As I sit here before the Blessed Sacrament, I am reminded of the beauty of our faith. Although this is the first time visiting this parish, I knew that if I could find that small red light, that Jesus was there. We Catholics are lead to that small red light and are in some ways called by it.

I want to give Christ everything.  Sitting here before him makes my heart burn and long for union with him.  There is something to it when one believes he would give his life for the Eucharist.  You simply would not do that with ordinary bread.

I have come to learn that the longing in my heart to visit him in this sacrament begins with his first longing for me.  Everything derives from him and returns to him.  Nothing exists without him.  My response to him is simply my recognizing that call within me and responding to it. That response is prompted by him and returns to him, hopefully not in vain.

Recently, I began bringing the Blessed Sacraments to the homebound. It has been a great joy. One day, at a stop light, I realized something. The One whom creation came forth from, the One through whom all things begin and find their ending, the One who came to suffer and die for us, that we might be redeemed, was sitting on my chest in a pyx and a small leather bag. Through him, with him, and in him all things were created, yet currently He was resting on my chest, waiting to be brought to a homebound parishioner. This realization was both overwhelming and deeply joyful.

We do not talk about the sacraments enough and that is deeply shameful.  A recent survey showed that almost 60% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  This is a deeply troubling failure on the part of the Church.  We must do better.

If Christ is not present in this tabernacle before me, than what am I doing here? Why am I wasting my time and how nuts can I be worshiping a piece of bread?

The Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is a reality and one that cannot be denied.

He is here. He is present. And He is asking us to do something about it.