Eucharistic Adoration: Experience a Deep Peace in Jesus
Eucharist Adoration is an ancient, prayerful devotion believed to date back as early as the 4th century with St. Basil. It is the coming in prayer before the Real Presence of God found in the exposed Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in a "monstrance" (gold stand) so that the Host is clearly visible to all who come to pray.
The Eucharist is the greatest gift given to the Church, the abiding presence of Jesus who desires to feed us, heal us, strengthen us and mold us into his own body. At the Second Vatican Council, the Church fathers wrote “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” (Lumen Gentium 11). This act of remaining in Jesus is an act that is done in silence. Silence sometimes is uncomfortable for people. We feel that if we are not saying something to God, we are not really praying. We are afraid that our silence will soon lead to our minds wandering; while our bodies may be in a posture of prayer, our brain is at the supermarket or work or making lists of things we need to get done this day.
Jesus desires us to rest in him: “Be still and know that I am God!” Our self-reliance leads to internal chatter. However, to have the Eucharist as a visible focus for our eyes allows us to be drawn back into a peace as we recognize that Jesus really is in charge of our lives. In that silence we find our minds, hearts and souls experiencing a deep peace that He alone can give.
The Church asks someone be present when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. We want to make sure that each hour of Adoration is covered by someone on a regular basis. As you pray this week, you may want to pray and ask the Lord if he is calling you to make a commitment to be so present in adoration. If you are interested in committing to a certain time each Wednesday to be present for Adoration, please call 210-698-1941.