PAWM Library: Deacon Barth / The Bible & The Eucharist

Truly, Scripture is ALIVE and RELEVANT for us today because Jesus is ALIVE and PRESENT with us today, not watching us from a distance but, rather, living and loving in our midst - truly, bodily and personally Present in the Sacrament of His Love, the Holy Eucharist. The key to a full and lively appreciation of Scripture is a full and lively appreciation of the Eucharist.

Imagine for a moment what would happen if you were to read a love letter written by a person you do not know and addressed to another person whom you do not know. Even if it were the most beautiful love letter ever written, it could never affect you in the way it would affect the intended recipient. Only the beloved, who knows the lover, can fully appreciate and experience the sentiments contained in the love letter.

The Bible records the historical events by which God revealed Himself and His love for man. Though written by human hand, Scripture is "breathed" by God and is, essentially, an infallible witness to His love for you. Every Book of Scripture, therefore, should be read as a love letter, intended to reveal a new aspect of the relationship to which this Great Lover - God Himself - beckons you today.

Whereas the Bible is the greatest love story ever told, the Eucharist is the Love Story Incarnate - wherein He Who created the entire universe and Whom the entire universe cannot contain, contains Himself in the Sacred Host for love of us.

The Eucharist is the Living Gospel, where the Word becomes Flesh and dwells among us. St. Augustine says of the Holy Eucharist: "Though God is all-powerful, He is unable to give more; though supremely wise, He knows not how to give more; though vastly rich, He has not more to give."

That you may develop a more lively appreciation of Scripture than you ever knew possible, I invite you to foster a deep and personal relationship with the Lover behind the letters, the Living Word. This is not difficult because, as we Catholics believe and profess, this Lover remains with us in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, where Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, is truly our Emmanuel - God with us - until the end of time.

BASIC TEACHINGS: BIBLE & CHURCH^[TOP]

To better acquaint ourselves with this Tremendous Lover, we will first review some basic Church teachings. As you study and pray the Bible you will see that these are timeless teachings - prefigured in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, and passed down from one generation of Christians to the next, beginning with the apostles. For the present, however, let us consider the authoritative teaching of Pope John Paul II.

In his very first encyclical, the Redeemer of Man, Pope John Paul II stressed the need for a deep and personal relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, reminding us that the same Jesus Who was born in Bethlehem, Who died for us on Calvary and Who rose on Easter Sunday remains with us in the Holy Eucharist. The Pope explained that the Eucharist, the Mystery of Faith, is a three-fold Sacrament.

"This is My Body, which will be given up for you. This is the cup of My Blood, the Blood of the New & Everlasting Covenant; it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven."

First and foremost, the Eucharist is a Sacrifice-Sacrament. At the Last Supper, while celebrating the Passover with His apostles, Jesus instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice. He offered Himself to the Father, under the form of bread and wine, as the Lamb of God to be slain that we might be freed from the bondage of sin just as the Israelites had been freed from the bondage of slavery through the Passover of the Old Covenant. In so doing, Jesus revealed Himself as both Sacrificial Victim and High Priest of the New and Everlasting Covenant. Christ's offering surpassed all the offerings of the Old Covenant that, in fact, were now revealed as precursors to Him. This first Mass, offered by Christ Himself, anticipated and contained, in sacramental form, His Sacrifice on the Cross. Good Friday follows Holy Thursday because His Passion and Death are the price that He paid to give us the Eucharist!

Do this in memory of Me! By His own command, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass makes present, through space and time, the One Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Participating in Holy Mass, we participate in the Sacrifice of our Redemption. By the power of the Holy Spirit and through the ministry of the priest we are transported to Calvary where, alongside the Blessed Mother and the beloved disciple, we stand at the foot of the Cross offering ourselves, along with the Spotless Victim, to the Father. "Eternal Father we offer Thee the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." St. Padre Pio said that we could live more easily without the sun in the sky than without the Holy Mass!

