Encounter with the Eucharist

Kimberli Scully, La Lastra, Tudanca, Spain

Life Before I Met Jesus

I went to mass, listened to some stuff on youtube about my faith, would read a book or two on our faith but was not living the faith that Jesus created for us. I thought Jesus was up there and I was down here and as long as I was a good person and went to mass I was doing what he wanted.

The Encounter

On a trip to Garabandal in September 2017 I was attending mass as usual. I did not speak nor understand Spanish so I was following the mass on my phone in English. I was not very engaged and my mind wandered quite a bit.

When it was time to receive the Eucharist I got in line. In the USA people go pew by pew in an orderly fashion to receive the Eucharist. However, in Spain, it is a beautiful rush to the alter, almost as if everyone cannot wait to receive Him. As you approach the front, this inverted triangle of people funnels one by one onto a kneeler to receive the Eucharist in Garabandal. I was pondering this way of receiving when interiorly I heard Jesus say to me, "How long are you going to treat me like a snack?"

In the length of a breath, I realized my lack of true understanding of the profound gift I received when Jesus entered my soul, and the deep significance it held for my spiritual transformation. In essence, I treated the Eucharist like a snack not the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. I was forever changed.

The Fruit

From that point forward, I longed for the Eucharist with an intensity that I had never experienced before. The profound sense of community and spiritual nourishment that I felt during the celebration of the Eucharist awakened a deep desire within me to fully immerse myself in this sacred connection to our Lord.

To embark on this journey, I sought out resources and opportunities to learn more about the Lord and what he wanted from me. Jesus made it a deeply personal mission to stay connected with Him, to foster a relationship not just an understanding of the person of Christ. I encountered Christ, not the idea of Christ.

As I progressed in my relationship with the Lord, I began to notice how the life and love opened new avenues of spiritual insight and expression. This journey is ongoing, filled with moments of both challenge and joy, as I continue to explore the depths of my faith and the beauty of the Eucharist. It has become a vital part of my life, shaping my spiritual practices and guiding my interactions with others who share this sacred belief. Through this commitment to learning and growing, I find myself continually drawn back to the Eucharist, where I encounter the presence of Christ and the love of the community in a way that nourishes my soul and strengthens my faith.

If you had the opportunity to receive more of the Holy Spirit in your life, would you want to?

Yes