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Eucharistic Adoration |
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"This is my Body...do this in memory of me". Jesus, Luke 22:20
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"You ask how the bread becomes the
Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of Christ I shall tell you: the
Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what
surpasses every word and thought . . . Let it be enough for you to understand
that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy
Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh. [St. John Damascene, De fide orth 4, 13: PG 94, 1145A.] " The Eucharist 1374. "The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the EUCHARIST above all the sacraments as 'the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.' [St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 73, 3c.] In the most blessed sacrament of the EUCHARIST 'the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.'[Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.] 'This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.' [Paul VI, MF 39.]" 1384. "The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the EUCHARIST: 'Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.'[Jn 6:53 .]" 1403. "At the Last Supper the Lord himself directed his disciples' attention toward the fulfillment of the Passover in the kingdom of God: 'I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.'[Mt 26:29 ; cf. Lk 22:18 ; Mk 14 25 .] Whenever the Church celebrates the EUCHARIST she remembers this promise and turns her gaze 'to him who is to come.' In her prayer she calls for his coming: 'Maranatha!' 'Come, Lord Jesus!'[Rev 1:4; Rev 22 20; 1 Cor 16 22 .] 'May your grace come and this world pass away!'[Didache 10, 6: SCh 248,180.]" 1404. "The Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his EUCHARIST and that he is there in our midst. However, his presence is veiled. Therefore we celebrate the EUCHARIST 'awaiting the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,'[Roman Missal 126, embolism after the Our Father: expectantes beatam spem et adventum Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi; cf. Titus 2:13 .] asking 'to share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away. On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are. We shall become like you and praise you for ever through Christ our Lord.'[EP III 116: prayer for the dead.]" (Excerpts from Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994
English translation) Adoration 1378. "Worship of the EUCHARIST. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. 'The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the EUCHARIST the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession.'[Paul VI, MF 56.]" 1379. "The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the EUCHARIST in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his EUCHARIST deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament." (Excerpts from Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994
English translation) What is the Eucharist? The Eucharist is nothing less than Jesus’ complete and Personal gift of Himself to us — Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity — under the appearances of bread and wine in the consecrated Host. He hides His immense glory, beauty and dignity in the Blessed Sacrament because He wants us to come to Him in faith that we may love Him for Himself. What is Eucharistic Adoration?
Eucharistic Adoration is an expression of our love for Jesus, who loves
us so much that He never wants to leave us and so stays with us day and
night in the Blessed Sacrament. For He says: “Behold
I am with you always,”
because “I have loved you with an everlasting love. And constant is my
affection for you,” (Mt 28: 20; Jer 31:3). Pope John Paul II in his first encyclical letter, Redemptor Hominis, says that Eucharistic adoration is the most fundamental duty in the life of the Christian and that liturgical celebration of the Eucharist and private worship of the Eucharist complement each other. He states: “Our communal worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of Jesus in Eucharist adoration in order that our love may be complete.” What is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is simply our response to Jesus’ love
for us, whereby each of us is willing to spend a quiet holy hour of prayer in
His Eucharistic Presence once a week on a regular basis that we may have
perpetual (seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day) exposition of
the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is never left alone, and the
chapel is always
open for anyone to visit Him. |
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Why Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration? JESUS WANTS IT!!! JESUS GIVES US HIS GRACES!!! THE HOLY FATHER ASKS FOR IT!!! EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE!!! WAY TO A TRULY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!!! IT BUILDS COMMUNITY!!! IT BRINGS PEACE!!! SPEND A SPECIFIC HOUR EACH WEEK WITH JESUS IN THE BLESSED
SACRAMENT This hour that Jesus wants you to spend with Him is spent any way you want to: reading the Holy Bible, praying the Holy Rosary, with your favorite prayer book,or speaking to Jesus heart to Heart, as one does with a friend, you may be so tired or troubled or worn out, that you may just want to sit, and relax, and enjoy the sweet peace that comes from simply being with the One who loves you the most, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. When you pray the Rosary in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament, you love Jesus with the Heart of Mary and offer to Jesus the perfect adoration of Mary. Jesus receives your holy hour as if Mary herself were making it. Mary encloses you in her Heart and Jesus accepts your hour with Him as coming directly from the Heart of His very own Mother. The Heart of Mary makes up for what is lacking in our own hearts. (excerpts from the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament http://www.acfp2000.com/) |