The Eucharist is also a Communion-Sacrament. In the Book of Exodus we see that the people of the Old Covenant had to eat the flesh of the Passover lamb in order to be preserved from death. Later, during their pilgrimage through the desert to the Promised Land, they were nourished and sustained by manna, the mysterious bread from heaven.

As people of the New Covenant, we eat the Body and drink the Blood of the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, for Jesus promises that: "Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood shall have eternal life." In Holy Communion, Jesus becomes the Living Bread come down from heaven to nourish and sustain us during our pilgrimage to the Father's house in heaven. Happy are we who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!

"He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him." When we receive the Body & Blood of Christ, our lives are transformed and taken up by the Lord. St. Augustine explains this mystery by way of contrast with normal food, which is consumed by us and becomes part of our bodies; but when we receive Holy Communion, we are consumed by Christ and become part of His Body. In Holy Communion we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and, in Him, we are united with one another as brothers and sisters.

The Eucharist is a Presence-Sacrament. In the Sacred Host, reserved in the tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance, Jesus stays with us until the end of time, in fulfillment of His promise at the Ascension, "I will be with you always."

The Real and Abiding Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is often ignored or misunderstood today. Yet the importance of our belief in His Real Presence is imperative as it explains the very efficacy of Holy Mass and Holy Communion. No Real Presence, no Mass. No Real Presence, no Communion. Contemplating the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we contemplate the Eucharist in its entirety - Presence, Communion and Sacrifice.

Jesus unequivocally affirmed His Real Presence. He did not say, 'This bread is a symbol of My Body', but rather, "This IS My Body". And, "I Myself am the Living Bread come down from heaven... Indeed, this is the Will of My Father, that all who look upon the Son and believe in Him shall have eternal life."

In obedience to her Master, the Church has always asserted as a fundamental truth that the Blessed Sacrament is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The same Jesus Who was born in Bethlehem, died on Calvary and rose on Easter Sunday is truly, bodily and personally Present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

COME LET US ADORE HIM^[TOP]

Think back to the shepherds and wise men of Bethlehem; those who were able to recognize God as a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. The shepherds were simple enough to realize that they did not know much. The wise men were wise enough to realize that they did not know all. Both were able to set aside their sensual and human way of thinking and humbly submit to the revelation of God. Both groups responded in faith and fell prostrate before their God, disguised though He was in human form.

When we come to the Blessed Sacrament we come to Bethlehem. The Blessed Sacrament is the continuation of Christ's Incarnation on earth. And, as in Bethlehem, adoration is the proper response to the reality of God's Presence in our midst, disguised though He is in form of the Sacred Host.

Recall St. Paul's admonition that: "Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for and conviction about the things that we do not see." Conviction makes our faith authentic. Conviction means that we do not just say that we believe but also that we put our belief into practice. And this is why the Church teaches that: "It is our very sweet duty as Catholics to adore in the Sacred Host, which our eyes can see, the Incarnate Word, Whom they cannot see."

Imagine for a moment if Jesus were to appear by your side at this very moment, put His arm around you, and invite you to spend an hour with Him each week, individually, so that He could lavish upon you all of the graces and blessings He won for you on Calvary. You would be racing to say the words: "YES LORD! I'll be there! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

But the reality is that Jesus is already here with us in Person, hidden and disguised under the appearance of bread in the Most Blessed Sacrament, wherefrom He repeats the same invitation to us that He gave to His apostles on Holy Thursday night: "Could you not watch one hour with Me?"

Since time immemorial the Church has recommended the practice of the weekly holy hour in response to this appeal from Our Lord. This is when we set aside a specific hour each week to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We can visit Him in the adoration chapel, if our parish has one, or spend this hour before the tabernacle in the Church.

