King of Hearts

Have you ever gone to Mass and felt nothing or been so distracted that you barely realized what was happening? During the liturgy, worries about the future, regrets about the past, even thoughts of brunch bubble up to the surface and pull our attention away from what is being said, transformed, and received. But what if it were different?

I’ve come to realize that preparing for Mass matters because I’m going to encounter someone very important: a King. Not a distant or judgmental ruler, but the One who knows me personally and loves me unconditionally.

Before Mass, we can pause for a moment and notice what we’re carrying that week: worries, disappointments, fears, unanswered questions. Instead of trying to push them away, we can offer them to the Lord like a present, imagining Him receiving them with tenderness and understanding.

That’s also something we can do as we walk forward to receive the Eucharist. After Communion, we can close our eyes for a moment and pray simply: “Jesus, I open my heart to you and offer you what’s there. Please come in, especially where I need your love and peace the most.” And He does.

When I started coming honestly to Mass like that, it felt different. Or rather, I felt different during and afterward: more seen, more accepted, less alone.

The feast of Corpus Christi reminds us that the Eucharist isn’t a symbol or ritual, it’s a Person. At Communion, we are receiving Jesus Himself: the One who desires to enter even the hidden places of our hearts with tenderness, truth, and healing. Because we are not simply receiving bread. We are receiving the King of our hearts.

By: M. Kyrou

Image: J. Dick