I saw Him! What He said to me about Holy Communion part 4

Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara
Jarlathuche@gmail.com

Ones past would always have a way to replay and make deep impression in ones life years after. Such was my case yesterday. Remember my narration on what God told me about Alcohol and my juvenile display under the canopy in Jega Kebbi State many years ago? We grow, we shift and we make amend in line with ones reality progressively.

Those days, as a young growing guy I would attend Sunday mass, recieve Holy Communion after having had sacramental confession the previous day, the following day being Monday my lifestyle as a young Coper in the midst of bad influence would come alive.

One needed to see me as I walked the aisle of the church then , hands joined innocently, with an expressionless face depicting angelic visitation, counting my steps with a gait that would possibly suggest sinlessness as I go for Communion.

I would come back to my sit, kneel for a while, chewing Communion as if it was gum, the next moments, my mind would go off to that canopy, salivating the food and drink I would be served, being impatient, hoping the mass would close soon. Once mass ends, off I would go, straight to the canopy, washing down Jesus in the Eucharist I recieved with an ice cold beer that early. Such was my Sunday lifestyle as a Coper in Jega Kebbi State. Terrible?

Yesterday I attended an early morning Mass in that Parish near my Estate. Seated pensively, looking how serious people were going for communion and their expressionless face, hands joined together , steps calculating. As they walked back I remembered my months in Jega Kebbi State where my youthful exuberance held me hostage and nearly derailed me from godliness.

There was this particular lady, she was on her phone most of the time, paying little attention to the liturgy. Surprisingly she was the first to walk through the aisle to recieve Holy Communion. Her carriage was amazing and her composure one that would pass for holiness. As she walked back to her seat, of course chewing the Communion, what her hand reached after seconds of prayer was her phone, continuing possibly where she stopped. She was a detailed reflection of me those days in Jega.

Reflecting on our general attitude and disposition to the reception of the Holy Communion my eyes suddenly opened . I was Jesus hung on the cross forlorn, with blood dripping from his body. I noticed one thing, through out the time the vision lasted he was having two expressions of sadness and happiness. Each person that comes to recieve Holy Communion provoked either of the emotions.

The truth is 80% of those that I saw with angelic disposition, Holy steps and expressionless facial depiction of santity as the walked to the altar for communion provoked a sad facial disposition on Jesus. As they walked to the priest either with stretched hands or thrusted tongues, the face of jesus would fall in deep sadness, showing pains I only would interprete to mean “your sin nails it again and my pains very unbearable”.

Of course there were those whose reception of the Holy communion sparked off glows of happiness and joy on his face, dazzing with smiles, glowing with joy for these are the beloved of the father. As I watched this vision , I could hear his voice ,though gentle but deeply reverbarating in my spirit. He said to me, “many that walk up to the altar to recieve me, do so for show with no deep conviction of the power in me”. A ritual for many, which they perform every sunday. Each holy communion recieves unworthly hits me with pains , like the calvary nails.

I am sweet and refreshing to souls that recieve me worthly and a condenmation to those who make a show of me , treating me with derision with their life of irreverence to holy things.

You were like that many years ago under the canopy in kebbi state. Jesus said to me . But Mercy spoke for you. Be careful not to repeat your years of spiritual laxity, impropriety etc treat me with reverence. I am not a gum, I am equally not a bread. I am real and my power isnt less in the Holy Communion

Dont be decieved by the holier disposition of those who come to recieve me, their gait may be feline, their composure holier too with joint hands looking serious and unstained. All these are good in themselves when done with a sincerity of heart, godliness and yearning for nothing but God’s mercy and grace. Anything less my presence wouldn’t accompany them as they recieve Jesus in the blessed Eucharist .