It's really quite easy to understand. All of us know that when you love someone, you experience joy just being with the one you love. And the more you love someone, greater is the joy you feel when you are with this special person. And this is the point: because Jesus loves you infinitely, unlimited is the joy you bring to His Sacred Heart each time you visit Him for a holy hour of prayer!

When we speak of a holy hour, it is important to know that this hour is not holy because of you but, rather, because of Jesus. Here Jesus says: "You give me your humanity and I will give you My Divinity; you give Me your time and I will give you My Eternity; you give Me your weary body and I will give you My Redemption; you give Me your broken heart and I will give you My Love; you give Me your nothingness and I will give you My All." This hour is holy because JESUS IS HOLY!

For your part, the secret is simply to fit Jesus somewhere into your weekly schedule. This should not be hard as it is simply a question of priorities. Imagine for a moment the President or the Cardinal wanting you to set aside an hour each week to be with them. You would feel like the most important person in the country. You would tell all your friends. You would be faithful every week in keeping your appointed hour. You would let nothing stand in the way of your meeting with someone so important as the President or the Cardinal. Should you treat Our Blessed Lord with any less dignity?

Jesus also wants you to know that this holy hour is not hard, because He is absolutely the easiest Person in the world to be with and to please. You may want to bring your own favorite prayer book, or read the Holy Bible, or pray the Holy Rosary, or simply speak to Jesus heart to Heart, as good friends do.

You may be so tired, troubled and worn out that you want to come to the chapel and do nothing but just sit and relax, enjoying the sweet peace that comes from being in the Presence of the very same Jesus of the Gospels, Who says: "Come to Me all who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you."

Even if you think that you can't pray very well because you are easily distracted and get restless, Jesus wants you to know that He understands this. It is natural. What He wants you to understand is the supernatural, that He is so much in love with you that the mere fact that you choose to spend this hour with Him each week brings Him indescribable delight!

Jesus loves you so much! Why would you not want to answer His appeal: "Could you not watch one hour with Me?"

To deepen our knowledge of Holy Scripture we should make a weekly holy hour. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the Lover behind the love story, the One to Whom Scripture testifies. I promise you that as your relationship with Him progresses so too will your lively understanding and appreciation of the Bible.

Scripture is ALIVE for us because Jesus is ALIVE with us - truly, bodily and personally Present in the Sacrament of His Love, the Holy Eucharist.

WHY DOES JESUS HIDE HIMSELF?^[TOP]

You might find yourself asking Jesus why He hides Himself under the appearance of bread in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Don't feel timid about asking this question because the answer is, in fact, very useful for peering further into the unfathomable depths of His Eucharistic Love.

Jesus chose the name Emmanuel - God with us - and chose to be born in Bethlehem, a name which means "house of bread", because of His infinite desire to dwell with us always as the Living Bread come down from heaven.

When we look at the Sacred Host, we are reminded of the Sacrifice Jesus made for us to become the very life of our souls. The Eucharist flows from Our Lord's Passion. It is the sweet fruit of all His sufferings. Jesus comes to us under the appearance of bread as a constant reminder of how much He loves us. Like wheat which is beaten, broken and crushed before it becomes bread, Jesus was willing to be beaten at the pillar, broken in heart and crushed in humiliation so that He might become for us the Living Bread come down from heaven. He gave up His Body on the Cross, for love of us, so that He may give His Body to us in Holy Communion and become our Divine Companion in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In the Blessed Sacrament Jesus hides His beauty and glory so that you can come to Him in faith. Jesus could fill every Catholic Church, day and night, by letting a single ray of His glory shine out from the Sacred Host. People would come from all over the world to see the miracle. But He prefers to remain hidden that we may come to Him in faith, because only in faith are we drawn by love and not curiosity.

Jesus wants us to believe not because we see or understand how, but because of our faith in Him Who said: This is My Body. Speaking to the apostle Thomas Jesus said: You became a believer because you saw Me. Speaking about us He added: Blest are they who have not seen and have believed." This is the glory of faith!

