Jesus Wanted Me to Know Him
By Matthew Deak | Parishioner
St. Francis parishioners will share their personal accounts of how the Eucharist has impacted their spiritual journey and life. We know they are not alone. If you wish to share your story for publication in the Bulletin regarding your encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist during Mass or during Eucharistic Adoration please submit your witness to fidel@sfassisi.org. You have the choice to remain anonymous if you prefer.
Before fully allowing Jesus into my life I was aimless, lost, and empty. The first major turning point in my faith life happened during college. While my childhood friends fell prey to various vices, I was able to stand firm and cut ties with them. While ultimately a good decision, this left me feeling disillusioned and isolated. I prayed to God for guidance, committing that I would follow whatever path He laid before me. After some time working and saving money a new path was made available to me, an invitation to live with my Aunt in Colorado.
While carving out my place in Colorado and advancing in my career I ended up in Longmont. St. Francis seemed like a nice enough place to fulfill my Sunday Mass obligation so I started attending Mass there. Up to this point my life basically consisted of stress from work and waiting for the next video game or movie to release to fill my free time. That is until a parishioner, Mary, asked if would like to become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
While interested in becoming an EMOHC, I felt unworthy. After a few days of prayerful contemplation I said yes! Looking back on it, Jesus had so wanted me to know Him that He allowed me to handle His precious Body and Blood. This ministry also led to me joining Welcome and becoming a Stephen Minister. After saying yes to Jesus and becoming a member of the St. Francis family, life had finally become fulfilling.
Stress vanished from my life, difficult situations became manageable, and the future had become something with meaning. Every day I am humbled by the fact that Jesus allows me to distribute His Body and Blood to the faithful. Knowing that He desires for me to know Him better and that He has always been by my side is impossible to describe. If I had to sum up what the Eucharist means to me in one word, it would be “peace.”
