Eucharist

The Monstrance at St Francis in Bend, Oregon

Without any doubt, the greatest gift Jesus could have left us was in the Eucharist. He also gave us His mother Mary as our Mother, just before He died on the cross, but a few hours earlier, he gave us His Body and His Blood, literally and figuratively, as our everlasting spiritual food. We are also honored to adore His presence every day. And this happens in every church around the world, as the Blessed Sacrament is present for Adoration, prayer and private time with the Lord. When people pray in His presence, miracles happen, as many people can tell you.  If the Blessed Sacrament is not exposed for adoration, many people still spend precious time in front of the tabernacle, with the sanctuary light always flickering, day and night, to affirm the presence of Someone special. Today’s celebration of Corpus Christi further accentuates the respect and reverence we should all show to the Eucharist. Processions are held in various countries, a tradition started by St Juliana of Liege in the 12th century.

The Monstrance at Holy Family, Hicksville, NY

The Monstrance is one of the most precious items in any church, and 10 years ago, I made an appeal to my parishioners in Bend, Oregon for donations to buy a worthy monstrance. The response was truly overwhelming, collecting $13,000 from various donations. I had enough money to buy a beautiful ornate monstrance, as well as two chalices, one for each of our churches. In the church we used to have daily adorations, and they still do, usually starting with the noon Mass and ending at 6 PM.