wines are on the table. We
pray God someday will call us to that heavenly table, the new Eden.
And, what a wonderful celebration it would be like Marie,
like Jose in the hospital, if we put on our spiritual white garment, prepared and
come to the feast to receive Jesus today. Make it special today. With joy and
thanksgiving receive Jesus with a heart full of love. And, yes, tears may flow,
for He has emptied himself just for you. He has nothing more to give. What a
gift - What a God.