If our faith in His Real Presence is weak, then we simply pray, "Lord I do believe, help my unbelief." For the gift of faith all we have to do is ask. Your willingness to spend an hour each week with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is in itself a prayer of great faith.

Moreover, Jesus comes to us "incognito" in the Blessed Sacrament because of His desire to be loved for Himself. Some years back, there was a cute movie that explained this Mystery very well.

In Coming to America, Eddie Murphy played the part of an African prince. Every woman in the country was chasing the young prince since he was the handsome, and very much single, heir to the throne of his kingdom. Yet the prince was miserable. He knew that none of them actually cared about him, in fact they didn't even know him because they could not see beyond his wealth, power and majesty. They were consumed with all the benefits they would receive from marrying him.

The prince ran away from home and headed to New York City where he took a job as a janitor in McDonald's. He pretended that he was poor and uneducated, somebody the world would regard as insignificant. He went incognito so that he could find someone that would get to know the real him and love him for himself.

To make a long story short, he met the girl of his dreams and the two of them fell in love. Imagine the girl's surprise when, after accepting his marriage proposal, she found out that the poor, uneducated janitor was actually a noble, wealthy and powerful prince!

This beautiful story is the reality of the love story of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the Blessed Sacrament the King comes to us incognito, hiding His power, glory and majesty. So deep is His longing to be loved for Himself that He empties Himself completely and appears to be poorer than any human on earth.

Adoration is a divine romance between you and Jesus. By making a weekly holy hour, you say "yes" to His marriage proposal.

Remember that God has unlimited capacity and infinite power to create. He passed up a million different, other possible creations and chose to create you instead because He fell in love with you even before the world began. You are unique and irreplaceable. Jesus would do for you alone what he did for all mankind. If only you knew how much Jesus loves you in the Blessed Sacrament you would die of happiness. And if you only knew how much He longs for you to love Him in return, you would never leave His side.

If you haven't already done so, say "yes" to Jesus' invitation to spend an hour with Him each week in the Blessed Sacrament. When you get to heaven you will be astounded for all eternity to see that the humble Jesus, disguised under the appearance of bread, is actually the Lord of lords and King of kings.

MARY OUR MODEL^[TOP]

Another essential key to reading the Bible, and approaching the Eucharist, is our Blessed Mother. The Gospels attest to the fact that Mary was the first, and the greatest, disciple of Our Lord. She, the woman of faith, is the creature who, more than any other created being, exemplifies how we should approach God.

Mary's openness to God was in fact perfect, that is not to say infinite, for this is a quality that belongs only to God, but that in each and every moment and occurrence of her life on earth, Mary's thoughts, words and actions were in perfect accord with God's Holy Will. Thus, Mary's disposition towards Scripture, which is God's revelation of Himself and His love for us, serves as the perfect model according to which we should pattern our own disposition.

Practically speaking, this means that we should approach Scripture as would Mary herself; we read Scripture through the eyes of Mary, understand Scripture with the mind of Mary, and ponder Scripture in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Imagine how this Mother must have devoured Scripture seeking every clue about the Child of her womb, the Messiah promised from the beginning. With what fervor she must have prayed for the grace and strength to accept His vocation, for she knew from the prophets what terrible suffering and rejection awaited her Child.

An eminently fruitful exercise when reading the Bible is to ask yourself what Mary would think about the passage you just read. What might the Blessed Mother tell you about how this passage speaks of God - Father, Son & Holy Spirit - and the life that she has, and to which we are called, dwelling in the bosom of the Holy Trinity? Moreover, what might Mary tell you about how this passage speaks of her own Son and His salvific mission?

Such a meditation is not fanciful as it would be safe to bet that Mary was the greatest Bible scholar who ever was or will ever be. As a devout Jew, Mary studied and prayed the Old Testament, especially the psalms, throughout her life on earth. Furthermore, the New Testament was lived out before her very eyes and, without any doubt, the apostles and early Christians had recourse to her first-hand knowledge of the unfathomable mysteries of Christ.

