The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is present to us each day in the tabernacle of any Catholic Church near our home or place of work. Let us visit Him often and not make the mistake that his own family made: “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not” (John 1:11). No, let us remain lovingly vigilant; let us rejoice when we see the tabernacle, knowing that we are in the presence of God.

In The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments: A Catholic Journey through Recovery, Scott Weeman establishes a connection between Steps 10 and 11 and the Eucharist. Step 10 reminds us to be continually accountable to ourselves and God, and visiting the Eucharist often can help us do so by uniting our souls with the God who desires our interior conversion (Weeman writes, “He deeply desires our union with him”). Step 11 reminds us to approach our Savior with humility, open-mindedness, and willingness, and it is through time spent in prayer before the Eucharist that we can more easily align our wills with God’s in humility (Weeman writes, “prayer is a practice of becoming willing to bend our wills toward that of the Lord”). As disciples of Jesus, therefore, we have been given wonderful graces to reach sainthood, especially the grace of the Eucharist. How sweet it is that Jesus gives us His very self in the Blessed Sacrament!

Reflection Questions

• Make an effort to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament at least once during the week. Is there anything in your heart that is blocking you from becoming united with Christ?
• Recite the “Serenity Prayer” and concentrate carefully on each word. How do you feel after reciting it in this way?

Daily Mass Readings

First Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Reflection by Chiara F.