Reflections from the Heart – August 1, 2021

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Once in adoration, as I was adoring and beholding the Lord, loving him and setting my gaze upon him who had already penetrated my heart and soul with his awesome gaze, I was struck by the image of the Eucharist being consumed by God’s love. It was covered in the flames of God’s eternal love and filled with the glory of his radiance and light. In spiritual communion, I contemplated receiving this precious gift as a seed and allowing it to be planted and cultivated deep inside of me. I imagined the everlasting river of God’s love flowing in me, watering the seed, nurturing it and caring for it. I prayed that God would allow it to grow in me, to take root in me so the Light of Christ given to me in baptism will continue to burn brightly in me producing good and wholesome fruit that is pleasing to the Father. The Lord helped me to see that the more I allow God to consume me in his love, the deeper the Holy Spirit could penetrate the core of my essence and being. The more I am willing to burn with the Father’s love, the more my true identity can arise from the unquenchable fire and the better I can offer myself as gift and sacrifice. This was not always so. For once I was lost and now, I have been found, once I was blind but with the help of God’s grace now, I see. Although I was given spiritual sight at baptism, sin dulled the light and I walked in darkness, lost and empty. Unfortunately, the human condition is plagued by sin and temptation. We search for happiness in the wrong places. We look for something other than the source of goodness and holiness to refresh and make us truly happy. We look to other things to bring us joy and happiness only to discover they leave us empty, still longing, still searching. But thanks be to God, he desires to refresh us by quenching our hunger and thirst with his love and presence. He desires to cleanse us, to purify our minds, to cleanse our hearts. God desires to free our souls so the river of his love can once again flow freely in us through his grace and Holy Communion. So put yourself in a place where God can find you and then let him love you there.