"Receiving Eucharist, especially daily, has helped me become a better husband."

As a deacon assisting at the altar, I am so blessed to be so close to the consecration of bread and wine when Our Lord Jesus allows himself to appear as these elements so that we are able to be nourished with His body and blood. In Our Lord's prayer He asks us to pray to God the Father, "give us this day our daily bread" and if we are able to go to Mass daily, we can receive and carry the Lord Jesus in our bodies to give us strength in pursuit of living a holy life. 

Attending daily Mass was not something I ever considered doing nor did I feel a need to attend Mass more than the obligation on Sundays and Holy Days. I was challenged by a bishop at a retreat some years back to make this commitment to receiving Eucharist daily. Logistically this was going to be difficult because I work as a nurse and had varied start times that would be different from one week to the next. Also I live in a rural area and daily Mass is not always offered at the same church. So I set out on my quest to see if I could actually do this and see how many days in a row that this would happen. I lost count after a while, it did not matter. This was the best thing I could have ever done. I had the bonus of being fed by the Word of God and following the amazing stories that sometimes took the week or even a few weeks to complete. On days when I could not attend, I turned to the Word Among Us or the Magnificat to fill in the gaps. This proved to be so needed when COVID disrupted an already challenging mission to find a daily Mass that fit my schedule. 

Over the years, making this commitment to God has transformed me beyond anything I thought was possible. I know I have changed, becoming more loving and patient with those around me. Receiving Eucharist, especially daily, has helped me become a better husband, a better father, a better nurse, and a better servant for God in all that I do. And I know my weaknesses, my faults, and ways that I can do better. I am often my worst critic, but with the strength I receive from Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar the pursuit of holiness is aided far greater than if I tried to do this all on my own.