He’s Everywhere

12 THE CATHOLIC CONNECTION He’s Everywhere

By Mike Van Vranken MIKE’S MEDITATIONS

Mike Van Vranken is a spiritual director, a member of the teaching staff for the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center of New Oreleans Formation of New Spiritual Directors, an author and a speaker. You can contact him at mikevanvranken@comcast.net. Van Vranken L ike most, if not all of you, I have sadly missed the opportunities to attend the Eucharistic Liturgy (Mass), and the mystical ritual to take and eat; take and drink the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion. Hopefully, our zeal and unquenchable thirst for Christ’s reality, present in the sacred food and drink, will continue to grow long after our current situation is over. God truly manifests Himself to us in all of the sacraments, but in such a unique and different way in the Holy Eucharist. However, to believe God can only manifest His real presence in the seven sacraments, and in particular in Holy Communion, would be to severely limit our expectations and understanding of who God really is. He is our infinite creator and lover, who chose to immerse Himself into all of His creation through the divine reality we call Incarnation. In prayer, ask Jesus: “When You said, ‘know that I am with you always’ (Matt 28:20), what did You mean? Jesus were You saying Your real presence is always with me?” In prayer, ask St. Paul what he meant when he said: “Do you not know you are the temple of God . . .?” (1 Cor 3:16). If we are God’s temple, or tabernacle, doesn’t that mean the real presence of Christ resides or lives in us? In prayer, continue asking St. Paul, what he meant when he wrote: “do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?” (2 Cor 13:5). Or, what about how he addressed the Galatians in chapter 2, verse 20: “. . . I live no longer I, but Christ lives in me”? Do you dare believe what he is saying? In prayer, ask St. Augustine what he meant when he explained that God was present in the sacraments. It is said that Augustine listed over 300 sacraments. So, what was he telling us? Ask him! In prayer, ask St. Ignatius Loyola what he meant when he encouraged us to “find God in all things.” In prayer, ask St. Francis of Assisi what he meant when he looked in the sky and called out to “brother son” and “sister moon.” Was he confident the real presence of Christ was incarnated in all things as well as all people? In prayer, call on the author of the letter to the Colossians and ask what they meant when they wrote that the “mystery hidden . . . is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:26,27). I know, I know, you are saying: “but that’s different!” And yes, there is something very physical about walking down that aisle and proactively responding to Jesus when we “take and eat;” “take and drink.” We physically consume what is substantially Christ. But do not the consecrated bread and wine reveal their substance, which is the real presence of Christ? Isn’t the end result the same? In both cases, are we not united with the real presence of Christ? I agree with each of you that we hold something sacredly holy and unique; the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And I will always feast on this sacred meal as often as possible. But during this pandemic, when this Holy Communion is not available, how many ways is God manifesting to us that He is equally and really present in all of His creation? Can’t you experience the real presence of Christ in all of the medical professionals rushing to help the sick and infirm? Don’t you encounter the real presence of Christ in the patients who fight this deadly and sometimes very painful disease all alone? And don’t you see the real presence of Christ in their loved ones who stand helplessly from afar? Don’t you clearly find the real presence of Christ in the working people whose work hours have been reduced? Or in those who have completely lost their jobs; don’t you see the real presence of Christ in them? In prayer this month, take the time to have many conversations with God about His real presence, His Incarnation in all of His creation. Pray for the grace to see and experience that He is really and always with us. Look for and expect God to surprise you with His ever-present being residing and dwelling within you, and within others. Jesus chose the Eucharist as His most prominent means to magnify His presence in and with us. But don’t exclude the other, infinite number of opportunities we have to commune with the real presence of Christ. He really is everywhere.

The Diocesan Seminary Burse program provides the faithful of North Louisiana the opportunity to invest in the education and formation of our seminarians into holy and effective priests to serve the Diocese of Shreveport.

What is a seminary burse, and how do they contribute to seminarians? A seminary burse is an endowment used to pay tuition, room and board for the seminarians of the Diocese of Shreveport. The principal amount donated is not touched, but invested, and the support for our seminarians comes from the earned interest. Each donation to a burse is truly a gift that will continue giving as more men enter priestly formation in the years to come! Who can establish a burse? Anyone can establish a seminary burse, and name it in honor of loved ones (e.g., family members, teachers, mentors, pastors), in honor of organizations and faith or social groups (e.g., Knights of Columbus councils, ACTS, schools, church parishes), for themselves or their families as an instrument of personal giving, or in memory of a deceased loved one. Burses and their balances, and new contributions, are listed monthly in The Catholic Connection. Who can contribute to a burse? Anyone can contribute any amount to any established burse. How can I establish or contribute to a burse? You can establish and name a burse with a donation of at least $250, or you can contribute any amount to a burse simply by designating its name when the contribution is made. Contributions may be mailed to the Office of Church Vocations, Diocese of Shreveport, 3500 Fairfield Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71104. Be sure to note the name of the burse in the memo line. When is a burse completed? Seminary burses are completed when the balance reaches $10,000. Once this goal has been reached, and those who established the original burse wish to continue their donations, a new burse in the same name may be opened.

Thanks to our Recent Donors: (006) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans ($250) (008) William & Deloras Walker ($100) (011) Debora L. Prest ($100) (011) Robert & Paula Rivers ($100) (018) Deacon Charles & Nadalie Thomas ($50) (020) Chris A. Ward ($500) (020) Richard W. Ward ($500) (020) Rosemary C. Ward ($500) (020) Betsy C. Peatross ($50) (020) Dr. & Mrs. James Lusk ($150) (022) David & Suzanne Broussard ($250) (023) Joseph & Susan Wheeler ($1,000) (024) Dorothy Tipton ($500)

Completed Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (010) Memory of Rita Scott from the John Scott Family ($10,000) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #1 ($10,000) (012) Jack E. Caplis, Jr., Memorial Burse ($10,000) (013) Mary Evans Caplis Burse ($10,000) (014) Bob & Peggy Semmes Memorial Burse ($10,000)

MAY 2020 13 Incomplete Burses: (001) Fr. Mike Bakowski Memorial Burse #2 ($1,200) (002) Joseph & Antoinette Bakowski Memorial Burse ($2,500) (003) Sam R. Maranto Memorial Burse ($1,400) (004) Kathryn Atherton Cook Memorial Burse ($350) (005) Cathedral of St. John Berchmans ($450) (006) Msgr. J. Carson LaCaze Memorial Burse #2 ($3,432.12) (007) Dr. Carol Christopher Memorial Burse ($1,300) (008) St. Jude Parish ($5,918) (009) St. John Berchmans Knights of Columbus Council 10728 ($1,550) (011) Rev. David Richter Memorial Burse #2 ($2,304) (015) Bishop’s Seminarian Burse ($1,235) (016) Elaine Malloy Frantz Memorial Burse ($1,000) (017) Msgr. George Martinez Knights of Columbus Council 1337 ($7,521) (018) Knights of St. Peter Claver Council 144 ($880) (019) Margaret Glenn Memorial Burse ($1,250) (020) Dr. James V. Ward Memorial Burse ($2,740) (021) Rev. Edmund “Larry” Niehoff ($1,000) (022) Rev. Blane O’Neill, OFM Memorial Burse ($250) (023) Msgr. Edmund J. Moore ($1,000) (024) Rev. Joseph Puthuppally Memorial Burse ($500)