For those unfamiliar with the idea of enthroning the Blessed Sacrament, it must seem rather quaint, if not a little strange. But then, if we are in the presence of Christ the King, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Saviour of mankind, the universal Saviour, that point in human history upon which everything hangs as “before” and “after,” and everything is determined by this same Person — then, in fact, it is only right and proper that this King be shown earthly homage, as we would show to any person of importance in the worldly sense.
But that is not the only way in which we call Christ our Eucharistic King. More importantly, in a sense — but then, of course, the one flows from the other! — Jesus Christ is the King of our hearts. It is Christ Whom we should place on the throne of our heart, because He is the One to Whom we owe all of our love, our purest love, our most generous love, our most humble love, and, of course, our most broken love, when we look over our lives and we think how much we have not loved Him, or not loved those who should expect our love. He is the King Who will take it all.
When we see Christ enthroned in the Blessed Sacrament upon the altar in this church, at once we desire Him to reign in us, and to give us those gifts we desire, spiritual and human; and yet, whenever we think of Him, we think of Him before Pilate, we think of Him at the Pillar, and we think of Him upon the Cross. He is not one who seeks glory; glory is conferred upon Him by His Father.
In these moments this evening, and over the coming Forty Hours, let us seek only His glory. Let us ask Him for all those things we feel that we need. This is the Throne of Mercy: let us not be ashamed to ask.
By Fr. Sebastian M.