There’s a part of the Eucharistic Liturgy that I absolutely love to witness every mass.
Just before the consecration, the priest says “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall so that they may become for us the Body and + Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Why?
I have a vivid imagination. I always picture God’s Spirit just falling upon the altar, the priest, and the bread and wine with this gentleness and grace that can’t ever be recreated by human power. I wish I could paint or draw it because words just can’t describe what I see during this moment.
I find myself always holding my breathe just a little bit because it’s the moment just before a miracle happens. How exciting is that?
I am always so drawn to the Eucharist in this moment because God’s gentleness captivates me and breathes hope into my heart, no matter what kind of baggage I continue to carry around.
When I was younger, I used to imagine God the Father as a strict and angry being. I was very rigid in my faith because I didn’t want to upset God and cause Him to be angry at me. I tried my best to stay away from doing bad things and to always obey my mom and dad because I experienced the feeling of my parents getting angry/disappointed at me. I imagined that if it felt that terrible for my parents to be mad at me, then if God was angry with me, it would feel a million times worse.
As I continued to encounter God and journey in my faith, I learned about God’s mercy. His never ending mercy still baffles my mind. I don’t understand how it is possible for God to continue to love and forgive me for my weaknesses, failures and sins – but, I know His mercy is possible because He is God. I know mercy is possible because of the gentleness by which He comes to us during mass.
Like the dewfall.
Yes, there are moments where I feel God is knocking very loudly and forcefully at my heart. But usually, it’s only because I was being too stubborn and insensitive to His gentle prodding.
God makes His way into my heart with gentleness. He never barges in or tries to force His way into my life. No, He is a gentle God that entices me with His beauty and Goodness to let Him into my life just a little bit more each day.
I can hope and be joyful because of the gentleness He treats me with through His mercy, His never ending desire for my heart, His beauty, and His Goodness.