A lot happens in a year. This time last year, we took a leap of faith and made our story more widely known. In preparation for the Eucharistic Congress our parish was hosting, we were asked to speak at a couple of Masses before the event to share our witness to the power of the Eucharist and encourage others to participate in the event.

We had mixed feeling about speaking: Rex was eager to share but Rachel was a little more hesitant. About a year before this (2014) Rex had a profound experience at Mass and in sharing that moment it would mean being vulnerable and open about our family. We had been sharing more with friends and family but never in this kind of setting. Our parish has over 2300 families, which means there are a lot of people that we don’t know personally. On top of that, we were asked to speak at two Masses that we don’t regularly attend. It was terrifying.

There were many fruits that have come from us sharing that day. One being this very blog. The encouragement and grace we’ve received since sharing has been overwhelming and awe-inspiring. Just days after speaking at Mass, we were blessed with our sixth, Nathanael Patrick, which made for an interesting Lent.

Today we share with you, our readers, what continues to give us strength for our journey. Here’s our witness we shared last year and still holds true for us today.

REX: [intro/background] Mass. Transubstantiation. Monstrance. Tabernacle. Blessed Sacrament. Last Supper. New Covenant. These are just a few words that the Church provides us to talk about the Eucharist. For my wife and I the words sustenance and grace come to mind when we reflect on the Eucharist. 

Being the youngest of four, there was never a dull moment in the Yabut house!   At an early age, I can recall my parents instilling the gift of faith to me in the form of donuts after Mass and getting me involved in CCD – it was something I always looked forward to. Yet, even after having received my First Communion in second grade, I hadn’t even begun to grasp the beauty of this miracle.

Gradually as I had several conversion experiences, it was the Eucharist that constantly reminded me of who I am as a person – a beloved Son of God. It was the Eucharist that led me back to the Catholic Church after exploring other faiths as a young adult.  It was the Eucharist that kept me grounded as I witnessed my siblings and parents’ marriages struggle.  It was the grace from the Eucharist that I believe kept my parents together. It is the Eucharist that continues to lead me through the very toughness of life to the joys of life. We offer our testimony today because we believe in the transformative power of the Eucharist and that Jesus truly speaks to each and every one of us leading us closer to Him.

RACHEL: [background] My earliest memory of the Eucharist was when I was six or seven: although I was baptized Catholic,  my parents fell away from practicing the faith. So I grew up attending Mass only occasionally – I remember one midnight Mass on Christmas Eve in particular.  We were late so we had to stand in the back. I was pretending to be sleepy so my dad would carry me. During Communion, I remember not really knowing what was happening but I do remember that my dad received communion and I was not offered the Host. I was amazed, intrigued, and curious.  Even at such a young age, I felt left out. I knew something different was happening – something that I hadn’t ever really experienced before. Looking back, I know the Holy Spirit touched my heart in a profound way that night, but for some reason it took me a while to act on it.

It wasn’t until I was in middle school that the Holy Spirit prompted me to draw closer to God. As we all know, middle school is tough. I was searching for something more in my life. It was then, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that I told my mom that I would like to receive my First Communion. She enrolled me in the classes, and I became involved in the Youth Ministry – my life was changed forever. From that point on, I never wanted to looked back – I always wanted to have God be a part of my life. I am so thankful that God used the Eucharist to draw not only me closer to Him but my parents, too.

REX: [witness] The Eucharist has done great works in our lives before we even knew each other, and it is a great privilege that we can share with you what it has done for our family.

[photo by Catara Carrell Photography]

After two years of praying, wondering and waiting, we were blessed with our first precious gift of new life – truly a miracle, whom we named Casey Francis.  Our joy lasted but a breath of several weeks when our baby was called home before being born.  From that moment,  our lives were filled with confusion, grief, depression, fear, darkness and hopelessness.

About a year ago, Rachel and I were at Mass. During the Eucharistic Prayer when Fr. Jim elevated the Host and spoke these words, “Do this in memory of me.” I closed my eyes, a vision appeared and I heard a child’s voice whisper to me, “Mommy’s pregnant”.  I would be lying to you if I said I totally understood what God was trying tell me. But the reality is, this was the first time anything like that happened to me! So I knew that I needed to discern this message and lift it up in prayer. After prayer and reflection, I wrote about it in my journal but I was sensitive to not share with Rachel.

Let’s face it– we were still grieving the loss of Casey as well as a second precious baby. Two weeks later,  we found out that we were indeed with child again. God had so graciously blessed us with another new life. Without the  grace and sustenance that is Eucharist our hope may not have been restored.

RACHEL: [closing/promotion] The Eucharist has truly sustained us through our grief. There have been times when we were reluctant to carry our cross because it seemed too heavy to carry. But we have chosen to humbly pick up our cross and follow Jesus even when it’s difficult. We are called to share our story not only of our losses but of the transformative power of the Eucharist. It is this miracle, the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist that truly transforms us. At every Mass, we lay our joy and suffering at this Holy Altar and ask for nothing but gratitude. When we receive the Eucharist, we pray especially to our family in heaven: our unborn babies– Casey, Andrew, Catherine, James and Abigail. Our God is so loving and generous.

[photo by Catara Carrell Photography]

We don’t what what lies ahead of us but there’s hope and light, so we continue to place our trust in God. Thanks for reading.

Praying for you,

R&R