This Church is the House of God, God’s trysting place – his special meeting place – and the Eucharist is his trysting time with his people.  “…I am with you always, to the end of the age” (NRSV, Matthew 28:20) was his promise, and he is keeping it now, in our midst, all the days of our life.  He comes to his Altar Throne and we kneel before him as the shepherds and the Wise Men did in Bethlehem of old.

Love gives all, and truly this is the Sacrament of Divine Love, for he visits us to give to us his whole Self for our food and sustenance.

There are many who ignore his Visitation altogether; as long ago, so now, he comes to his own and his own receive him not.  Yet to the faithful communicant he gives his all, out of pure love.  And as we make our preparation beforehand we too wonder, “Why is this happening to me, me who am so unworthy of him in every way?”

But come he does in spite of that, and therefore it is for us at least to give him a loving welcome.  He came to Elizabeth’s house that day for peace.  He comes to us also to find peace within our hearts; and peace means no dark corners where sin lurks.  It means that all is clean and fresh and unashamed.