No images? Click here Stories of Encounter and Accompaniment My Dear Friends, In a previous newsletter, I asked the faithful to consider sharing their stories of encounter and accompaniment. We have begun to collect those stories and will be sharing them over the next few weeks. This week, we have a story from MA. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Frank J Caggiano More than 20 years ago, while serving as a volunteer at an Emmaus retreat, we heard a priest explain why the Eucharist is the full presence of Jesus, after which he processed to a side chapel with the monstrance. I made a beeline for the chapel because there was something I had to deal with. I knelt down in front of the Blessed Sacrament and prayed, “Lord, I mean absolutely no disrespect to you whatsoever, but I don't believe that's you up there. Is it?” No sooner was that silent prayer uttered than I began to sense a “presence” in the room – a presence that grew and grew and grew like a giant ball materializing out of nothing, completely enveloping me. The stronger that presence got, the lower I got until my nose was on the rug because I knew I was in the presence of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And God quickly demonstrated that He had come with a purpose far greater than answering my question. He had come to embrace me. To saturate me with love. To immerse me in it. I felt myself embraced entirely – every part of my body, including my internal organs; all my thoughts and beliefs; even the darkest, previously unknown closets of fear, ugliness, sinfulness and the reasons behind them. And yet I did not perceive even the slightest hint of criticism, disapproval, correction or disappointment. In that embrace I felt more loved, wanted, needed, valuable, treasured, forgiven and joyful than I could ever possibly imagine. One of the two thoughts I had while bowing low was that The Lord didn't have to do this. He could have given me a purely (theo)logical response that touched my mind, heart and soul in some way to convince me that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. But He went way, way, way beyond that because He knew that I needed much more. My other thought was very simple: So this is what heaven is like - the eternal, limitless loving embrace of The One. I was being loved as I've never been loved before, nor ever will be again in this life. Language fails me when I try to find the words to express what I was experiencing. The closest word is ecstasy. I tried to imagine moments of being intensely loved in this life but nothing I thought of could even come close to what I was experiencing. I begged God to take me home right then and there. Needless to say, He didn't. I remained on the rug, nose down, unmoving, for… maybe five minutes, maybe ten. I didn't want anything to interfere, but eventually my body began to ache, and I heard Jesus say, “Sit up or you'll hurt your back.” I obeyed and that was the end of the divine embrace. This experience occurred more than 20 years ago. I'd be lying if I said I have always had His embrace at the forefront of my thoughts. For a long time afterward I recalled it as a great one-time experience. Only later have I realized it is meant to nourish and renew me every day. It remains, without question, THE single most important experience of my life, one that is even more real to me than the world I live in because the unimaginable became real. God's embrace has become the unshakable core of my faith. It is the memory that comforts me whenever I am troubled, afraid, in pain or even sinful. It is the knowledge of what awaits me in heaven. It is the knowledge that, no matter what suffering I may yet endure in this life, I will eventually be enveloped in God's eternal embrace. If you have a story of encounter or accompaniment you would like to share, please email the.one@diobpt.org. You will have the option of writing your story or meeting with one of the bishop’s team and recording your audio. |
No images? Click here Stories of Encounter and Accompaniment My Dear Friends, In a previous newsletter, I asked the faithful to consider sharing their stories of encounter and accompaniment. We have begun to collect those stories and will be sharing them over the next few weeks. This week, we have a story from JS. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Frank J Caggiano I'm from Stamford and went to visit my brother in Monroe. I had visited many times and each time, it seemed I took a new way home. In the darkness, it was easy to get lost. One time, leaving in the darkness and without the modern luxury of GPS, I took a wrong turn. Then another. In time, I could not even backtrack to his house to start over. To make matters worse, many residential streets are not lit. I was lost. Completely and totally lost. I took hold of a fabric Sacred Heart picture on my rearview mirror. I'm not sure I even said anything. I just held it. Immediately after, a car from the left side of the intersection turned in front of me and then darted into a residential drive. It was dark and nearly 9 pm. I pulled into the driveway alongside the car and the two female occupants asked, "Can I help you?" I am sure they were as nervous as I was. I proceeded to explain that I was lost and trying to get to I-95. The young lady in the passenger seat turned to the driver said something and then turned back to me and said, "She's just dropping me What were the chances of that? It was as if Jesus lifted their car and placed it directly in front of me. Thank you my Lord. It wasn't the first rescue I needed and probably not the last. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you. If you have a story of encounter or accompaniment you would like to share, please email the.one@diobpt.org. You will have the option of writing your story or meeting with one of the bishop’s team and recording your audio. |