Ancient olive groves surrounded me on both sides of the stony path leading to the Convent of San Damiano in Assisi. One particular tree had something to teach me and I stopped to take it in. What should have been two separate trees was one, as if something ethereal held it together. Though fractured, the tree was whole.

The mystery of the Eucharist boggled my mind as a child. I wondered what Jesus would taste like or what superpower I’d discover once I received it. I believe that it sustains me by the grace freely given to all. This food for my soul helps me to acknowledge my need for Jesus. If I receive the Body of Christ with humility, then I can live in its mystery even though I can’t comprehend it.