I BELIEVE

As a little child I went to Mass with my Parents and Siblings. When it was necessary my Mother would quietly tell me that I had to be quiet because Jesus was in the tabernacle. Then looking at the crucifix she told me that it was Jesus on the cross. O.K. my Mother never lied.

Being a person who needs to know how things worked, all my life I prayed for faith to understand better. After many many religion classes, theology and bible courses there has always been a little bit of something missing: “to know how it works”.

I finally found a book that has been a tremendous help to me. The Eucharist is really Jesus. How Christ’s Body and Blood are the Key to Everything. By J. Heschmeyer.

It took many weeks, even months for me to read this book of only 149 pages with 241 end notes which included Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Hans Urs von Balthadsar, C. S. Lewis and many Protestant Theologians to name a few.

1 Yo creo

Let me get to some of the substance of the book which helps me increase my faith and have a greater appreciation of the EUCHARIST.

I feel like Clopas who “opened his eyes”: Luke 25-26 v 32. It is not new information. For me it is a new way of thinking about information already known. I’m thinking about this little girl who explained her understanding of the Eucharist: Looking at the crucifix she said “That looks like Jesus but it isn’t. The Eucharist doesn’t look like Jesus, but it is.”

Referring to John 6:60 – sometimes I felt like these people. Yes, sometimes I was shaken. I’m blessed to know the reference in John’s Gospel because of my belief. I believe because my parents told me so. I believe because so many religious women I had for teachers where role models for me. I believe because of the many Christians who left a mark on me, but most of all because Jesus tells me so in Mt. 26: 26-28 and reading the first three Gospels Jesus instituting the Eucharist is very clear. “This IS my body, this IS my blood.” If I don’t believe Jesus who can I believe???? John is a “gap-filler” because he came after and covers important moments in the life of Jesus. He tells “The rest of the story” according to Cardinal Dolan of New York.

2 Yo creo

The author continues giving some explanation about using metaphor for faith. For example in the Bread of Life discourse it is used often: see John 2:19-21.

The key to Christianity: No where in the Bible is “Old Testament” or “New Testament” or “Bible” used. Jesus calls Old Testament books: Law and Prophets, Luke: 16:16, Scripture: Matt: 21:42 and 11:13 Prophets and law, as examples. New Testament means “New Covenant” according to Pope Benedict XVI. This means to me that I must have a good relationship with Christ. All my life has been an ongoing process.

3 Yo creo

You cannot understand Christianity without understanding the new covenant. (Deus Caritas Est) Matt 22: 34-40. At the center of the Covenant is the Eucharist. There is much more about the Covenant which makes me understand and appreciate my relationship with Jesus: EUCHARIST: THERE IT IS, THAT IS HOW IT WORKS! It is my relationship with the Trinity

Our Mother Foundress, Marie Poussepin, tells us so in the Original Rule Chapter IX “Communion to preserve the life of the soul.” One of Marie Poussepin’s answer to covenant and relationship with Jesus is the first of her General Rules: With regard to God: “………speak to Him often, speak of Him often and renew your intention of doing everything for His glory.”.

4 Yo creo

-Sister Marie Williams

ON THE EVENING OF THE RESURRECTION

“When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (Jn 20,19-21)

There are days in life that feel like an endless night... this is the reality of countless families who, in the face of their despair, the best opportunity they have left is to leave their homeland and set out on the adventure of trying their luck, thus beginning the journey to the United States.

There are many Marías and many José's who, because of the hard experience they have lived through of abuses and injustices along the way, decide to close their doors for fear of continuing to be victims. They say in their anguish "we are so afraid, we cannot trust anyone; in Darien they raped my daughter, in Laredo they kidnapped us and because of the kidnapping we lost our appointment..." How to experience peace?

And yet the Lord makes himself present, he has shown us the marks of the nails in his hands, in his feet, he has uncovered his side so that we can put our hand in his wound. The Crucified One is the Risen One who walks beside us, he is wounded like us, he reaches out his hand to us and asks for ours, we support and encourage each other. Now we know that it was he who delivered us from death at the hands of our kidnappers; and on the last stretch of our journey a lady said to us, "I am surprised, I often make this trip for work and they always stop the bus several times, today they did not stop us even once."

"...blessed are those who believe without having seen." We had not seen him, but it was he and his Holy Spirit who brought us to safety and we cannot keep quiet about it and so we are going to announce it. "We have seen the Lord."

Santo Tomás

Thank you Risen Lord, you always go ahead and come out to meet us; you give us your peace and your Spirit of love, forgiveness, liberation and healing, that in the encounter with you I may learn to relate without fear to show my wounds and to welcome both the brother who lives next to me, as well as the one I meet on my way and who is also wounded. Amen.