I received my first Holy Communion on my 14th birthday,
but I didn’t know that it was truly the Body of Christ then. All I knew was
that it was another sacrament of the Church and I wanted everything that the Church
had to offer. I didn’t even have my personal relationship with Jesus yet, all I
know was God was calling me to Himself. I knew I wanted to go to Him, but I had
yet to experience that power. As time
went on, I grew in my relationship with God. In 1988, my relationship with God,
with Jesus became real, became personal. I now had that power in my life and I
became alive. I had this great love for Jesus. I knew of His great power, His
great love for me. But I had yet to know the power of the Eucharist.
In 1993, I started going to Franciscan University of Steubenville to study to be a
counselor. At Steubenville, they had a little chapel called the Port where they
had 24-7 Adoration. I would visit the chapel from time to time not fully
understanding was Adoration meant, all I know was I was drawn to it. The more I
went the more I wanted to be there in the Port. I was close to something, but
didn’t know what it was or who it was for that matter.
Then, one day it hit me. I looked up at Him. Jesus! I smiled the
biggest smile. Jesus! There He was, right in front of me! The body of Christ. I
got so excited, there He was, in all of His glory. It was hard to keep my
excitement to myself inside that little Port! I went outside and said to the
first person I saw, “That’s Jesus! That is really Jesus in there!” They shook
their head and smiled. And the next time I received Holy Communion in Christ,
the King Chapel, I smiled that biggest smile again. The Eucharist is Lord Jesus
Christ, the Body of Christ. It is the God who I have my personal relationship
with, the God who I love with all of my heart.
VLC 6/23/18
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