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Adoration Testimonies... Ten years ago our parish was attempting the tremendous task of recruiting enough parishioners to commit to taking one hour each week to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, so that the Blessed Sacrament would be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I don’t remember exactly who the speaker was, only that it was a very compelling request. I wish I could say that I was so pious that I signed on without hesitation. But at the time my boys were very small, and my first thought was that I was just way too busy to commit to an hour a week, especially for an indefinite period of time. Eventually I had to admit to myself that, if I wanted to take an enrichment class or join an exercise program, I could certainly find the time to do that. Would it really be that difficult to come up with an extra hour, then, to spend some time in uninterrupted prayer? I decided on an hour that was convenient for me, called one of the organizers and committed to my hour-probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I can hardly believe that was ten years ago! It would be impossible to list all of the gifts I’ve received as a result of my weekly visits to the Adoration Chapel. I’ve had some very dramatic answers to specific petitions. I have also had more subtle answers to my prayers, when they are answered in ways other the way I pose them. But when all is said and done, I can see Christ’s hand in every solution. Over time I ’ve learned to lay my questions and concerns before Him with the prayer "Thy will be done." I have absolutely no doubt that He is hearing and answering me, and that whatever I ask of Him will be taken care of. I turn to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for all kinds of guidance, decision-making, parenting, and any kind of special intention. He’s like my best friend, big brother, God and Savior all in one. One personal example of what I considered to be a dramatic answer to my prayers was the time when I was wrestling with the inability to forgive someone. I really hated the feeling that I was holding on to a grudge, and I asked that He help me to be able to forgive. Over the next couple of days and weeks, I encountered almost an eerie succession of references to the need to forgive. First, the very next Sunday homily was about forgiveness. Shortly thereafter the guest speaker at a talk I attended spoke on the need to forgive if we are to be forgiven. Finally, someone left a small book at the Adoration Chapel, and it looked interesting, so I picked it up to browse. One of the chapters of the book suggested that one of the reasons that people rejected Jesus while he was on earth was that He was telling them things they did not want to hear. I suddenly realized then that I had not wanted to hear that I had to forgive in order to be forgiven. Finally I understood, and was really able to find the forgiveness I had been hoping to find. Over these ten years the biggest personal change that I’ve noticed is in the way I look at things. After a visit to the Chapel I feel renewed peace and tranquility in my mind and heart. I still encounter all of the usual stresses that daily life brings, but I know that when the need arises, all I have to do is stop in at the Chapel to refocus. I know God hears my prayers wherever I pray them, but there is something special and sacred about praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, it is obvious to me that Jesus loves our parish very much. We’ve had incredible blessings as a parish, not the least of which has been the blessing of a succession of fabulous priests. We have a wonderfully active parish, with lots of activities and committed parishioners. I hope that any parishioner who has ever thought about committing to an hour will take a leap of faith and follow through on it. It has never been a problem for me to find a substitute when I can’t be there. The rewards are incredible. Dear Father Miller, I am writing in response to your request for testimonials about Perpetual Adoration. This is something I feel so strongly about that I am unsure if there are words to fully express my experiences. But here it goes... I first came to Adoration during lent of 1994. There was a request for volunteers sent out on purple half sheets of paper, left in pews. I’m not sure how or why, but I did volunteer for Sunday evenings from 10 to 11. I was terrified! What would it be like? What would happen? Would I be there all-alone? What was expected of me? I spoke with my mother about and she told me to pray about it and not to be afraid. I did. The first Sunday came, and knees shaking, palms sweating I went to the chapel. Outside the chapel, just as unsure and nervous as I, was a law school classmate of mine, who unbeknownst to me, has also signed up for Sundays at 10. I knew right there and then it was going to be okay. During my time on Sunday nights, I prayed and read and meditated on Church teaching. At that point in my life I was "pro-choice". I never thought I would ever change my mind about that. Yet somehow, and I’m not sure when, over the course of those Sunday nights my heart was converted. I knew I was wrong. It is so powerful being in the presence of Christ, I couldn’t help but see the error of my thinking. And it happened so gradually, so naturally. After some absence, due to family obligations, I again have a regular hour. I am amazed that I stayed away as long as I did, and even more amazed at how great it feels to be back! I cannot believe that I am the only one in the chapel during my hour! That there isn’t standing room only, every hour of every day. I picture myself climbing into His lap, like a little child, and simply speaking my heart to Him and giving thanks to Him. What a comfort He has been. Recently a friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I prayed for her constantly. I brought her name to adoration, and prayed there as well. After surgery she is completely cancer free! A miracle, which her Dr. had told her, was unlikely. She does not need chemo or radiation. |
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Quotes from the Saints Mother Teresa of Calcutta "If I can give you any advice, I beg you to get closer to the Eucharist and to Jesus... We must pray to Jesus to give us that tenderness of the Eucharist." "People ask me: 'What will convert America and save the world?' My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer."
