My love affair with Jesus in the Eucharist began when several of my merely human love affairs failed.

When I was 18, I had an abortion. Though I went to confession shortly afterwards, I never completed my penance of having a Mass said for my baby’s soul. Tormented by pain and without the comfort of Christ in the Eucharist, I soon quit going to Mass. I fell into substance abuse and promiscuity and had my third abortion by age 21. At 26, I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis, which led to six surgeries, culminating 10 years later in a full hysterectomy. Under a psychiatrist’s care, I took antidepressants for three years. After a suicide attempt on the cliffs at Del Mar, California, I said a prayer and was reunited with an old boyfriend, Mike. After we married, we became “Christmas and Easter Catholics.”

In late May 1995, I attended the funeral Mass of a friend’s grandmother. At the moment the Host was raised, everything else in the church fell into darkness and the Host radiated out a bright light so warm it felt as if I were lying in the sun. I softly whispered, “Oh, my God! You really are God!” The same happened with the chalice. Tears streamed down my face.

That Saturday I made my first full confession in 20 years. Mike also returned to confession after 30 years and this Pentecost was our 25th anniversary of fully coming home to the Catholic faith.

Our large church had a 24-hour Eucharistic adoration chapel. I took the 7pm hour on Mondays and Wednesdays for four years until we moved to northern California and began attending St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Willits, California. In 2003, a small group of parishioners began Adoration Hour every Wednesday evening.

Today, although watching Mass on EWTN has been a great comfort to me during these trying times of the pandemic, I deeply long to return to my hour with Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament. For it is there that he reaches deeply into my heart, mind and soul as I sit at his feet and rest my head upon his lap. His most sacred Body and Blood is His greatest gift to us.

Full story at National Catholic Register.