Where Home Is

By: Rick Hernandez

I like to tell my wife that home is wherever she is, wherever one of my loved ones is. Home is wherever I find God among us, and I find God present in the love we share. Wherever that higher calling of love is, there is our home.
 
As we learn to trust that God's loving hand can indeed guide us during this earthly life, we also learn to recognize the Holy Spirit marking us as His people, helping us to love as we have been created to do. Nowhere is this more explicit for us than at the celebration of the Eucharist. There in God’s temple, through the power of the Holy Spirit and in the guise of the humble Host, Christ becomes present for us, and we dwell with Jesus for a little while, experiencing the very real expression of God's kingdom on earth. Our humble King gives himself to us and for us, completely and without cost. His love is given to us without limits, and where God’s love dwells, there is our home.

"What could be more comforting than to give oneself to Jesus as he gives himself entirely to us!" (Saint Peter Julian Eymard)

​We are called to give ourselves the same way Christ does, to become Eucharist for others, to feed the ones hungry the same way we are fed, and to do that joyfully, willingly, becoming love. And as we become love, we also become home to our brethren through Christ’s unifying love.
 
We know this because: 

“Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially, and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present, we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present, I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, and love, remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)

Saint Paul eloquently states in this letter that we must love. We may not yet know how our love helps change the world, but it does change it indeed.  As we become God’s love on this earth, let us remember that the expression of love in practice is charity and that there are two sides to charity, giving and receiving. Our Lord is present in both, and so must we be.

“'For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger, and you welcomed me, naked, and you clothed me, ill, and you cared for me, in prison, and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:35-40)

What we do for the ones in need, with love, we do for Him! Our Lord knows us, so he sometimes grants us feelings of accomplishment for our loving actions, but let us not do this just for the good feelings and vibes, but instead, grow more grateful and even more in love with Christ for His gift of love to us.
 
To care for the sick, visit the lonely, comfort the mourning, accompany the weeping, and protect the weak. All of these are to be Christ to someone, but we are also Christ to someone when we are open to our need for love and charity, for our Lord said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-11)

When we offer our needs, our poverty, and our lack, we open ourselves to receive love and charity from our brethren. We allow them to see and serve Christ in us, and we are then blessed. And who blesses but God?

We are God’s expression of love if we take Him at His word and raise our hands in blessing as Christ did, when we give and when we receive. We are the salt of the earth.

 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

During a recent trip to Puerto Rico, I visited my parents in my hometown of Peñuelas. The next day after my arrival, my parents woke up early in the morning and said to me “Let’s go love and be charitable” and we proceeded to go visit a few who were sick, old, and infirm, and a few who were lonely and isolated. I saw, through the eyes of our friends, that Christ was indeed there. God’s love was present in us, charity was given and received in every conversation, and love was exchanged. I had a hard time leaving every place because I felt His presence among us, and I do not believe I have ever felt more at home while on the road. May we all get to experience the gift of living charity, and the feeling of God’s love flowing through our very selves. May we all get to truly say that “Where God’s love dwells, there is our home.”
 
Let us pray: Lord, help us to be your heart alive in this world. Let us be your eyes and ears, attuned to the needs of your loved ones, and the hands and feet that do your will in the world. Help us to love as you love, and to help make you present in the hearts of your people. Let us be always home in you. Amen.
​

Rick Hernandez

Rick Hernandez is a commonsense Catholic, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and a Director for Elisheba House. He lives in Trinity, Florida, with his wife Ivonne and their children. He also writes for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament's Daily Eucharistic Reflections and for Catholicmom.com.