So often in our life we face hardship. We don’t often talk about our hardship – but our hardship talks to us a lot. It can tell us things like: “You’re not gonna make it. Others are going to let you down. You’ve got to fix this thing over here. Things would be better if you had only…”
Our hardships probably won’t quiet down. They gain power from tricking us into thinking we can fix them if only we had more power and control. Even though they will probably rattle on, it is important that we don’t let our hardships, hurts, and losses have the last word or even the loudest word in our day.
Hardships don’t exclude love. Love always comes in the shape of the Cross.
When we think of the Cross of Jesus, these words stand out above all others: “Take this all of you and eat of it. This is my body which will be given up for you.” … “Take this all of you and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”
These are the words of consecration of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus spoke the words of consecration just as He was about to face the Cross. This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus gave us the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, the Eucharist, so that we might always draw close to Him in our trials. That way, His word of life triumphs over the old slogans that our brain learned when we went through pain and suffering. The Eucharist teaches us to de-memorize the old slogans.
There will be no shortage of difficulties that get in the way in life. It is important to realize we are not alone. We unite all we do to Jesus and His offering on the Cross. That’s why coming to Holy Mass and going to Eucharistic Adoration is so important.
Because in those places we hear as we do nowhere else the life-giving voice of Jesus Christ.
God bless,
Msgr. Bransfield