St. Therese of Lisieux "Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you - for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart...don't listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love... "Receive Communion often, very often...there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing..." "The guest of our soul
knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us - that is all
He asks."
St. Angela of Foligno "If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude." Saint Faustina
AT THE FEET OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST
"I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I
adore You for all the works of Your hands, that reveal to me so much wisdom,
goodness and mercy, O Lord. You have spread so much beauty over the earth and it
tells me about Your beauty, even though these beautiful things are but a faint
reflection of You, incomprehensible Beauty. And although You have hidden
Yourself and concealed your beauty, my eye, enlightened by faith, reaches You
and my souls recognizes its Creator, its Highest Good, and my heart is
completely immersed in prayer of adoration."--From the writings of
Blessed Faustina St. Margaret Mary
"In order to be like You, who are always alone in the Blessed Sacrament,
I shall love solitude and try to converse with You as much as possible. Grant
that my mind may not seek to know anything but You, that my heart may have no
longings or desires but to love You. When I am obliged to take some comfort, I
shall take care to see that it be pleasing to Your Heart. In my conversations, O
divine Word, I shall consecrate all my words to You so that You will not permit
me to pronounce a single one which is not for Your glory.... When I am thirsty,
I shall endure it in honor of the thirst You endured for the salvation of
souls.... If by chance, I commit some fault, I shall humble myself, and then
take the opposite virtue from Your Heart, offering it to the eternal Father in
expiation for my failure. All this I intend to do, O Eucharistic Jesus, to unite
myself to You in every action of the day." Pope John Paul II
"I hope that your example attracts many souls to the adoration of Jesus
Christ who is present on the altar to be of comfort and hope to those who
confide in him with faith and love; they look on him as the Emmanuel, God with
us, who wished to dwell amongst us: his heart in our heart,"
- Pope John Paul II Shortly after Pope John Paul II became Pope, we lost him, recounts the Pope's private secretary. We didn't know where he was. I went to his room after dinner, knocked on his door like we always do for the Pope, went in with a stack of papers for him to read and sign and he wasn't there. I walked to the Pope's chapel and turned on the lights and the Pope wasn't there. I asked the cardinals and none of them had seen the Pope. I went into the kitchen, thinking that maybe the Pope was hungry and went into the kitchen. Popes usually don't do that but he was a new Pope and who knows. No one knew where the Pope was. Finally, they found a priest, who was the Pope's secretary in Poland and he said, "I can tell you where the Pope is. He is in the chapel praying." There lying face down before the tabernacle with his hands outstretched was the Pope in deep prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
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Miracles of the Eucharist Throughout the World
Reunion Island, Indian
Ocean (Property of France)--1905
Fr. Lacombe, a
priest at St. Andrew's Catholic Church exposed the Blessed Sacrament for
40 hours devotion. During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which
Our Lord remained exposed in the Monstrance, Fr. Lacombe looked up to
behold the face of Christ in Agony exposed in the Monstrance.
Fearing what he was seeing was an optical illusion, he said nothing, but
could not banish the image from his thoughts.
After Mass, a man
asked Father to bless a medal. Wanting to see if the image of Christ
in the Host was an illusion, Father sent the man to look at the Host in
the Monstrance. The man hurried back, crying that he has seen the
face of a Man in the Monstrance. The altar boys, who Fr. Lacombe had
sent to view the Host in the Monstrance, returned in amazement with the
same reports. A little girl, who also beheld the face, later said,
"I cannot forget what I have seen, I will always remember the Face of
Our Lord... it has made an indelible mark on my life."
Word of
the miracle of the Holy Face of Christ spread quickly across the island.
People flocked to the Church to see the Face of Christ in the Monstrance.
Around 2:00 p.m. the image of Christ in the Host changed to that of a
crucifix, the Host remaining Immaculate.
Crowds gathered to adore
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and as they were singing "Tantum
Ergo" the image of the Crucifix disappeared. The Bishop ordered
the Miraculous Host preserved. Although later attempts were made to
discredit the Miracle and Fr. Lacombe, so many eyewitnesses were present
that any such efforts were fruitless.
(excerpts from
the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament
http://www.acfp2000.com/)
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