This Advent season, I have a special focus on two pillars of our Catholic faith - the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. The two biggest reasons for my conversion to Catholicism were the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the reverence that Catholics have for Mary. These are the very things that led me to become ordained as a Deacon and that sustain me on my life’s journey.

If we desire to draw closer to the Lord, we must deepen our love for the Eucharist. One of the best ways to do so is to turn to the Mother of Jesus. As we contemplate her fiat, life, and actions, we naturally unite ourselves with her Son. Mary always leads the world to Jesus.

By replying to the angel: “Let it be done according to your word” (Lk 1:38), Mary is a perfect model for cooperation with God’s will. At that moment, for the first time in history, God became human. And gentle Mary carried within her Jesus  Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Sacramentally speaking, the Annunciation foreshadows what happens when we receive the Lord’s body and blood in the Eucharist.

Mary was a living tabernacle. Here again, she is a model for us. For we, too, are living tabernacles. At every Mass, the eucharistic minister says, “The body of Christ,” and we reply, “Amen,” and then receive Him. At that moment, we, like Mary, carry Christ within us.

This week, we can reflect on the sweet Virgin Mary, nearly full-term in her pregnancy, beginning her long and uncomfortable journey to Bethlehem. And in a few days, in a humble stable, Mary will deliver Jesus for the world to see. At the Nativity, Mary gave her Son to all of us, placing His body into our hands. Two thousand years later, she still does the same.

For the remainder of the Advent season, I invite you to ask Mary to draw you closer to her Son. Calm the noisy chaos of the secular Christmas season and take some time to reflect on Mary and the Eucharist. Spend some time with Jesus in our adoration chapel. Perhaps commit twenty minutes to pray the Rosary… or even just one decade. Above all, remember the last recorded words of Mary - “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). If you aren’t close to Mary, ask Jesus to draw you closer to His mother. He will lead you to her, and she will lead you to Him through the Eucharist.

May your Christmas be blessed.
- Deacon Russ