Who Do You Desire?

By DEACON ROBERT YERHOT, MSW

I offer these words to all who seek a deeper relationship with God.

Over 30 years ago in my psychotherapy practice, I and my colleagues were concerned about the impact screen time and cell phones would have upon the brain development and social adjustment of young people. Our concerns have been proven well-founded. Despite the promise of a greater unity through internet connectivity, we have experienced increased disconnection within the human family. There are so many attractive distractions in technology and its devices. There are so many divided hearts among us now, and so many divided lives! It is time to end all of this! It is time to repent. God alone will ultimately unite us and satisfy our deepest desires.

Do we live a distracted divided life, glued to our phones, and addicted to a constant flow of data? Who do we most deeply desire? Is it God who is present, right here, right now within us? He is Emmanuel. Can we remain focused on him?

Why do you let us wander, O Lord? Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!” (Isaiah 63: 17a) Do we pray in the same way, with the same intensity, and with the same desire, or do we distract ourselves with what never satisfies?

Maybe we should ask ourselves whom we most deeply desire. Is it God? Do we love him enough, long for him enough, and watch for him enough? Our lives ought to ache for his presence, burning in anticipation of what happens at every altar at every Mass. The heavens themselves open and God comes down to be with us, Jesus himself.

Isaiah felt the ache and the desire. Do we? Isaiah could only anticipate. We can see…. on the altars of our parishes!

We have all heard stories like the one I am about to tell you, but this one is true and personal. Nearly 95 years ago, my grandma longed for the one she loved in the Eucharist. She longed enough to literally walk from the farm north of Waseca every Sunday, year around, to Sacred Heart Parish (about an eight mile round trip) to attend Mass. Nothing kept her away until she died at a young age. I never met Grandma, but the image of her walking remains with me and strengthens my desire for Jesus in the Eucharist.

Our hearts and lives are too distracted, too divided. Many of us have lost our longing and love for the True Presence of Jesus, his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist. We have fallen to the idol gods of technology. We must repent. Our hearts and souls must ache and burn for the One we most deeply desire in life.

Put down your cell phones and pick up Jesus. God bless all of you!

Deacon Robert Yerhot serves the parishes of St. Mary in Caledonia and St. Patrick in Brownsville.