The Eucharist for me is the place where everything begins. Christ nourishes me with his body and blood, food for the journey and real life sustenance. The Mass and Eucharistic Adoration are anchors in my life. In Adoration I come close to Jesus and I allow him to come close to me. I sit with the Lord and look at him; and he looks back at me, radiating his goodness and love. His real presence gives me great peace. I spend some time with the scriptures and in intercession, remembering those who have asked for my prayers. As I gaze at the Lord I receive the grace of his divine love, and I am challenged me to live the Eucharist, to make it alive and active by acts of charity and compassion.
I am a member of the Emmanuel Community. Being part of this community has helped me to become more rooted in my faith by having regular times of Eucharistic Adoration which helps me to reach out in compassion towards others and commit myself to evangelisation. The profound grace of the community comes from Eucharistic Adoration. The time I spend in Adoration challenges me to live the Eucharist.
Living the Eucharist means attuning myself to an authentic living of the Christian life. It is a challenge to be true to who I am, a sinner, and to acknowledge my weaknesses and place them into the healing hands of the gentle, merciful and compassionate God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is a challenge to trust in God’s providence and trust him in the context of my decisions and my life choices. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life” and the reason for my human existence.
Living the Eucharist means striving to be compassionate, caring and loving to others, to those I work with, my housemates, my family, my brothers and sisters in community, and all those I encounter each day. It is a challenge to be faithful to the small everyday tasks, and to do them well. It is a call to live charity, to reach out to those I encounter who are suffering materially or spiritually, and to spend time with them, to be present to them, to listen to their story and speak with them, to assist them practically, and to commit to pray for them or with them.
Living the Eucharist also means sharing the joy of my faith, striving to share ‘Good News’, the Gospel of joy to those I encounter, whether they be my neighbours or complete strangers. It is a challenge to bring a message of hope and love, a gentle word, good deed, or kind action. It is to live in the world but not to be of the world. Living the Eucharist means that I pray for the intentions of my brothers and sisters in Community and those who ask for my prayers.
Living the Eucharist calls me to give glory to God through my work: – in communications and evangelisation, inviting those who are searching for something deeper and more meaningful in life to encounter the presence of God through the online platforms of the web and social media; and in school retreats, sharing my own faith journey and how I have experienced God’s unconditional love and healing mercy during difficult times in my life.
Living the Eucharist is a challenge to find God in all things, for me that is through entering an interior space of silence, gratitude, prayer and recollection while running, or thanking God for the graces of each new day and praying that I be led by the Holy Spirit and accompanied by Mary each new day, when driving.
Living the Eucharist means striving to live in the present moment with an attitude of gratitude for all I’ve been given, and for all I have received from the Lord. It means continuing to let go and let God. It means having compassion for myself and accepting myself in all my weaknesses, my struggles, and those things which I do not like about myself. It means letting go of past hurts, striving to forgive from my heart anyone who may have hurt me, and committing to love and pray for them. And forgiving myself for my past mistakes. It is experiencing the healing power of Jesus and realising how much He loves me for who I am.
This talk “Living the Eucharist” was delivered on 11 February 2017 at the Chapel of Adoration, Divine Master Centre, Newtownpark Avenue, White’s Cross, Blackrock, as part of a Guided Holy Hour during a Triduum of prayer to celebrate 25 years of the foundation of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master in Dublin.
