"May We Run": Following Jesus in the Footsteps of St. Francis ~ Part Three: Francis and the Eucharist
O Sublime Humility, O Humble Sublimity!
What captivates your heart? A beautiful sunset? An exquisite piece of art? A selfless act of love? Our hearts are moved by the true, the good and the beautiful. At the core of each of these realities is an encounter with God who is Truth, Goodness and Beauty. St. Francis’ heart was particularly attuned to seeing God within creation and others. It was this sensitivity to the Divine that allowed Francis’ heart to be captivated by the Father’s love and humility in the Eucharist. He knew in a profound way that Jesus was truly Present in the Holy Eucharist and that amazed him. The fact that God, the creator of the world, would humble Himself to become a piece of bread was unexplainable. It wasn’t enough for God to simply become man and dwell among us, but He gave Himself totally to us in the Eucharist that we can even consume Him. This was no small matter for St. Francis. He would tell his brothers:
“Brothers, look at the humility of God, and pour out your hearts before him!
Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him! Hold back nothing of yourselves,
that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!”
I believe that Francis tells each one of us here, today, “Look at the humility of God.” What would change in our lives if we took a moment to truly look at Jesus, meek and humble, in the Blessed Sacrament? What would happen if we truly poured out our hearts before Him who gave Himself totally to us? My life changed before the Blessed Sacrament and I firmly believe this is a grace offered to each one of us, every single day.
I didn’t grow up Catholic. I had never been to church, read the Bible or believed in God. However, in the mystery of God’s providence I went to Catholic High School where I encountered God’s love for the first time and had a life changing conversion. Looking back, even before believing in God, there was a magnetic pull in my heart towards Jesus in the Eucharist.
Each time at our school Mass there was something inside of my heart that desired to receive Holy Communion. I thought to myself, “I know all that I need to do – put out my hands, say, ‘Amen’ and eat the bread.” Yet, I knew I wasn’t prepared to receive this mysterious bread. A few years later, as I was preparing to receive my first Holy Communion, I profoundly encountered the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. While on a silent retreat there was a time of Eucharistic adoration in which the priest brought the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament to each person. As I knelt before Jesus, face to face with God Himself, I had the overwhelming experience of knowing that Jesus was truly there with me; He was looking at me with love. Words cannot fully capture the experience. At the end of the retreat, I was sharing this with one of the religious sisters that was with us, and she told me, “The Jesus whom you encountered in the Eucharist is the same Jesus who died on the cross for you.” It was in that moment something clicked in my mind and my heart – the God whom I’ve come to know and love in the scriptures, humbles Himself to be with me in the Eucharist. My heart was captivated and transformed by God’s humble love, convicted by His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. I often return to this memory as a concrete moment I came to know Jesus’ personal love for me.
Now as a CFR Sister, I spend at least an hour every day in front of the Jesus in the Eucharist. Gazing upon Him who gazes on me. Sometimes my prayer is consoling, and I feel a great closeness to Jesus. Other times, the hour I spend with Jesus is dry and one filled with many acts of faith, “Jesus, I believe with all my heart that you are here.” I’ve come to see that it doesn’t matter how I feel when I am with Jesus in the Eucharist. The truth of God is an unchanging reality. Thus, simply being in Jesus’ Presence I can allow myself to be loved and transformed silently by the God who formed me in the womb and knows the number of hairs on my head. St. Francis allowed his heart to be captivated by this unimaginable love of God manifested in the Eucharist. It was this humble love that convicted Francis to live like Jesus: poor, meek and totally dependent on the Father. For Francis, to become weak and vulnerable led to communion with Jesus who is completely poor and vulnerable in the Eucharist. God’s humility is an invitation to intimacy.
St. Francis’ love of the Eucharist shows us the way to grow in union with the God who loved us to the end. It is not something distant or unattainable, but available to all each day in the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. I invite you to make a commitment to spend some time before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. You don’t need to “do anything” or “bring anything,” just come as you are. Even 5 minutes each week can transform your life. Jesus is waiting for you; are you willing to go and meet Him? Will you let yourself be loved?
Sr. Colette, CFR
