 When we hear the stories after Jesus' Resurrection, we see that those who knew Him before He died do not immediately recognize Him. Mary Magdalene “thought it was the gardener.” (John 20:15). On the road to Emmaus, two of them “were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him” (Luke 24:15-16). On another occasion, the disciples went fishing, “When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus” (John 21:4). Their eyes were prevented from recognizing him…
When I read the accounts of these encounters, it seems that they were all temporarily blinded by grief.
Too wonderful for me indeed… What does this even mean? How can I even begin to understand? The Risen Lord is here... with me, in me… in so many around me. Do I believe this? Do I recognize Him? Is there a place in my heart where I’m still blind, where I might be stuck in grief?
Far too lofty for me to reach… this is why you come down to me. You seek me, you call me… you wait for me to listen. You wipe my tears, you hold me… you heal me… you love me. Are we looking for Jesus? The Church tells us: Look to the altar. Look at the Eucharist. Look for Him there! He is risen, as He said.
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 I remember my catechism classes from long ago. I remember our lovely teacher saying, “God the Father sent His beloved Son so that He would die for us, that by Him dying we would live. He saved us.” That was a simple statement of faith for us. “He sent His son to die for us...” And I remember opening my eyes when thinking that someone great had given His life for us, for me… That statement stayed with me for a long time. As a child, I accepted it without too much conscious thought, for what did I know of life and death or resurrection and eternal life. My teacher, whom I loved and trusted, told me that, and at the time, that was good enough for me. As I grew, I started to explore that simple statement with more mature eyes. What does it mean for our Lord Jesus to die for us? Why did He HAVE to die? I could not understand, for understanding the Paschal Mystery is only possible as a gift of the Spirit, an authentic Grace. In my “conversations” with our Lord, I would always ask: “Would it not have been better if you had stayed here? You could have directly guided us through so many tough times. Nobody would have doubted You in the flesh, available, showing us how to live as we were meant to live. Would that not have been easier?” But the answers to those questions were not to be answered then. Not yet, for how would we accept this beautiful mystery if not for our trust in the One who loves us?
Our teacher, our trusted One, our loved One! He tells us He had to go… but only because we were to receive someone great who would give us a path to communion with Him. Part of the Trinity within us. Someone great, yes, but I did not know the Spirit. I just wanted Jesus here, present in the flesh. So how could I be okay with what is a mystery? But really, Christ knows our hearts better than we do.
In our union with the Holy Spirit, given in perfect love for our good, we are given guidance, companionship, unity, and clarity… That much is declared to us in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord! These help us to lift the veil of mystery and allow us to approach the Divine. The gifts of the Spirit help us love our brothers as Christ loves us.
We are set free. Like the Wild Goose (a name often used to refer to the Holy Spirit), we get to come and go wherever we are prompted by the Spirit in us. This, too, can be called a mystery! How are we changed when we follow the Holy Spirit and commune with Christ Eucharistic. It is beautiful to see how we are transformed when we learn to dial our hearts to the frequency of God the Father. The Trinity is with us.
This is why Christ Jesus could not stay. I get why He had to go now, yet I still long for His hand to touch mine… Let us hold on and wait a little longer. There will be time for a face to face if we persevere on our way to Heaven. For now, He is present for us in the Eucharist and we have the Holy Spirit within us. We can commune with the Holy Trinity. We are not orphans. What a Grace this is for us!
Let us pray: Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice of love for all of us. Help us to see beyond the mystery, so that we may be strengthened in our Hope, Faith, and Love. May we get to see the light of Your face. Amen.
By Laura Catherine Worhacz 
Dearest Eucharistic Family, Our faith is a mystery in God’s magnificent love. Jesus suffered for the failure of our humanity. He took on our sins and loved us to His death. Jesus forgives beyond human understanding. When I read the above reflection from my spiritual father, Saint Peter Julian, I think of what is most striking in contrast to the contrast of the worldly to the spiritual and what my own life looks like in comparison to the two! When we love like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, and find understanding in the fullness of the GIFT of the Holy Spirit, we can see the worldly way dissipate, and the Kingdom of Heaven found. In the Gospel of John: 6:16-21, Jesus is walking on water. He does not want us to be afraid. By the power of the Eucharist, we are capable of sharing Christ’s love, His healing, and His blessing to preserve the sacredness of life. It is easy to become overwhelmed with all the world brings. Parents’ responsibilities to support their families and the many challenges the needs of our day bring to us in education and future guidance are taxing. By grace, we have been saved! By grace, we live, move, and find our being in God, who loves us. In the above reflection, Saint Peter Julian suggests changing our objective. If we find our subjective preferences a new way of living, the gift to guard all that is sacred in our lives, our loved one’s lives, and the good of the whole world will be easier found. For us to spend time in the Sacred Presence of the Eucharist, we see things through the light of heaven. Most importantly, we may receive Christ daily to be transformed and conform our wills more closely to Our Father’s plan. What more can we do to let others know the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? Jesus is moved to pity at the sight of the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd (Mt 9:36), and he sends out the twelve disciples to make the proclamation with which his ministry began, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 10:7). What more can we do to guard the sacredness of life? What more can we do to guard the sacredness of family life, our children’s innocence, and the protection of the unborn? In our Eucharistic lives, in all our imperfections, God’s grace is waiting for us to unite in a dynamism of love. Jesus wants us to walk on water with Him to be raised out of the despair of the worldly way where there is no hope in the sufferings of the present day. As Easter people, we never forget the Institution of the Holy Eucharist given to us on Holy Thursday; we never forget Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday in its Octave. As we journey to the Ascension and Pentecost, may we be immersed in the daily Liturgy scripture readings, inspired to take action like those in the Acts of the Apostles, and be motivated to heal in the Holy name of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter Julian, with all of God’s angels and saints, pray with us, and please hear our prayer.
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AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 
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