Eucharistic Reflection: Run to the Lord

by Diocese of Des Moines | May 10, 2021

By Mike Mahoney

Seminarian for the Diocese of Des Moines

When I think about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed my life in the past year, I am reminded of one thing that has remained the same: my love for the Lord and the consolation that I have received in prayer during this difficult time across the world. While that theme has remained constant, it is connected to another ongoing desire that many have felt during the pandemic; namely, a longing to see family and friends when it is either extremely difficult or impossible to do so. This is just one way the Lord is calling us to purify our hearts, and increase our desire for Him.

This sense of longing is difficult to deal with. We all have a deep desire to reunite with a person that is near and dear to our heart. Yet, because of certain restrictions, or out of care for others, we may decide it’s not for the best right now. Yet the desire remains. There is a point at which we come to accept our current circumstances. After that, we must find a remedy for this desire, a search that can seem too difficult or maybe even impossible. However, there does exist such a remedy, and it’s a simple one: to run to the Lord.

Running to the Lord may seem too simplistic an answer for such a profound ache in our hearts. But there is something that truly heals the heart and provides the comfort that we seem to be looking for when we run to Him. When we truly run to the Lord with all our concerns, hurts, and sorrows, He has a very powerful way to bring us closer to His heart. There is no one who has a better understanding of grief and sorrow, or a stronger longing to see loved ones, than the Lord. That is what the Lord feels for each and every one of us. He wants us to be reunited with Him, but He also wants us to purify our own desires. That is why His love remains constant and can sometimes be felt even more powerfully when we present ourselves in the midst of difficult times.

There is no doubt that we have all had a difficult year. However, things are starting to return to the way they once were. As I was reflecting on the reopening of normal activities, and in particular that of churches starting to host more events, the passage from Matthew 17 came to mind. In Matthew 17:4 we read, “Lord, it is good that we are here.” That is Peter’s response to Jesus during the Transfiguration. The Lord is inviting us to answer Him in the same way. Whenever you decide to come back to Church, or if you have already returned, make that your response. Be filled with the awe and amazement of the good we receive when we present ourselves in front of the Lord in the Eucharist. When you do return, bring that joy of being in His presence to Him too.

The Lord has been purifying our hearts throughout this year. While it may seem bleak right now, things will get better. That is why it is all the more important that we run to the Lord with everything that we have been through. Why? Because that is the way He purifies our hearts. He uses all the lows and highs that we bring to Him for our benefit. He uses the lows to conform us to His heart, so we can then in turn feel His love even more profoundly. He uses the highs as an acceptance of our praise and gratitude for the presence He has in our lives that we can see more clearly.

When your go to Eucharistic adoration, present your whole self. Bring to Him all that you have on your heart. May your reaction to being in His presence be like that of Peter, “It is good for me to be here.” Then, you will start to see your heart being purified and conformed more fully to that of the Sacred Heart.

Reflection Questions:

• What longings do I have in my own heart right now, and do I share those longings with Jesus?
• In times of difficulty, do I run to the Lord, or do I try to find consolation in other places?

Petitions:

• That in all circumstances our hearts may be more fully conformed to Jesus’ Sacred Heart, we pray…
• For the people of the Diocese of Des Moines, that we may always run to Jesus in times of trial, we pray…
• We pray for all who feel unable to come to Jesus for any reason, that we recognize in Jesus a compassionate God who shares in our suffering, and that we see more clearly His infinite and personal love for us, we pray…