What is the Eucharist?
During each Catholic Mass the Priest raises the host of bread and says the words that Jesus said at the last supper on Holy Thursday evening just before His Passion. At the moment of Consecration, the “gifts” of bread and wine are transformed (transubstantiated) into the actual Body and Blood, of Christ, on the Altar. This means that they are not only spiritually transformed, but rather are actually (substantially) transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This is what is meant by Real Presence: the actual physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Christ instituted this Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist in order to remain with mankind until the end of time (Jn 14:18).
The Blessed Sacrament serves as a focal point of devotion. Because, as Catholics, we believe that Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament is given the same adoration and devotion that is accorded to Christ Himself.
He is waiting to spend personal time with you at any Catholic Church during Holy Mass and quiet prayer time in any Adoration chapel where the Eucharist is exposed. You may also spend time in front of a Tabernacle in any Catholic Church. Jesus is present inside the Tabernacle where there will always be a red candle burning next to it. This lit candle represents the Real Presence of Jesus Christ within the Tabernacle.
What is Adoration?
The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the Adoration of Jesus by the three wise men (magi) from the East. The magi came to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to Jesus, the one who will be king of the nations. In our present day, we may all can adore Jesus, the King of the nations and the creator of the universe, and our own creator, by visiting him in churches and special Adoration chapels throughout the world. Just like at Christmas, Jesus is here with us “in the flesh” through the Sacrament of the Eucharist that Christ instituted at the Last Supper. A large “host” of consecrated bread from the Mass is kept in the Tabernacle in Catholic Churches and placed in a special “monstrance” for display and Adoration. Many churches have “perpetual Adoration” where you may “come Adore Him” 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What a special privilege and obligation we all have to spend time with Jesus in Adoration!
How to Meet the King of the Universe and All Creation —
Try to think in terms of actually meeting God as your Father, the One who created you, the Author of Love and Mercy Himself.
- Be Yourself — after all, He knows every detail about you— He created you from nothing.
- Show reverence and respect — silent prayer, kneel/bow as you approach The Eucharist.
- Keep in mind that you are surrounded by spiritual beings, Angels and Saints that are adoring Jesus along with you!
- Proper dress attire — what would you wear to visit the President or a King? You would always wear the best clothing that you currently own
“Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle for you — for you alone? He burns with desire to come into your heart.” – Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
How do I adore Him?
To go visit Jesus, right now, you must first find an Adoration Chapel where Jesus is waiting for you to come! If you live in America, the best way that I have found to locate an Adoration site is to go to the website therealpresence.org and search their list of Adoration sites. You can do that by clicking the following link: The Real Presence List of Adoration Sites
The Beauty and Gift of Eucharistic Adoration —
The Eucharist is the greatest gift given to mankind — the gift of Jesus Christ Himself in what appears to be bread and wine. This “consecrated” bread and wine becomes during Holy Mass, the risen and Glorious Jesus Christ. Fully present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Understood simply, Eucharistic Adoration is adoring or honoring the Eucharistic Presence of Christ. In a deeper sense, it involves “the contemplation of the Mystery of Christ truly present before us.”
During Eucharistic Adoration, we “watch and wait”, we remain “silent” in His Presence and open ourselves to His Grace which flow from the Eucharist… by worshiping the Eucharistic Jesus, we become what God wants us to be! Like a magnet, The Lord draws us to Himself and gently transforms us.
In its fullest essence… Eucharistic Adoration is, “God and Man reaching out for each other, at the same time!”
The Eucharist is Jesus truly present – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity!
Christ instituted this Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist in order to remain with mankind until the end of time (Jn. 14:18).
St. Alphonsus Liguiori wrote: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest of the Sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us.” The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: By not only celebrating the Eucharist, but also by praying before it outside of Mass, we are enabled to make contact with the very wellsprings of Grace…”
Pope John Paul II in one of his homilies said, “It is pleasant to spend time with Him, to lie close to His breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in His heart… If, in our time Christians must be distinguished by the “art of prayer,” how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual conversation, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament?”
“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” (Ps. 145: 13)
Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because of His Infinite love for us!
Jesus gives us His body (to eat) so that He can nourish us, strengthen us and give us His own life … and lest we be blinded by His glory, He humbles Himself to come to us in the humble species of bread… “Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world,” because, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is My affection for you.” (Mt 28:20; Jer 31:3)
“Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Are you tired because of the burden of your duties, because of frustration due to unsuccessful projects, because many misunderstand you? Are you heavy laden with guilt from past sins? Are you trying to find hope and meaning in life? Do not lose heart! Abandon yourself to Jesus in this ‘Sacrament of Love’—He will refresh you!
The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you will come away feeling renewed and healed. Miracles of conversion, peace, discovery of vocations, answers to prayers, physical healings, and many other wonderful things happen where and when the Lord Jesus is adored in the Blessed Sacrament. They are the ‘gifts’ that point to the Almighty Giver and testify to His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Let us love being with the Lord! There we can speak with Him about everything. We can offer Him our petitions, our concerns, our troubles, our joys, our gratitude, our disappointments, our needs and our aspirations. Above all we can remember to pray: ‘Lord send laborers into Your harvest! Help me to be a good worker in Your vineyard!’
