Dearest Eucharistic Family,
 
Continuing the Easter Season, we are blessed to live in the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The mystery of Christ is so intense that it brings us to a place of hope. For those who believe there is so much beauty in our faith, in our Church, and in the power of love.
 
From the time of the Resurrection of Christ to the birth of the Church at Pentecost, can we imagine what the apostles were doing and thinking?
 
Jesus' followers, the holy women and men, must have been confused to see death yet long for life; perhaps they were holding onto the exceptional faith in all the miracles they witnessed.
 
It may have crossed their lips and certainly possessed their minds to think, "What is going on?" perplexed. Yet they ran to Jesus, they followed, and what they did most was pray.
 
For blessed are our lives to be called to prayer.
 
Pray without ceasing (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer transforms our lives. Walking with Mary in the mysteries of her love, our Mother teaches us the way to Christ in the fullness of our invitation to follow Him; we go to the tomb; we run to Jesus.
 
The scriptures, the miracles of Jesus during this Easter season, empower us to know what God can do through a heart that believes.
 
So what's preventing us from raising the dead, or helping those who are not at peace? Many are not living in the objectivity of our Church, and the power of the Holy Spirit working within our lives.
 
I remember last summer, my husband had a septic infection and nine total surgeries; every day was another drama, another trauma. My heart seemed to weigh a million pounds during that time; however, I carried it to church every morning.
 
I remember one specific day; Raymond was in surgery. I went to 7 AM Mass. Although surrendering and trusting in God's Holy Will for whatever was going to happen, I had a tremor in my leg and couldn't stop shaking. I went to Mass knowing my husband was in surgery. Didn't know what to do with myself after Mass, so I walked several blocks to St. Jean Baptiste in Manhattan. I knew our Blessed Sacrament community was there, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament would be available. I walked through the front doors of the church, and there He was, our Jesus in the beautiful monstrance. I dropped to the floor before the front steps, my head to the ground, and wept.
 
We do not know why God heals some and not others, but I knew in that moment before the Blessed Sacrament that my husband would be OK and that he would receive a special grace and get through the surgery. After 85 days in the hospital, he was out. It was an amazing grace, a miracle that needs to be proclaimed to the whole world.
 
My husband is still healing from the open wound on his left gluteus. I don't know why he had to suffer from this illness. However, in God's grace, we have been able to coast through with rosaries tight in hand, and the reception of Holy Communion to sustain us. We know a miracle was granted.
 
We have a new Holy Father in our Catholic Church. Let's pray for him, rise up to the gift of blessings for the sensitive issues in our Church to be addressed in truth and mercy. Let us run to Jesus and bring the intentions of our Holy Father.
 
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may the oneness of the triumphant God reign as we do our part.
 
Let us run to the tomb. Let us be a people of prayer. Let us be a people of grace. Let us be a people of mercy and justice and do our best to teach our brothers and sisters.
 
Our new Holy Father is an Augustinian. The great Saint Augustine was the worst of sinners. Grace upon Grace was poured out through this holy man's life of conversion.
 
Let us try to stretch a hand out to those who are blocking the grace of God through their stubbornness and let us remember that all we have received comes from the grace of God.
 
Let us run to Him, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dearest Eucharistic Family,

It has been an engaging Lenten Season. My husband was healing from nine surgeries four months past when I spoke to Jesus one night in my prayer, "Lord, I never want to go to the hospital again." It was three days later when my spouse was in severe abdominal pain, and I rushed him to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. The next day he had emergency surgery. We went into the procedure with the knowledge it was 100 percent high risk, however, mandatory surgery.
 
OK, LORD! What is happening?
 
Complete surrender and full trust carried us in grace through the surgery, which turned out ok, and my husband is on the road to recovery.
 
I was in the hospital with my husband for a week, sleeping on a hard rock recliner. Already exhausted, running another mile...Faith in Jesus Christ, and His suffering keeps our soul in God's Divine plan, His delight, and the activity of the moment to be found.
 
Looking back, there were so many encounters and expressions of God to be found in the recent hospital stay. We had one young nurse assistant in the hospital who loved to come to our room, she would say so. I believe she found a mom and dad in my husband and me, for we would get excited hearing her life story. She told us about her toddler and baby, her husband, and her work. She shared more with each visit. We found out her father was incarcerated and that she had no real relationship with her mother. As we learned more, we loved this young nurse more and encouraged her more and more. I believe she found a gentle embrace in our genuine concern for her, she was not afraid to share all she had in her heart. We encouraged her to find Church, community, and a deeper relationship with the Eucharist.
 
In the excerpt below we are reminded of goodness, believing we shared this in our hospital room with this lovely young woman.
 
The Lenten Season has continued to exercise faith by the loss of a dear friend, a priest, and so many prayer intentions for the sick.
 
In the Eucharist, comfort is found. We enter into communion with the Lord, and we are not afraid. Jesus is so good to invite us to His delight even in the midst of suffering. Sadness is inevitable when there is loss, suffering, and death. Delight in hope will find doors of grace to walk through, new beginnings with lessons to remember.
 
Faith!
 
Do this in remembrance of ME!
 
Jesus' love has meant so much to His followers through the ages. We are blessed to offer up for sins past in return for all we RECEIVE.

​Dearest Eucharistic Family,
 
The Lenten Season of our Liturgical year is truly a favorite time for me. Although the thought of sacrifice comes to mind first, the grace within the offering is always found and the presence of Jesus is ever more realized in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Of all the cycles of life within the Church, Lent seems so very sacred. It is a time to REMEMBER God's love for humanity especially. Taking time to reflect and pray on the Stations of the Cross and the suffering Jesus Christ endured opens us to the grace Christ came to give. Jesus lived out what it means to have a humble contrite heart. It is more than we will understand completely this side of the heavens.
 
To deepen our faith in the Resurrection of life everlasting we pray, we fast, and we give of ourselves. This prepares us for Easter, the Triumph of grace, goodness, and love, over the power of evil. As we open ourselves, united to the Passion of Christ, a great hope sets a fire of love to our hearts, a longing to be with God, a vulnerability to cling to Our Father. We are blessed.
 
The word anew means to find a new or different more positive way, to do something once again, once more. We are marked by the sign of the Cross to begin our Lenten journey reminded of turning to dust. The reality of us all being gone from this earth is before us. We have the opportunity to examine our love for God and love for our neighbor, especially our own families and all in our pathways of life to prepare us for heaven.
 
As we dream of holy week and all the glories of the Easter Triduum fortitude manifests in our souls.
 
I am still currently caring for my husband with his open wound and daily wound dressing changes. His day-by-day healing has touched my heart. Witnessing the body healing through intricate care is so remarkable. The same care for our souls is necessary to find the peace Christ came to give to us.
 
The parallel of our spiritual lives in the aspect of healing deep wounds is striking to pray with. To go deep we must find in prayer a way to forgive and be forgiven. We need to be with God to heal from the inside out, to be made anew and bring forth greater life for those around us. There is freedom in the Cross, the pain, the suffering, the fortitude it takes to trust in God's intense love found in faith.
 
Our Lady, our blessed example of beholding Jesus, comforts us at every Liturgy, with us in our reception of the Eucharist, our mother, the one to help wash away our offenses.