The last public Mass in the Diocese of Knoxville, due to the pandemic, was March 19, 2020. Now that we have come a year since this reality we have a lot to rejoice for. This 4th Sunday of Lent reminds us to do precisely this, to rejoice. From our Introit we are instructed: “Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together all you that love her; rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow.”
Therefore, from sorrow we are to find joy. This can only be a reality if we come to place our trust upon the Lord. This past year a lot has been taken away from us, but at the end of the day our relationship with the Lord is something which can never be taken away. It was a sad moment in the life of the Church when public Masses where shut down. Nevertheless, today we are able to rejoice and hopefully have a true longing and appreciation for the sacraments.
Our Gospel was taken from Saint John and through the feeding of the multitude we were given a glimpse into the Most Holy Eucharist. Life will continue to have its ups and downs, but the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith which draws us into relationship with Christ our Lord who is truly present with us under the appearances of bread and wine.
This world believes to understand what is needed in order for us to be fulfilled, but this longing for fulfillment never comes. This fulfillment can only come if we place our trust in the Lord. With our trust placed in the Lord we are always given every reason to rejoice no matter the temptation or hardship which may come our way. When it seems that we are being crushed by the weight of the cross we must remember the hope which always springs forth in the form of the Lord’s Resurrection and rejoice.
Eucharistic devotion must be something which is important in the life of the faithful. We make so much time for everything which is fleeting before us and so often treat the Eucharist as if it is an afterthought. The Lord looked out upon the multitude and saw them in their need. He desired to feed them to not only feed their bodily hunger, but to also feed their soul. So too does the Lord reach out to feed us in the Most Holy Eucharist.
As Saint Peter Julian Eymard put it concerning Eucharist adoration: “Look upon the hour of adoration assigned to you as an hour in paradise. Go to your adoration as one would to heaven, to the divine banquet. You will then long for that hour and hail it with joy. Take delight in fostering a longing for it in your heart. Tell yourself, “In four hours, in two hours, in one hour, our Lord will give me an audience of grace and love. He has invited me; he is waiting for me; he is longing for me.”
What happens in the world around us is often out of our control, but no matter the difficulty or trial which may come our way we are ultimately given every reason to rejoice. We must rejoice for through the he cross we have been set free and through the Resurrection, for which we not prepare, we are given every hope. Let us receive the Lord present with us in the Eucharist with the upmost devotion and come to adore Him always. Through the Lord’s presence among us we are always given every reason to rejoice.