When asked, “What would save the world?” Mother Teresa replied: “My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in holy hours of prayer.”
“Remain in Me, as I remain in you.”
We grow spiritually with each moment we spend with Jesus! Through our Adoration, Jesus calls us to a personal relationship (to become His friends and disciples), to “remain in Him” (Divine Intimacy), to “remain in His love” (keep His commandments). He promises that all those who remain tightly bonded to Him, will bear much fruit and “their joy will be complete”. For without Him, we can do nothing.
Through this ‘friendship’, we are inspired and strengthened to take on life’s challenges, to carry our daily cross with a new attitude, to become a ‘new creation’ (more and more like Jesus).
“I know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many treasures from my heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And I will tell you one more thing — take these graces not only for yourself, but also for others; that is encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to trust in My Infinite Mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete confidence in Me — I WILL DO EVERYTHING FOR THEM.” – Jesus speaking to St. Faustina (Divine Mercy)
Through Eucharistic Adoration – we proclaim Jesus to the World.
Eucharistic Adoration is an affirmation of our faith. Through this vigil of prayer, we give witness to our belief that God is truly dwelling with His people.
“Love one another as I have loved you.”
Eucharistic Adoration helps build a community of love.
The Eucharist is the Sacrament of unity, Jesus unifying His people. Through the personal love that one shares with the Saviour, one is more able to grasp the reality that we are the whole Body of Christ, with Jesus at the Head.
Prayers as a community, especially intercessory prayers for the needs of the community and the World – help to build a ‘civilization of love’ – to ‘transform the World.’ The prayers that we say can draw the world and everybody in the World closer to Christ and to God the Father for His blessing.
A Vision for Visions…
Let us take a closer look at the sacred vessel, the Monstrance, that houses the Body, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. The Monstrance draws all eyes to the Sacred Host that is seemingly surrounded by rays, like the sun.
Similarly, we each are called to be a ‘Living Monstrance’, radiating the presence of the Lord Who dwells in us.
A Taste of Heaven awaits us in Eucharistic Adoration!
Indeed, Earth is joined to Heaven each time we are united with the Saints and Angels in extolling God, Who, in worship we see, if not with the sight of our eyes, then with the eyes of Our Faith.
We are called to abide in the Eucharistic Presence of our Lord, like the Saints and Angels do in Heaven, as they behold the glory of God and sing His praise! The Saints and Angels wait upon the Lord and do His Will in all things. Their presence magnifies the Lord. They also intercede (for us) before the Lord.
When we look upon the Sacred Host, we look at Jesus, the Son of God. Do we see Him in all His glory and majesty? Do our lips proclaim His praise? Do our souls magnify the Lord – making Him clearer, more in focus, and larger to others around us? Do we place the needs of others before Him? Are we open to the Will of God and strive for perfection in our spiritual lives so that we too may one day join the company of Saints in Heaven?
It is at this moment when we are most intimately in communion with God that we experience a taste of Heaven, a foreshadowing of what it will be like, when, by God’s grace, we enter into everlasting life.
“Indeed, this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.” (Jn 6:40)
We Grow in Love for Jesus with Every Encounter
In John 21:16, Jesus asks Peter the question that will determine his whole life: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Jesus is asking each of us the same question: do you love me? Those of us who have an experience of love know that true love sets no conditions; it simply loves and yet it must be nurtured and nourished by intimacy, closeness or regular contact.
It is the same with time spent in divine intimacy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How can our encounters with the Lord not cause us to fall more and more in love with Him? As we yield to such love, it will prompt hunger for Scripture and the Sacraments as we seek to know and experience Him on a deeper level. It will make us remember Him throughout the day, inspire us to do little things ‘just for Him’ and try and make ourselves more attractive to Him by lives of purity and holiness. And yet, we should not feel discouraged if we cannot love Him fully because Jesus assures us that He will always love us with a love that surpasses all!
“O God, You are my God — for You I long!”
In Psalm 63, the Psalmist longs for divine life, which is based on a close relationship with God. The Psalm most beautifully expresses the intimate relationship between God and the one who worships Him in His holy temple.
Such must be OUR love and total self-giving to Jesus, exposed on the Altar, for our sake!
“O God, You are my God — for You I long! For You my body yearns; for You my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water. So I look to You in the Sanctuary to see Your power and glory. For Your love is better than life; my lips offer You worship! I will bless You as long as I love; I will lift up my hands, calling on Your name. My soul shall savor the rich banquet of praise, with joyous lips my mouth shall honor You!”
Jesus asks for so little… Yet, He gives so much!
“This – The Eucharist – the whole Christ” is His gift to all. Whether we are young or old, sick, healthy, rich, or poor, only by regularly partaking in the sacrifice of the Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, may we reap immense spiritual and temporal blessings in our lives!
The Blessed Sacrament is the LIVING FOUNTAIN OF LIFE where we can drink in the love of Christ Who alone quenches our thirst.
Thus, our time spent with our Beloved Savior in Adoration, can become the most profound, meaningful, joyful, peaceful and healing experience we could ever encounter!
May our adoration never cease! Let us become One with the Lord and with each other.