436th Meditation
“My children, I will not speak to you about the whole greatness of My infinite love, because you have only to open the holy books, to look at the crucifix, the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament, to realize the extent to which I have loved you!” (Message of the Father to Mother Eugenia Ravasio).
Our Father did not leave us orphans (cf. Jn 14:18) when His Son, having risen from the dead, returned in full glory to His right hand. Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, and the Church can daily actualise His sacrifice in which He gives Himself to us as food.
Where Christ’s Sacrifice is celebrated with great love and reverence, we can feel in a special way His presence in the Eucharist as a consolation, as a means of sanctification, as the “bread of the angels”, as a viaticum on the way to eternity, as a pledge of His unceasing love and care for us.
The Lord remains in the tabernacle out of love for us, waiting for people to come to Him to receive His presence. When we enter a church where there is a holy silence, the whole atmosphere invites us to remain in front of the tabernacle and we dare not disturb this silence in the least.
The lamp that burns in front of the tabernacle reminds us of the essential thing that we must do there: to recognise His love and to remain close to the Lord, like Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who sat at His feet to listen to Him (Lk 10:39).
From the tabernacle, the Lord speaks softly to our hearts. His voice can be so gentle that we can hardly hear it. But our soul perceives it and is drawn to return again and again to the tabernacle, to know that we are protected by His love, to contemplate Him and to find true nourishment there, like a child in its mother’s arms (cf. Ps 130:2).
The world, often so noisy, remains outside and the soul catches a glimpse of eternity. Even if it does not cease to suffer distractions, it knows that in eternity it will be with God forever. In those hours spent before the tabernacle, the inner eyes of the soul are opened and the heavenly taste of love enters it. All this the Father has prepared for us!