St John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist, pray for us!

Wonder and Awe

Blessed John Paul 2 asked us to never lose our sense of 'Eucharistic amazement' and that is something I have been pondering on as we approached Christmas and these last two days. 

When I look into the crib and realise the fragility and vulnerability our mighty God exposed Himself to in order that we might draw close to Him I can't help but look across to the Tabernacle.  Here in this Holy place, everyday is Christmas day.  God doesn't just want to draw close to us, he wants to be one with us in this most Holy Sacrament.  He comes down from Heaven at the words of  his Priest and dwells in the pathetic, weak and destructible signs of bread and wine.  How much more fragile is a fragment of bread then a tiny baby? How deep is His love for us that he should deign to stoop down from heaven just to draw close and be one with us? A love so impatient that He cannot wait until the day we go to meet Him, He has to come now. What love?!

And our towns and cities, are they not like Bethlehem 2000 years ago? The Christ child was born into the business of this world, in virtual obscurity in a shed at Bethlehem.  People were oblivious to this astonishing event...except those with simple hearts (the shepherds) or those in search of Truth (the Magi).  Each day the Holy Sacrifice is offered unceasingly across the entire world.  Christ comes to meet man, longing for union.  In our towns and cities, this goes unnoticed and if noticed, then it is largely met with indifference or ridicule.  For a parish Church that sits in the middle of a busy town, the fact this goes unnoticed is a tragedy. But God comes anyway: body, blood, soul and divinity.  He descends from the heavenly realms, taking the disguise of bread and wine so that we can dare to approach Him in confidence and love.  Just like He did 2000 years ago, when He wanted a relationship with man based on intimacy not intimidation and sent his only son. God knew that the baby's outstreteched arms would grow to embrace the Cross for the sake of mankind.... but He sent his Son anyway. That is the measure of Divine Love.

At each and every Holy Mass, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, descends into the business of our world.  He enters our Bethlehem with the same obscurity He did that first Christmas morn. And in every Tabernacle there reposes the very same Babe of Bethlehm, the very same Jesus waiting for over 20 centuries to meet us (St JoseMaria Escriva). With a great longing to be loved and adored by each of us, patiently He waits.  Will our hearts meet Him with the same ignorance or indifference? Can we take a moment out of the business of this world to pay homage? As Catholics, how can we not fall on our knees in wonder like the shepherds and Magi did? For as Scott Hahn says, when Christ comes again He will have not a drop more glory than He already has now in the Blessed Sacrament.  If you are passing a Church this Christmastide then go in and adore HIM. Spend a few moments in front of the crib and the Taberncle and ponder this great gift. And if your Church isn't open everyday like mine, then go a little earlier before Mass this weekend.

 

VENITE ADOREMUS, DOMINUM