2016 Copyright Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp 2016 Copyright Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp

I am so proud to be a moderator for what I believe to be the most important organization of Holy Cross High School, our Cougars for Christ. The Cougars for Christ are senior students who have been invited based on their character to lead our school in our Catholic Faith. They prepare and take part in all our liturgies from our monthly Masses, reconciliation service, to our Holy Day Week services. They lead prayer weekly for the entire school, serve outside of school, train as Eucharistic ministers, and altar servers. They lead our school by attending Mass on the weekends at their own parishes and represent the Christian character in everyday interactions.

Yesterday I attended a small Eucharistic training with our Cougars for Christ. Father Bill, who led the training, was very empowering and motivational. He started with a contrast between miracles and mysteries. He said miracles are very specific; Mary appeared to Bernadette. Mysteries, he said, are vague and unknown. He said the Eucharist is a mystery that we believe in.

We have recently received permission to repose the Eucharist in our Chapel. My first thought was if the Eucharist placed in our Tabernacle was to bleed, or change somehow and a miracle occurred at Holy Cross, then every student would believe in Jesus Christ. They wouldn’t challenge the Eucharist but accept it instead. That would be a miracle. Miracles are believable even to those who doubt. However, unless God has an intention to make Holy Cross into a place of a miracle, I think instead we just have to try harder to accept the mystery of the Eucharist.

Father Bill said in our world today we use technology: phones, tablets, internet, etc. It is all very concrete; we don’t have to believe, it's right there in front of us. It is easily acceptable. He also emphasized that we should live in our world with technology today. The Church doesn’t want us to live outside the world. Religion, faith, God, and the Eucharist are a mystery, not as concrete. These ideas are deeper, yet they have survived and thrived for over 2,000 years.

Father Bill empowered the Cougars for Christ by explaining to them how important it is to be a part of this 2,000 years. The fact that these students will be able to hold up the essence of God and offer Him to each of their peers is amazing. No one knows what a person is going through when he/she receives Communion but it is there to transform them for the good. These Eucharistic ministers will have the awesome opportunity to offer God to others, a mystery, but a connection to Jesus Christ in that bread at that moment in time.

[Tweet "It is the mystery that leads many people away but it is the mystery, when embraced, that will last a lifetime into eternal life"]

It is the mystery that leads many people away but it is the mystery, when embraced, that will last a lifetime into eternal life when accepted body and soul.

Do you need a miracle or can you accept the mystery of faith?

Copyright 2016 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp