Such is God’s trial of the faithful soul.  It is not hard to serve God when we get comfort and peace and joy.  But can we serve him just for what he is, not for what he gives?  Can we serve him out of utter darkness for no other reason than that he is our God and that we love him for himself?

This, then, is the opportunity to prove to God what our love for him and our faith in him are really worth.  And at such a time we may be thankful that we have something sure and real in our very midst, to which we can confidently anchor ourselves – the Blessed Sacrament.

For, whatever our feelings may be the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is a visible and tangible pledge of God’s love and presence which has come down to us through the centuries from the very hands of Our Lord himself, only a few hours before those hands of his were nailed to the Cross.

When, therefore, through our frailty we are victims of doubt and despondency, let us turn to this steadfast and objective bond which not merely spans the centuries and links us to Jesus as he was that Maundy Thursday night, but also unites us to him as he is now, the living Lord in Heaven, present in his risen and glorified Body in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar as he is upon his throne of glory.