By Dawn Saji
“Lord our God, for all the helps and blessings You have bestowed on us and for which we can never be grateful enough, we offer You never-ending praise and glory in the Church, crowned like a spouse with every goodness and grace.” This is a prayer taken from the Syro-Malabar liturgy. To me, the Eucharist has truly been the core of my spiritual life and I can never thank God enough for it.
It was at the end of Year 12, that I happened to attend a retreat explaining the Holy Qurbana, the liturgy of the Syro-Malabar Church. My mind was blown at all the symbolisms, rich prayers and gestures that I had not given much thought to beforehand. After knowing more about the Holy Qurbana, I started falling in love with it. I made sacrifices for attending daily Holy Qurbana at my parish either before or afterward my university classes.
It became the highlight of my day; giving each day a fresh zeal. I was able to offer up daily all the struggles related to living a truly Christian life, all the pains of the day, penances undertaken, studies, spiritual growth of family and friends etc.
It was through daily Holy Qurbana that I felt the initial calling to the vocation of priesthood; to live a life of complete surrender to God. I started engaging in more missionary activities such as teaching catechesis in my parish and once a month helping at a soup kitchen. This eventually led me to further discernment in the seminary and where I am now.
The Eucharist is no doubt the greatest treasure in the world; the source and summit of the Christian faith; the sacrament of love.