"Dear Matt, who are these people and why is their picture on your blog?"
-Sincerely, Your typical blog reader
_______
An excellent question and a perfect lead in to my topic for today.
Mah-wijh is waht bwings us togeva tooday
(If you've not seen the movie "The Princess Bride" then you probably think I have A.) I have a terrible spelling problem B.) I've been looking at too many "lolkatz" or C.) I've completely lost it
"A" is not the case (I loved spelling in grade school!)
"B" is also not true (though lolkatz are one of my favorite things)
"C"...maybe true...at least some days
MAH-WIJH! (i.e. Marriage) is a beautiful thing.
But it's not for everybody.
It was, though, for those two people pictured above. The very devoutly Catholic Duke of Luxemburg and his bride chose to get married here at the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene (St. Maximin, France.) In fact, one of them has a degree (or is pursuing now, I can't remember) a degree in Catholic bioethics! Wow. They got married a couple weeks before I first arrived here so I couldn't attend the wedding.
"But that's not the point of your post, Matt!'
...True.
MAH-WIJH is a beautiful thing.
But it's not for everybody. Some are called to consecrate their whole lives to God.
"Matt, that's crazy!"
Yes. By the world's standards, that is crazy.
To believe God became a human being in Jesus Christ.
To believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
To believe Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist; in every tabernacle
within every Catholic Church.
To believe everything Jesus Christ has revealed to the world through the Bible and the Apostolic Tradition of His Church.
To believe the Catholic Church is - simply put - the oracle of God in the world.
Yes. By the world's standards, that is crazy.
But to become a Saint I think you have to be a little crazy. Only someone mad with love becomes a Saint
The souls that totally consecrate themselves to Jesus are out of their minds with love.
They want, no, they need to be near Him - like Mary Magdalene needed to be near Him.
Even to the point of going to be with Him at the Cross.
"Where He is I want to be." That is the Magdalene motto, the philosophy of a consecrated, Eucharistic soul.
Jesus is in the Eucharist.
So they want to sit at His feet there
As much as possible
The Widow from the gospel passage I quoted in my last post gave from her poverty. The busy Catholic lay person, the married person, those who are very active - when they give an hour to Jesus in the Eucharist weekly, even daily - they give a LOT because they give from the poverty of their time. They have their many duties and so they do not have much spare time just like the poor widow did not have much spare money. But when they give all that they can spare to the Lord they often are giving more than those of great wealth - whether that wealth is measured in terms of their finances or their free time.
Do you follow me so far? The poor widow and the busy Catholic give a lot when they give what little they can spare - whether what they give is money or time because it's from their poverty.
But some people are rich. Rich in money, rich in time.
The souls who feel called to consecrate their whole lives to Christ are called to become very wealthy spiritually. They are given an abundance of time.
They inherit a great wealth of time. They choose to renounce marriage, they choose to live a contemplative life to - all so as to pursue the "one thing necessary."
Again, like Mary Magdalene.
They trade the world's goods (money for example) and natural goods (like marriage) so as to buy a tremendous amount of time.
The consecrated, Eucharistic soul sells all that it has to buy time - time with Jesus in
the Eucharist.
The Pearl of Great Price.
Do you feel called to buy time with Jesus?
He'll give you eternity in exchange.
What would you sell in exchange for constantly being with Him? To get that Pearl?
The rich young man from another Gospel passage went away sad because he couldn't bring Himself to sell all that he had (for he was very rich in worldly goods) in order to follow the Lord.
Don't come to the end and go away from this life sad wishing that you had sold everything to buy all the time in the world to be with Jesus.
When St. Margaret Mary (the Saint to whom Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart) asked Jesus what in her most displeased Him, Jesus responded that it was her inattentiveness to His real presence in the Eucharist. He said that in the Eucharist He thirsts to be loved. That is where He said His Sacred Heart thirsts to receive mankind's love - in the Eucharist.
Do not go away from this life regretting decisions not to pay a visit to Christ in the local adoration chapel, or to stay 15 minutes after Mass to abide with Him in Holy Communion, or to arrive 15 minutes before Mass to prepare for the feast. Don't come to the end of your life having never tried to eradicate Jesus' greatest displeasure from your soul - inattentiveness to His real presence in the Eucharist.
He is there. Buy time wherever you can in your life, trade what you are able to and
with that time go to Him!
He waits for you.
Just for you.
He thirsts for your love.
Only you can quench His thirst for your particular love.
No one else can console Him like you can.
We must not torment Jesus anymore! We must reciprocate His love. He burns to have the consolation of your real presence in front of Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
Buy as much time as you can. Pour out your life like sweet smelling oil at His feet. Anoint Christ's Eucharistic presence with all of your life - with all of your time.
If you give Him all of your time He'll give you all of His eternity.
O sweet exchange!
-Matt
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