By Sister Timothy Marie, O.C.D.
One of the priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese shared the story of his conversion to Catholicism and, ultimately, to the priesthood. It all began when a friend invited him to attend a Catholic Mass. He told us that the moment he stepped into the church, he sensed a special presence of God. Then, at the Consecration he especially felt God’s presence to the point that he wept for joy. That very day he began his study of Catholicism and soon discovered that the powerful Presence he had encountered was the gift and Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, which then became the main devotion of His life.
Mother Luisita showed profound reverence in the presence of the Holy Eucharist. She knelt, often for hours at a time, still as a statue. People would notice that her face took on a radiance, a glow, a supernatural light, when she prayed in the Eucharistic presence. The Sisters who lived with her in community in the early days attest to the fact that she spoke to Our Lord simply, fervently and with utter trust.
In a letter to one of the sisters who had become very discouraged and distraught over the violent religious persecution in 1920s Mexico, she wrote: “Don’t feel alone because you’re not. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament wants to be your Confidant, your Friend, your Consoler. He wants to fill your soul with His love.” Her words speak just as powerfully to us today.
