Strength Drawn from the Living Presence

Father Gabe Cillo, MIC, reflects on the witness of St. Marianne Cope, an immigrant and religious sister who did not hesitate when the call came to serve those suffering from leprosy on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii. While dozens of religious communities declined to send their members to serve, her community said yes. Saint Marianne went without fear, spending decades caring for the sick and dying, including St. Damien of Molokai in his final days. Her courage was not rooted in human strength, but in a supernatural certainty: Every person, especially the abandoned and suffering, bears the image and likeness of God.

As death draws near, what remains essential becomes unmistakably clear. Father Gabe reminds us that in moments of illness, isolation, or approaching death, the soul longs for God with a new urgency. The Eucharist, a priestly blessing, and the presence of someone who comes “in the name of Jesus” are no longer small consolations; they are lifelines. Jesus tells us, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:51; NABRE).

The saints understood this with great clarity. Saint Marianne Cope and St. Damien found their strength in the same source that sustains the Church today: the Most Blessed Sacrament. At the Last Supper, Christ entrusted Himself to the Apostles, commanding them, “Do this in memory of me,” handing on the gift of His Body and Blood through the priesthood across the ages. In the Eucharist, Christ remains truly present — Body, Blood, soul, and Divinity — faithful to His people until the end of Time.

This living presence of Jesus is what steadies the heart when eternity comes into view. It is where the saints found courage, and where we, too, are invited to find our hope.