The Eucharistic “Bomb”

by Mike Carlton | November 22, 2013 12:01 am

“Mom, you’re never going to believe what I dreamed last night!” said the eight-year-old waking up early on a chilly fall school morning.

“You didn’t have another nightmare last night, did you?” asked the Mom, surprised that her son woke up early and didn’t seemed tired after many recent restless nights.

“No, and it’s because of my dream!” replied the boy confidently and excited to share his story.

“Great, can I hear it?” the Mom asked, now curious and amazed at her son’s enthusiasm.

“Well, you know I’ve had bad dreams, and remember last night you told me to pray a Rosary asking God to help me through these nights I can’t sleep?   Here is what happened.   I didn’t just pray one Rosary, I prayed two Rosaries asking the Blessed Mother to comfort me.   Well, I fell asleep and dreamt that we were all in Mass at St. Peter Chanel as a family.   I sat next to Jason, who sat next to Will, Henry and Hanna, then Mary sat next to you and Dad, all eight of us in a row and we were sitting toward the back next to the stained glass window of the Apostles.   Just then, Father Peter stopped Mass and called me and my friends up to the front.   This seemed strange Mom, because it was out of order.   Just then, three of my friends joined me and we all went up the long aisle towards the Altar.   I could feel the adults stare at us as we walked.  When we got there, you’ll never believe what happened next…”, he took a breath.

“What happened buddy?” the anxious Mom asked now feeling satisfied that something good had happened and he seemed well-rested for the school day.

“When we got to the front of Church, I looked up and it was not Father Peter, it was actually Jesus.   Jesus was standing there staring at me and my friends.   He was really tall and a light shone all around him.   When we looked up he lifted up his hands and showed us what he was holding.   He was holding the Eucharist and it didn’t look like the normal Eucharist.   It was a ball, like a baseball, and do you know what was in it? IT WAS A BOMB!” he exclaimed.

“A bomb?” replied the curious mother now starting to wonder where this story was going.

“Yes, a bomb, but covered in Jesus’ body and blood.   It was a real bomb but the bread seemed to cover it.   Then Jesus lifted his hands and told us to trust him.  He said that if we trust him and take this bread, we would get to Heaven.   But we could hear the bomb’s fuse lit and my friends stood back.  Jesus said again to trust him and we would not be hurt.   But people were very scared and they backed up again.  Then Jesus looked at me and asked me to trust him and if I took the bread the bomb would not go off.   So I did.  I took the Eucharist from Jesus and I was fine, I was not afraid and I was fine.  And when I turned around to see my friends, they were gone.” 

The Mom was stunned, just trying to process this incredible dream.  “I think Jesus is trying to speak to you.   Maybe God is calling you to become a Priest.” The mother said with a smile.

Many aspects of this dream came alive for me.

When the four boys were standing at the Altar staring at Jesus, is this analogous to the four Gospels?

Or in the Gospel of John where Jesus told his followers about the real presence of His body in the Eucharist which many left him over this “hard saying”.   Those who struggled with his teaching (“eat my flesh”) left him out of fear of following a teaching that would jeopardize their Jewish faith.  Could this be similar to the dream where the friends who left the Altar feared the bomb Jesus held in his hands?   In John’s Gospel, could the Eucharist Jesus referenced be a type of bomb that would have blown up a Jewish faith these followers were comfortable with?

In John’s Gospel, the closest disciples who stayed became the Apostles and first priests.  They trusted him and eventually entered the institution of the Priesthood at the Lord’s Supper in the Upper Room.

There are many possible comparisons to this dream… here’s one more thought that comes to mind. When Jesus told the Pharisees, “let the children come to me,” could this be where Jesus calls children to approach him in the midst of doubting adults who are called to have the “faith of a child”?   What is it about some who see the bomb and panic when others see Jesus?

Let’s approach today with the eyes of a child and trust in Christ to guide our decisions.  God bless.

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Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2013/11/mike-carlton-eucharistic-bomb/

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