"For where your Treasure is, there will your Heart be also."
If someone told you that they had found a hidden treasure, wouldn’t you be a little curious to find out what and where it was? And if it changed your life, wouldn’t you want to share it with those you love? Parents desire to give so much to their children, but the most beautiful and lasting gift they can give them is our Faith. I clearly remember the morning my mother told me about her Treasure. It was the moment she introduced me to our Eucharistic Jesus. I was probably three years old when my mother took me to a weekday Mass, and at the moment of Consecration she gently turned to me, pointed toward the altar and whispered, “Jesus is there!” This is one of my most vivid, early memories. I looked intently for Jesus, but I could only see the priest raising up the chalice, and I was too far away to see inside. I knew Jesus really was there, but as I couldn’t see Him, I thought to myself, “Jesus must make Himself really little!”
As I began to understand the truth about the real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, I couldn’t fathom how much love our great and glorious God has for us to make Himself so “little” for our sake! Yes, He emptied Himself in the Incarnation, becoming a baby, but even more so to come to us under the form of a little piece of bread, so that He could be our companion in our exile as we journey to our Heavenly homeland.
The night before His Sacred Passion, knowing that He was going to His Father and still desiring to stay among us, He did something only a Loving God would think of! He gave Himself to us in the Eucharist so that He could remain in our midst throughout the centuries, so that each one of us could have Him as our intimate Friend and Companion on our journey to Eternal Life. Jesus knows that we can’t make it on our own, as we are so weak and prone to fall, but He abides with us to be our light, strength, and consolation as He leads us to the Father’s House.
Just imagine for a moment, that in place of the tabernacle, you could see a large, jeweled throne, and upon it sitting the King of Heaven and Earth clothed in the full array of His majesty, all covered with precious stones. He’s looking directly at you with His beautiful, loving eyes. He knows you intimately and understands your heart. He’s there, waiting for you to come so that you may tell Him of your joys, sorrows, fears and desires. He is there for you as if you were the only person on this earth! He truly desires your love, attention and friendship. This is not your imagination; this is the truth. Our God is a hidden God. He remains hidden under the veils of bread, as He silently resides in the tabernacle of every Catholic Church – the King of kings and Lord of lords, and only the eyes of faith may see Him. Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee, Who truly art within the forms before me…
The year before our Lady appeared at Fatima, the Angel of Peace appeared to the children and gave them the Holy Eucharist. He told them, “Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, terribly outraged by the ingratitude of men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.” Have you ever thought that He might want you to console His Heart? He remains in the tabernacles around the world for love of us, but our lack of response to His Love is painful to His Heart. He gave His life for love of you and me, and He finds so little gratitude for all He’s done. Psalm 69 says it so beautifully, “I looked for someone to console me, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.”
He had to leave, but He desired so much to stay with us! This was the Gift He left for us before He went to His death, but sadly so few believe He is truly there, so few recognize Him, so few are grateful because they do not have the eyes of faith to see Him. Remember the two downcast disciples going to Emmaus? They did not recognize Jesus, walking right beside them! But they recognized Him in the breaking of the Bread. Let us ask Him for the eyes of faith to see Him hidden upon our altars.
We make sacrifices for relationships that are important to us, for if we neglect them, they will die. If a husband spends little time with his wife, she will feel unloved and neglected. Remember how Jesus asked His sleepy apostles, “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” Jesus feels neglected when we don’t work on our relationship by making time for Him. Making short visits or a holy hour is the best way to get to know Him and to grow in friendship with Him. Eucharistic adoration changes our lives because as our relationship with Jesus grows deeper, all of our priorities are put in right order. St. Mother Teresa wrote that “During a Holy Hour our love for Jesus becomes more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, and our love for the poor more compassionate.”
Our life on earth is very short compared to eternity! Shouldn’t we prepare now? We know that life is a journey, to our Father’s House. When we spend time with Jesus, He inflames our hearts with His love. He knows that we are weak and cannot make this journey on our own, so He gives us the strength we need to walk this journey and enlightens our way. But most of all, His Friendship fills the void in our hearts that only His Divine Love can fill, that which St. Augustine spoke of when he said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” Once we realize the gift of having Jesus always with us, we can’t keep it to ourselves. We will want to share this Treasure with others, beginning with our own family.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19
He waits for you – Will you accept the invitation of your hidden King? May He find in each of us a comforter and a place of warmth in the coldness of this world.
Beloved Jesus, grant us a deeper faith in Your Eucharistic Presence. Help us to cherish and honor this Treasure which you have given to us so generously. Dear Jesus, our hidden King, may our hearts burn with a desire to repay Your boundless Love by visiting You before Your Eucharistic Throne, where You wait for us in the Tabernacle of every Catholic Church. Amen.
The Seraphic Adorers of the Child Jesus have begun an adoration sodality with the blessing of their local Bishop, to encourage the faithful to spend time with our Eucharistic King. If anyone is interested in joining our family of Eucharistic adorers, please sign up at https://seraphicadorers.com/spiritual/sodality .
