The Eucharist is profound, mysterious, dynamic, inviting, astonishing. Holiness is possible.
When you think about holiness, what comes to mind? Cabbage Patch Kids? Probably not. An elderly priest named William Holt was walking across a busy street in the Upper East Side when a photographer asked to take his photograph for his online blog, Humans of New York. Father William agreed, and the two men got talking. He had so many stories after decades of working with people. This is how the conversation unfolded. "Do you have a favorite?" the photographer asked. The old priest didn't have to think about it. "Absolutely," he replied and launched straight into the story. "One Christmas, there was a 10-year-old girl from Ireland in my parish, and she was dying of leukemia. All this girl wanted was a Cabbage Patch doll, ugliest doll you've ever seen in your life. On top of that, they were $75. And to top it off, you couldn't get one. They were sold out everywhere. Her mother told me, 'I've looked in every store, Father.'
That same day, a family from my parish asked what I wanted for Christmas. They'd been very generous with me over the years, and I thought to myself, 'If anyone can get me one of these darn Cabbage Patch Kids, it will be this couple.' They could see me thinking, and they added, 'We'd really like to do something special for you, Father William.' I smiled. I knew they were going to think I was crazy. And then I replied, 'One Cabbage Patch doll and two walkie-talkies.' They looked at me baffled and said, 'Are you sure, Father?' 'Yes, I'm sure.'" "I was a kid once too," I explained to them. "A few days later, a courier arrived at the door with exactly what I had asked for, one Cabbage Patch doll and two walkie-talkies. The Cabbage Patch doll went to the little girl. Then I gave one walkie-talkie to her and the other one to her twin brother so they could speak while she was in isolation. She was dying, and it wasn't far off, and yet she was filled with a joy that I have rarely seen matched by anyone in this world. After she passed away, that little girl's mother wrote me a letter that said, 'Thank you for your goodness, your thoughtfulness, your practical expression of God's love. Those walkie-talkies were the best medicine my daughter ever had.'"
There are so many creative ways to walk the path of holiness. When Father William Holt's holy moment story was posted online, the public's response was nothing short of incredible. The original post had thousands of comments, including the following: "Where is your parish, Father? Your presence, your outlook, your optimism and kindness, that's the type of religion that I want to be a part of. If this man had been my experience with religion, I might have stayed with it. Even someone like me who's not religious can see someone doing God's work and a kind heart. You are the epitome of what you stand for. You live it, not just preach it. Thank you. You've restored my faith. If all Christians were like him, I wouldn't be so resentful of Christianity. I love this so much. He really is bringing the love of God into the real-life struggles people have. He doesn't minimize their pain. He walks alongside them. I'm not religious, but this is the kind of Christianity I could actually embrace. Each person who commented is essentially saying the same thing. If the religious people they knew who claimed to love Jesus had created more holy moments, these people would still be going to church.
As we begin these last few days of our journey toward consecration, I want to ensure that you are very clear about one thing. Holiness is possible. You are called to holiness and holiness is possible. God would not call you to something that you were incapable of living out. That would be reckless and cruel, and our God is not a reckless and cruel God. He is a God of mercy and compassion, a God who is careful and full of care. Tomorrow, we will learn about how to collaborate with God to create holy moments like Father Holt did. Today, let's just cherish the thought that God wants us to live calm and holy lives in the midst of this chaotic world. Think you can't? Those kinds of thoughts are only possible when you take the Eucharist out of the equation. Never take the Eucharist out of the equation.
Let these two quotes from Philippians and Acts guide you. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. For it is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Trust, surrender, believe, receive, and never take the Eucharist out of the equation. Become a member of the International Society of the Eucharist today. We'll send you a free copy of 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, a copy of the children's version, a copy of the limited-edition journal, which includes an amazing Holy Week retreat. Click on the button below and become a member today. Have a great day and remember, be bold, be Catholic. We are people of the Eucharist.
Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Every day, I long for more of you. I love you above all things. And I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally at this moment, I invite you to come and dwell in my heart. May the spiritual communion increase my desire for the Eucharist. You are the healer of my soul. Take the blindness from my eyes, the deafness from my ears, the darkness from my mind, and the hardness from my heart. Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage to do your will in all things. My Lord and my God, draw me close to you. Nearer than ever before. Amen.
Consecrate America to the Eucharist.
Bye-bye.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Come on.
Have a great day.
Hey, Isabel. One simple way to be mindful of God's presence in the world is to know where the nearest Tabernacle is. So while we've got a couple of minutes, I thought we might work on your geography a little.
Sounds good, dad. You're always coming up with something.
If I was at latitude 37.71 and a longitude of negative 97.26, where would the nearest tabernacle be?
St. Thomas Aquinas, Wichita, Kansas