A Lenten Treasure Hunt: Fifth Clue
The Holy Fire Within: From COVID Isolation to the Sacred Heart
Photo by Matea Gregg on Unsplash
“My greatest happiness is to be before the Blessed Sacrament, where my heart is, as it were, in its center.” St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
As I watch a beautiful sunrise this morning, I find myself reflecting on my recent bout with COVID. A month ago, I traveled to New York to visit my family. After spending ten days with them, I began to feel like I was coming down with a cold. Fortunately, I had an over-the-counter COVID and flu test with me. After feeling miserable for two days, I decided to use it, and lo and behold—I tested positive for COVID. I had never had COVID before. When everyone was catching it at the onset of the pandemic, I seemed to be immune. My husband caught it twice, yet I always tested negative. But now, when it seems no one even talks about COVID anymore, I finally got it. And I got it bad.
Being unable to attend Mass for two weeks hurt more than the physical illness itself. The isolation brought back memories of those two months during the pandemic when churches were closed and we could not attend Mass in person. Back then, we had to settle for watching Mass on television and making an Act of Spiritual Communion. It is a beautiful prayer that goes like this:
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
I had never thirsted more for the Eucharist than during those days of isolation. Once churches reopened, attending Mass and receiving the Blessed Sacrament took on a whole new meaning. Eventually, I even added daily Mass to my weekly routine—not every single day, but I made an effort to go at least twice during the week.
Last year, I consecrated myself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and since then, the Eucharist has taken on an even deeper significance for me. I no longer see the Host merely as an object, but as a living heart, beating with love. Of course, I had always been taught that during the Transubstantiation, the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Yet, I had never fully grasped the reality that Christ’s heart literally beats within that Host—even though numerous Eucharistic miracles throughout history have proven it. Since my consecration, receiving the Eucharist has become as necessary to me as drinking water.
This beautiful devotion dates back to December 21, 1674, when Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a nun from the Order of the Visitation, received the first of many apparitions from Christ. He revealed His human Heart to her, giving us the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are called to participate in this devotion by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist frequently and devoutly—especially on first Fridays—by making a Holy Hour each Thursday in remembrance of His agony in the garden, and by celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
During these apparitions, Jesus made a powerful promise:
“I promise you… that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Friday for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance; they shall not die in my disgrace… my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in that last moment.”
While this specific devotion involves receiving Holy Communion for nine consecutive First Fridays in reparation to His Sacred Heart, once you feel the joy of His heart beating within you, you won’t want to stop at nine! You will find yourself drawn to Mass and Adoration as often as possible, simply because He thirsts for your love.
This year, on June 12, 2026–the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—I will be renewing my Sacred Heart consecration. I will be joined by thousands of faithful across the country because, in celebration of our 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, the U.S. bishops will officially consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As the sun rose over the water today like a ball of fire, I realized how much the Host resembles the sun. Both are round and both are on fire. One provides the physical heat we need to survive; the other provides the Holy Fire that guides our souls to Heaven. May our hearts burn with that same Holy Fire today!
Copyright © 2026 Christy Romero. All rights reserved. If you thought of someone while reading this, bless them by sharing it with them.
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About the Author
My name is Christy Romero and I am a cradle Catholic. I met my husband, Rafael, 46 years ago on a Youth Encounter, and we got married four years later. We have three young adult children who are all happily married, and two grandsons that have stolen our hearts. Even though I have always loved writing, God took me on a different career path. I graduated with a degree in Accounting in 1986, and thirty years ago, I established my practice to help small businesses and individuals with their tax filings. Last year, I decided to retire to spend more time with my growing family, and to dedicate more time to writing. I created a blog to share my meditations ten years ago, and I have a faithful following of family and friends. Now, I feel God urging me to share the Good News of the Church that He established over 2,000 years ago with a larger audience. In the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta: “I am just a little pencil in the hand of a writing God sending a love letter to the world.” You can find more of my writings at https://christysmeditations.blogspot.com/
