How Jesus travels!

By Julia Fernandes

December 28, 2011

I was attending the morning Christmas mass with my family members. The only people who were missing were my parents. Due to old age and health problems, they were unable to attend the service. The church was packed as usual. The mass started. The main element of our mass is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

The Holy Eucharist also called the Holy Communion is celebrated in accordance with Jesus' instruction at the Last Supper. On the night when he was betrayed he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' Likewise with the wine.

When the bread and wine are consecrated in the Eucharist, they cease to be bread and wine, and become, respectively, the body and blood of Christ. So, when we receive the Holy Communion, we are actually receiving the Lord Christ in us.

The distribution of the Holy Eucharist had started. Each person receives just one communion. I received mine and came outside the church. My brother took the communion but did not consume it. He brought it out and gave it to me to keep it in a bag to be taken for dad.

He requested me to stand in the queue and get one for mom. I refused to do so. So, my brother stood in another line and took the communion and again did not consume it but brought it out and asked me to keep this for mom. He wanted our parents to receive the Holy Eucharist on a day as important as the birthday of Jesus Christ. It was a beautiful and spontaneous act of sacrifice that I am sure did not go unnoticed by Jesus.

We went home and our parents were pleasantly surprised and happy to receive the Holy Communion in the house. The following day, in an unfortunate mishap, my brother suffered 20% burn injuries on his body. I got recently transferred to a new branch that has a church in its vicinity. I have to daily pass the church while making my way to my office. That evening as I was passing by the church, I noticed the church was open and there was a service going on. I went inside and realized it was a wedding mass and the priest was distributing Holy Communion.

Without much thought, I kept my bags and stood in the queue, took the communion, came back and kept it in a small pouch to be taken for my brother who had sacrificed his share of the Holy Communion for our parents. What my brother did for my parents, God made me do it for him the next day!

On Christmas day Jesus traveled from the church to my house for my old parents and next day, seeing my brother’s sacrifice, Jesus traveled (a two hour journey) from one end of the town to a far flung suburb --  only for my injured brother.

When we love God with all our heart everything is possible in this world. It is truly love and only love that enables us to make sacrifices. And it is truly love that creates beautiful miracles. It was love that made my brother bring Jesus to my parents and it was love that made Jesus travel to my brother in one of the most remarkable ways I have ever seen in my life!