The Little Jesus in the Tabernacle is the vivid picture I had of my Savior when I was a child.










I was raised in a Catholic family who were very dedicated to their beliefs. It was not just a religion to them; it was their strong beliefs in a true God. This was passed on to me at a very early age, and I will forever be thankful to my parents for this upbringing. We were always in church on Sundays, no excuses unless of course we were sick. I also attended parochial school and had the added benefits of mass on Fridays.

I loved the quiet, peaceful times in our beautiful sanctuary. We would enter very quietly, there was not any talking being done unless in a very low tone. This was a place of holiness and worship and we knew it very early on in our lives. This brought great comfort and peace to me as a child. I remember it so vividly and even today it floods me with a sense of all is well. There was a holiness that emanated from the sanctuary and also the grounds of the church. This was the beginning of an amazing truth; it’s called the fear of the LORD. I would say that this is probably the one priceless lesson you can learn and teach your own children.

Proverbs 1:7-9
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.

Somehow I knew this truth at a very early age. I was a compliant child who desired to please all who were in authority over me. This included wanting to please this God that I sensed in that holy place of his sanctuary. I just didn’t know how to get to him. He was there but somehow out of my reach. I was drawn to this incense saturated peaceful place, because it brought solace to me. My spirit was being drawn by a gracious; sweet Father who loved me before I ever knew how to love him back.

There was a portion of the mass that intrigued me so. The priest would walk over to the tabernacle to retrieve the communion elements. The tabernacle is an ornate cabinet that held the communion wafers and the chalice of wine. The priest is the only one who goes into this holy tabernacle. This was definitely a mystery to my young mind and imagination

I vividly imagined a little Jesus sitting inside of this tabernacle. He looked frail and all alone. Sitting with his back to the Tabernacle with his legs drawn up to his chest. I knew He wanted so badly to interact with someone. My child’s heart ached to catch a glimpse of this little Jesus and to talk to him.

Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them


This little Jesus has chosen to tabernacle with me!

Many years later I learned how to talk to Jesus directly. It was an amazing revelation to me that brought much freedom and joy! This was the genesis of my getting to know Jesus personally. It took many years for that little child to accept the grace of God. Now I walk in this amazing grace and feel completely accepted in the Beloved. This little Jesus has chosen to tabernacle with me! He wants to abide and make his home inside of me. I appreciate my Catholic heritage. It will always hold a precious place in my heart, because it was the foundation of all I believe today.

I know that this little Jesus was at work in my childhood imaginations drawing me to him!