All Catholics know and believe that God is truly present in the tabernacle of Catholic Churches in the Body of Jesus Christ, His Blood, Soul and Divinity. His presence is indicated by a lit oil lamp placed hanging from the ceiling, in the sanctuary near the tabernacle. Therefore, if you think about it, here lies a little heaven present on Earth accessible to anyone who believes in the Catholic faith and God’s true presence on Earth.
"The Blessed Sacrament is the ‘Living Heart’ of each Catholic church and it is our very sweet duty to honor and adore the Blessed Host.” Our Lord Jesus Christ, who could calm the winds and the waves with a rebuke (Mark chapter 5: verses35-41); He who could turn a meal for one into a meal for 5000 (Matthew chapter 14: verses13-23) and who could even heal people of their physical afflictions with just a touch (as in Luke: verses 12-14). This very same God of such power and majesty makes Himself present and readily available in countless altars and tabernacles in churches around the world to be with each one of us, indeed to be with you. Should we then not be with Him to adore Him? In the past, the period before 1970s, the majority of Catholics not only attended Mass every morning before work but also visit churches to spend time praying in silence in front of the tabernacle. The Saints were devoted to the Blessed Eucharist were St. Clare, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and many more. “The Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord's Passion, since It contains Christ Himself and his Passion.” Thomas Aquinas Someone once said to St. Teresa of Avila, “If only I had lived at the time of Jesus . . . If only I had seen Jesus . . . If only I had talked with Jesus.” St. Teresa responded, “But do we not have in the Eucharist the living, true and real Jesus present before us. Why look for more?”
( Beginning on the right side of the canvass, Rubens pictures St. Jerome, dressed as a cardinal receiving Communion. Next to him stands St. Norbert, clothed in his white habit and carrying the Eucharist beneath his robes. St. Thomas Aquinas stands in the center holding a book and extending his other hand to heaven, a gesture proclaiming his defense of the Eucharist. Beside him is St. Clare of Assisi, holding a monstrance that displays the sacred eucharistic host. To her left is St. Gregory the Great, the pope who wrote so many works contained in the Mass. Then comes St. Ambrose, who wrote about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Rubens finishes his gathering of defenders of the Eucharist with St. Augustine, who included his reflections on this sacrament in his famous treatise on the Holy Trinity.)
The benefit of praying before the Blessed Sacrament as opposed to praying elsewhere is that in front of the Blessed Sacrament you are just a few feet away from God in the same way the apostles were. Nothing comes close to when two people are present to each other in the same room. Relationships with God can grow when we pray at home or elsewhere, but physically coming into God’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament brings us closer to God reciprocating love for love. The best time you spend on earth is with Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament!
“How great is the value of conversation with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, for there is nothing more consoling on earth, nothing more efficacious for advancing along the road of holiness!" You grow spiritually with each moment you spend with Jesus! Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because you are the most important person in the world to him! "Christ is reserved in our churches as the spiritual center of the heart of the community, the universal Church and all humanity, since within the veil of the species, Christ is contained, the invisible heart of the Church, the Redeemer of the world, the center of all hearts, by him all things are and of whom we exist." To adore the Blessed Eucharistic Lord is a “sweet duty.” Firstly “a duty,” because it is part of the First Commandment to adore the Lord our God and since the Son of God is really present in the Eucharist He merits our real presence before Him. However, this duty is “sweet,” because the blessings for the soul and for the world are innumerable: Anyone who approaches this august sacrament with special devotion and endeavors to return generous love for Christ’s infinite love, experiences and fully understands, not without great spiritual joy and profit, how precious is the life hidden with Christ in God, and how great is the value of converse with Christ, for there is nothing more consoling on earth, nothing more efficacious for advancing along the road to holiness. Even though adoration always produces extraordinary fruits, at the same time we must remember that even if there were no fruits at all, the Lord Jesus would still be worthy to be adored for His own sake. The spiritual benefits must not be our motivation for our adoration. To adore is the first act of justice where we acknowledge that God is first of all, the Giver of life. He is the Alpha and the Omega. All comes from Him, all subsists in Him, and all must return to Him. But as we know the Lord in His great love always unleashes His powerful grace in the world when we come to Him in adoration.
Treat Him as you would one of your closest friends, with love and respect. Feel free to tell Him
whatever troubles or pleases you (silently or very quietly, Silence is key for concentration in this intimate setting.) You can also pray whatever prayers you’d like: the Rosary, An Act of Spiritual Communion, Sing a Hymn or any number of very good Blessed Sacrament prayers. If you’d prefer, just give our Lord your heartfelt thoughts in meditation or reflection. Or, you can just sit in silence and keep him company! Praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament is not only our act of adoration, we fulfill our obligation to love and serve Him and we receive the divine rays of His grace, His love, and His peace. Indeed, there is true heaven here upon earth, a heaven so genuine, so beautiful, so grace-abounding, that human heart finds in it a true foretaste of the joys of Paradise. This heaven is the Eucharistic Tabernacle, where our God dwells with us in the Blessed Sacrament. Before the Tabernacle all our labours are lightened and sweetened; there our heart is satiated with the Bread of Life. There we receive eternal, inexpressibly precious gracious and gifts. In truth, there is no place where our Divine Saviour is more generous than upon the altar, where He makes the sweetness of His presence and of His gifts more susceptible, for it is His delight to be with the children of men. Oh, let us, too, seek this “Heaven on Earth,” in which the Saints found such supreme delight. Thanks be to God. Resources: https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/1548/documents/2016/5/MayFaithFact_EucharisticAdoration-Part1.pdf |
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AuthorAn artist, entrepreneur, a loving family man, 30 years a Catholic traditionalist upholding traditions for the love of God. Shop for Catholic giftsArchives
January 2024
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