The Holy Spirit and the Eucharist

[Mark Dohle]

The Holy Spirit and the Eucharist

My Heart thirsts for the love of the saints. To those who come to Me, I will give love and holiness. And in this shall My Father be glorified. 1 And this shall come to pass through the intimate action of My Spirit. Where I am present in the Sacrament of My love, there also is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son. It is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence is My glorious presence to the Father in heaven, and it is by the Holy Spirit that My Eucharistic presence touches the souls who adore Me to unite them to Me, and to bear them up even before My Father’s face. ​

Monk, A Benedictine. In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart--The Journal of a Priest at Prayer (p. 35). Angelico Press. Kindle Edition.​

Prayer is not always easy to do. I know that I still deal with inner storms that make me feel that I am drowning. Thoughts can feel like one is being attacked by a swarm of hornets, leaving little room for actual reflection. I have very little understanding of the processes in me that would allow such a dangerous situation to come to the surface. I have come to understand that is OK, what I am called to do is to get through it, to trust the process, and not give in to discouragement.

Inner storms pass, and the waves calm down, and I feel once more a person who is centered and in some way in control. Though I understand that this is an illusion. As I age the struggle can at times seem more difficult, as if I am under attack.

Prayer, sitting in the Lord’s presence, allows the inner tumult to settle and gives me inner space from the dance of chaos. In prayer, we step back and observe, no matter what kind of prayer. To observe in prayer is to turn and face what is going on and not to fear it. Death does not come from being aware, it is the unawareness that is the problem. So inner storms can be something needed to allow me to choose to settle down and simply be aware, as painful as that can be.

The outer world, as well as our inner landscape, can be scary on occasion and we must learn to deal with it in such a manner that allows us to integrate such experience that slowly leads to healing.

It is the Holy Spirit that allows us to grow in trust in God’s love no matter how dark it gets. This learning to trust is a hard lesson and the journey can be brutal. To love ourselves, as Jesus commands us to do is perhaps one of the hardest lessons to learn.

The use of the confessional can also be a great help for one on the Spiritual path. Without self-knowledge, that comes through inner struggle and failure, progress is very slow, or even impossible. If we do not deal with ourselves, our sins, compulsions, etc., we will end up dealing with these issues in others leading to very difficult relationships. In the confessional, we can place our sins before another (for Catholics a priest) and no longer must bear it alone.

God’s healing grace leads to inner freedom, which overflows into our daily lives. It is not our sin so much that blocks us from a deep relationship with the Lord, but our lack of trust.

The Eucharist is fundamental for Catholics, and to deepen one’s love and reverence for this Holy Sacrament can have deep ramifications for us. The term “God with us” takes on a deeper significance when we understand the power of this sacrament.

No matter one’s path, prayer is essential, it is not a luxury, but a necessity for keeping our hearts open to God’s ever-present grace. -Br.MD