When Fear Comes to Your Door, Lift Jesus (The Drew Mariani Show)

Drew Mariani opened a segment of The Drew Mariani Show with a sobering image of chaos: cartel violence in Jalisco, Mexico—“a multi-headed snake” that keeps rearing its ugly head, resulting in buildings burnt down, cars engulfed in flame, and bullets flying through the streets. In the middle of that fear, one priest did something that stopped Drew in his tracks. Drew explained that everyone was told to stay in lockdown, but this priest didn't bother hiding. Instead, he went into the church, took the Blessed Sacrament, and climbed onto the roof of the church. There, above the smoke and panic, he lifted Our Lord and blessed the city where violence and bloodshed ruled. As the priest raised Jesus above the chaos, he prayed for Mexico. That scene became a catechesis in action. “The Eucharist is not a symbol,” Drew reminded us. “It’s not a piece of bread.” What the Church teaches is staggering but true: when the Lord is brought into darkness, it is the living Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, that is being brought into that darkness. He is the light. Drew recalled how, in 1240, a terrified convent turned to St. Clare of Assisi when invaders climbed the walls. She had the Blessed Sacrament brought to her, and she “lifted the monstrance towards these attackers and she prayed.” Later, during the 1576 plague in Milan, St. Charles Borromeo carried the Blessed Sacrament in procession, placing the city under Christ’s protection as the people begged for mercy. Drew even shared modern eyewitness stories, like a priest in India during the 2004 tsunami who, in the face of imminent death, followed the example of the saints before him and lifted Jesus. Then Drew turned the spotlight back on us: “So here’s the question for you. When fear comes to your door, what do you lift?” Maybe it’s not cartel violence, but unrest in your marriage, division in your family, or that crushing, anxiety at 2:00am. “You can argue. You can rage. You can spiral. Or, you can lift Jesus.” The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.