When the ark of the covenant was carried into the holy of holies, "King Solomon and the entire community of Israel present for the occasion sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen too many to number or count" (1 Kgs 8:5). "The cloud filled the temple of the Lord so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the Lord's glory had filled the temple of the Lord" (1 Kgs 8:10-11). At the ark and the holy of holies, the Lord was present in a most powerful way, and the people responded in sacrifice and worship.

In the new covenant, Jesus' presence in the Eucharist is much more powerful even than His presence was at the ark and the Holy of Holies. Therefore, we have even more reason to abandon ourselves in sacrifice before the Lord and to worship Him in Spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24).

With deep faith in Jesus' eucharistic presence,

• ask the Lord for the grace to go to Mass and receive Holy Communion every day for the rest of your life,
• commit yourself to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and adore Him for at least one hour a week, and
• invite at least one person a week to go to Mass with you.

If you love someone, you want to be with that person in the deepest possible way. In the Eucharist, we are so deeply united with Christ that He is in us and we are in Him (Jn 6:56). Center your life on the Eucharist, on Jesus, and on eucharistic love.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, July 26, 1997

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 29, 1997