Remember...

back last January when we were praying the Novena for Father Mazzuchelli's complete recovery from his near-fatal car accident?
Remember we talked about how I was offering any and all graces I might have received upon reception of Holy Communion for the recovery of Father and I asked you to do the same, at least once?
I know many of you did.
As the weeks passed, Father made the Sign of the Cross.
Then he spoke.
Now, he's offering Mass and hearing Confessions once again, praise God forever!

To be able to do that, to offer up our own good for the good of another, that is a powerful thing. The thing is, I never felt like I wasn't receiving graces. I never felt like anything was lacking in my life. If anything, I started to feel more fulfilled.

The gentle and kind Bishop Basil Meeking, Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch, New Zealand, has recently left the Archdiocese of Chicago, where he's been for quite a while now. He went back to NZ.
He always gave the same homily when the children made their First Communions, and I looked forward to it with anticipation. (As an aside, Dan Mitsui from "The Lion and The Cardinal" has a party trick where he does dead-on impressions of priests, bishops, you name it. It's hilarious, and ranges from 'Father Brendan's Confessional" to "Father Phillips Gets Irritated". His Bp. Meeking is this very homily, and it will leave you in tears - tears of joy and laughter that we have such amazing religious figures in our lives.)
Bishop Meeking would talk to the children, and this was his advice:
"When you receive Jesus, in a few minutes, when you go back to your pew, put your head into your hands and talk to Him. Put your head on His chest. He loves you, and at that moment, He will be physically closer to you than anyone else ever could be. Tell Him you love Him. Ask Him to bless your family. Just ----- talk to Him. Use your time with Him wisely."
I have never forgotten that, and every single time I receive Our Lord now, I put my head in my hands and the first thing I say is, "I love you." I then ask Jesus, while He is present inside me, for my intentions. Jesus always hears our prayers, but while He is closer to me than anyone ever could be, the same Jesus who laid in a manger, the same Jesus who hung on a cross, I can worship Him like no other time.
The next time you are with Our Lord, take the time to say "I love you, my Love" and ask Him for your intentions. Lean against Him and just ---- be in love.