Christ Is Passing By

Yesterday we traveled through about half of the 92129 zip code, a distance of 55 miles, over 4 hours, bringing Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Hundreds of parishioners were able to adore Him. We’ll cover the other half next Sunday. It was a beautiful experience. I’d like to share with you a reflection from one of our parishioners:

The Coronavirus is certainly contributing to the lesson for me that I should never take the Sacraments for granted. How blessed we are to be able to access Christ whenever we wish, a far cry from the Old Testament, and even when Jesus was walking the Earth, He was not present in the Eucharist and so not available around the world.

So many times in the Gospel, the phrase "Jesus was passing by" is written. How real that was made today for my family and I. In Luke chapter 18:35-38, "As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, 'Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.' And he cried, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

I certainly could have been that blind beggar today. I was told that Jesus would be passing by, and on Divine Mercy Sunday, I went out to find Him along the way. I cried out in my heart Lord have mercy on me. It is more glorious than seeing a president, a celebrity, even a pope go by. It is the King of kings passing by. And I was there, thrown back into the Gospels. So many crowded the streets and hills for a glimpse, perhaps some words, hopefully a touch.

The virus has brought me back to those times and we go out to seek Him, to hear Him, to cry out as He passes by, "Hosanna", "have mercy", "I love thee!" He is risen and now all over the world "He passes by" with the same invitation for us to come to Him who will give us rest. He invites us as He invited them.