The Power of the Eucharist

HOLY CRAP!!! God completely rocked my world tonight. Everything that happened today only makes yesterday better. Tonight confirmed to me that everything yesterday was truly God's will. Today was just a good day. After yesterday, I felt way better than I had in a long time. There wasn't this horrible thing bogging me down anymore. Tonight, there was a Festival of Praise on campus that was Eucharistic. I'm all about the power of the Eucharist (hence my household: Servants of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus). It caused my conversion in 2005 and I've experienced the power Christ has in the form of the Eucharist. So, tonight, at the F.O.P., as Fr. Johnathan walked in with the monstrance, I already knew something was going to happen. My friends and I were sitting in the first row and as the Eucharist entered, a huge room full of over 2,500 people dropped to their knees. Unless you've been to Franciscan for a F.O.P. or a youth conference, it's an indescribable thing to see. You'll just have to trust me. As the Eucharist entered the room, my heart started beating so fast, like violently fast. I was almost scared that it was just going to stop beating (but obviously it didn't. Haha). So as Fr. Johnathan walked by, I bowed to the monstrance and Jesus. Fr. Johnathan placed the Eucharist on the altar, which was almost right in front of me. On my knees, I closed my eyes and looked down. As soon as I put my head down, God put these words on my heart: "Child, look at Me. Lift your face. Don't be ashamed." I opened my eyes, lifted my face to look at the Eucharist and heard: "You are Mine and I love you. You are My child and you belong to me. Satan doesn't own you. Your chains are gone. Be free, my beautiful daughter. Catherine, I love you." I became extremely overwhelmed with a sense of peace. For TEN minutes, I couldn't take my eyes off the Eucharist. Like, I'm not sure if I even blinked. It then hit me like a 2x4. I finally knew that was REALLY Jesus: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Like, I finally believed that for the first time in a while. I KNOW it's not just bread and wine. It's the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. For the first time in a LONG time, I know He really does love me. Yeah, I've screwed my life up a lot over the last 2 years, but He doesn't care. He's with me, loves me, has set me free, and Satan has no power over me.

After all this, I called Fr. Greg. I was like "OH MY GOSH!! I GET IT!! JESUS REALLY IS THERE!!" I then told him everything and he was like "What a breakthrough!!" So, he told me to pray with this experience really hard for the next few days. I'm in the midst of finals right now and I'm going home on Thursday. He knows that I have a pretty hard time when I go home, so he told me first to write down this experience and read it everyday when I'm home because that keeps the experience real. An idle mind truly is the devil's workshop. So, he told me not to let my mind go idle. I know that the devil's going to do anything he can to make me think this experience wasn't real and wasn't of God. Well, it was. I had a true encounter with Christ tonight and I know it. He also told me that it would be a really good idea for me to ask God to help me with my game plan for when I'm home.

So, man. Tonight was powerful. One thing I've learned is that when I do things my way, it ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, goes wrong. Tonight, for the first time since coming to Franciscan, I've surrendered myself to God's will and can say honestly that I want whatever God wants.

"God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar." -St. Maximilian Kolbe