Eucharistic Reflection - Battered Tents

"Some years ago, on my annual retreat, I found myself under terrible temptations and discouragement. Every temptation you can think of, I had that night. On my way to Mass the next morning, I felt very battered and discouraged because of the attacks and temptations of the preceding night.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

As I walked up to Communion, I made an act of faith. I said, 'Jesus, I know I am receiving You, but I feel so discouraged, so downhearted, and so unworthy to receive You.'

This was the way I felt as I received Communion. As I received the Sacred Host and turned to go back to my place, I received a clear image of a tent. I remember looking at the tent and thinking, 'Well, that poor tent is really battered.' I remember examining it and saying, 'It must have gone through a terrible storm.'

As I got to my pew and knelt down, I saw a man coming to go into the tent. I saw myself in the image and I was telling the man, 'Oh, you can't go in there, it's a mess. It's all battered. There are big holes in it.'

The man looked at me and smiled and said, "What do you mean? I live here.'

At that moment, I realized that I was the battered tent, that I had been battered with the temptations to sin and discouragement and all those things that had harassed me during the night. Now, Jesus was showing me that, battered and all, He still made His home in me - and that He had just come to me again under the appearance of the Sacred Host."

(From Miracles Do Happen by Sister Breige McKenna, OCS)