Bulletin of the Eucharistic Crusade for Children in Australia
Dear Crusaders and Friends,
One day a messenger, breathless with haste, came to King St. Louis IX of France, and said excitedly, “Your Majesty, hurry to the church. A great miracle is going on there.”
“What kind of miracle?”asked the king.
“A great miracle! A priest is saying Holy Mass, and after the Consecration, instead of the host, there is visible on the altar Jesus Christ Himself. Hurry before it disappears!”
The king remained quiet, so that the messenger was very much surprised.
“Well, aren’t you coming, Your Majesty?” asked the messenger.
“No!” relied the king. “Let them go to see that miracle who have any doubt regarding the real presence of our Lord in the holy Sacrament. As for me, even if I saw Jesus on the altar in His visible form, and touched Him with my hand, and heard His voice, I would not be more convinced than I now am, that He is present in the consecrated Host. My faith is sufficient for me! I need no miracle.”
We believe Jesus is in the Sacred Host. We believe because He Himself has told us so. We believe Him because He is God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
We believe, but do we always act like we believe. Would we run off to see a miracle like the messenger described, or would we speak like St. Louis. Let us do a little check:
- Do you always look at the tabernacle as soon as you enter the church?
-Do you always make your genuflections in church with great reverence?
-Do you always bring your thoughts back to Jesus whenever you find yourself distracted in the church?
-Do you prepare well for your Holy Communions?
-Do you make a good thanksgiving after Communion?
-Do you think of Jesus in the tabernacle often during the day?
-Do you make a spiritual communion every day?
I could ask many other questions about your thoughts, words, and deeds toward Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, but these are sufficient. If you answered yes to all of the above questions, then you would have acted like St. Louis: you believe and your faith is strong. If you answered no to any of the questions, then you would have acted like the messenger: you believe, but your faith is still weak.
My dear children, use the questions above as a checklist during the rest of lent. If you do what they ask, they will help you acquire a stronger faith in your Eucharistic Lord and God.
Yours in Jesus & Mary,
Fr. Benjamin Campbell
