September is monsoon season in India, but there has been even more rain than usual. Human errors and neglect — especially uncontrolled urbanization and a lack of preparation for floods — reportedly set the stage for disaster in southeastern India. The Krishna River and the Budameru both overflowed their banks, submerging entire neighborhoods in Vijayawada, among other places.
Various sources report that tens of thousands of people have been displaced and dozens killed in the region affected by the flood. Not to mention incalculable property damage and loss ... Humanitarian aid has rightly been in the spotlight. National and international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, religious and secular, are supplying money and resources.
Saving the Eucharist
But in this disastrous situation, there is also an inspiring story of faith with a different focus. A video dated September 1 was posted on X (formerly Twitter) showing a parish priest wading into a church accompanied by two laymen, with water up to his chest, to save the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle.
These moving images full of hope reflect great faith and love for the Eucharist. It's a reminder that while we need to see Jesus present in our brothers and sisters and in the sacred Scriptures, he's also there for us in the tabernacle. Jesus, by making himself truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, has chosen to be vulnerable and face our disasters at our side. We can and should turn to him there, not only in times of disaster, but also in our daily lives.
The next time we feel like we're "drowning" in the challenges and preoccupations of daily life, maybe we should go to a nearby perpetual adoration chapel, and let Jesus pull us out of the waters of distress.
