Do this in Remembrance of ME

“Do this in remembrance of me.” What are the things you remember the most, that occupy your senses and consume most or all your day? Do they tend to be heartaches and headaches or grace filled moments that bring a smile to your heart and everlasting light to your day? Do you mostly recall joys and celebrations with your family and friends or recall only the hurts and sorrows and disappointments caused by broken relationships and so-called friendships that devour our precious time and eat up our mental capacity and peaceful space.  Do you tend to focus and spend more time in gratitude, in thanksgiving, in giving thanks to God and to others for the amazing lifelong blessings you can count, the incredible unexplainable successes and accomplishments, those momentous birthdays, anniversaries and joyous moments and milestone celebrations celebrated in the span of a year, two years, ten years, ever since you were born. Or do you tend to dwell in the past, drag it forward in every conversation, remain stuck in the yesteryears, cannot seem to forget or let go the ancient past with all the bad memories, insignificant failures, overly overwhelming concerns, exaggerated exaggerations and overreacting situations that did or did not quite go that way. Our memories can make a smile or a frown appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. We focus too much on negative memories and bad situations that draw us further into darkness, discouragement and despair. However, a happy thought, a wonderful memory can erase and dissipate all that.  We can enjoy a precious moment, a retreat like experience, a joy filled moment, a grace filled effect and in the blink of an eye, the enemy can rob us of the joy and smile, tranquility and peace by distracting and causing us to forget the consoling thought and focusing rather on painful memories and devasting experiences and hurts.  Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We might ask do what?  Certainly, faithfully and reverently, celebrate and pray Mass often to recall how God our Heavenly Father sent his beloved Son Jesus into our world and lives to die for the sake of our sins to redeem us, bless us, forgive us, and heal us. To remember that unless you faithfully eat this bread and drink this cup, you cannot have life within you. To remember and know no one loves you more than this, than Jesus. That remembering how much God loves you, will help you forgive and forget those menacing bad memories and unforgiving mistakes.