Last Wednesday I went to evening Mass before Adoration and was struck by a small, faithful gesture: the priest kissing the altar. That one act of reverence stayed with me all evening.

Earlier this year, during a Bible study and journaling session, I knelt and kissed a depiction of Jesus’ feet — wounded, anointed, and tender — as we read about the breaking of the alabaster jar and the anointing of his feet. The image lodged in my heart.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the image of love in modern songs (one line that kept looping in my head invited “kiss me like you want to be loved”); it made me reflect on how I long to receive Jesus with that same wholeheartedness. In Adoration I imagine holding him close, keeping him warm, and returning his love with complete devotion.

Jesus already loves us with a pursuit that crosses the night — like the shepherd seeking the one lost sheep. Each time I receive the Eucharist it’s a literal “holding” of Christ: skin-to-skin, heart-to-heart. My relationship with Him shapes every other relationship in my life; He becomes my first love, and through Him the rest of my loves grow healthier and truer.

When I approach the altar or kneel before the monstrance, I try to practice reverence and intimacy: bowing at His name, kissing His wounds in prayerful imagination, and offering every part of my heart. How we meet Jesus in the Eucharist matters — meet Him like you want to be loved.