Chief amongst these mysteries is the Paschal Mystery - the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ - the very Mystery Jesus "sacramentalized" during the Last Supper so that the Paschal Mystery would be present to all generations as the New and Everlasting Covenant. The early Church recognized that if there is a New Covenant, there must also be a new Ark. Mary is the Ark of the Covenant! There is no access to the Covenant except through its bearer. Mary is the Mediatrix through whom we have access to the Covenant of the Eucharist.

Thus the Church teaches that the goal of Marian devotion is to lead us to a deeper knowledge of, appreciation for and participation in the Holy Eucharist.

At Holy Mass we should model our participation after Mary's participation in the Sacrifice of her Son on Calvary - a sword shall pierce your heart - and her hope in the Resurrection, even in the midst of unspeakable anguish.

When receiving Holy Communion, remember that Mary too received Holy Communion from the hands of the apostles. What fervor and piety she must have had knowing the terrible price Jesus paid to leave us this Gift! What sweet union she must have experienced with her Son upon receiving His Body & Blood! While the objective value of Holy Communion is infinite, the Sacrament's effect on us depends upon our own disposition. What better than to entrust ourselves to Mary that she might form her own disposition in us. "Mary my mother, show me how to receive thy Son for I am truly not worthy."

Let us adore Jesus with the heart of Mary. The Eucharist makes present all the Mysteries of Christ. In the Blessed Sacrament we can adore Jesus, together with Mary, as a Babe in Bethlehem, as a Boy in Nazareth, as a Man during His ministry, as the Immaculate Victim & High Priest during His Passion and Death on the Cross, as the Victorious Lord at His Resurrection, as the One enthroned in glory after His Ascension. Like Mary we should rejoice knowing that adoring Jesus will be our eternal joy in heaven.

Adoration is a preparation for and a prolongation of Communion. As with lovers, the sweet kiss of Holy Communion is the result of precious time spent together. It is not a goodbye kiss but, rather, the promise of life together and a pledge of future glory. Happy are those invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!

The union Mary achieved with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was even greater than she achieved with Him while He walked on earth. In the Eucharist, she had Him all to herself and in His entirety. There was no limit to the degree of union she could achieve with Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

With her eyes, after her Assumption, Mary beheld her glorified Son - seated at the right hand of the Father - Whom she had previously beheld with the eyes of faith in the Blessed Sacrament. The Jesus Whom we adore here on earth, beneath the Sacramental Veil, is the very same Jesus enthroned in heaven as the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, glory and praise!

Ask the Blessed Mother to obtain for you a true spirit of adoration by giving you her very own. Imitate her and let her lead you to an intimate relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Entrust to her your commitment of a weekly holy hour and ask her to obtain for you the grace to be faithful. And remember, as she increases in you an ardent love for Jesus in the Eucharist, so too will increase your love for the Book that sings His praises, the Holy Bible.

I WILL CLIMB MOUNT ZION^[TOP]

When I was younger I used to enjoy mountain climbing. One of the great appeals of climbing a mountain is that it is very uncomplicated since there is no confusion about where you are trying to go. No matter if the path twists and turns, you need only look up to the summit to know your goal. This is in such wonderful contrast to modern life, which can often seem so very confusing. Yet, living the Christian life should be just as uncomplicated!

The Church teaches that our essential commitment in life is to grow in union with Jesus in the Eucharist. This teaching has always been very exciting for me because it means that living the Christian life is like climbing a mountain. Scripture refers to this mountain as Mount Zion. The many references to Mount Zion in the Old Testament prefigure the Eucharist. This is made clear by St. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews and also by St. John in Revelations. Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord! Come to Mount Zion, the city of the Living God!

Jesus did not want us to be confused as to our direction in life. The Eucharist is both the source and the summit of the Christian life. If you ever get disoriented, all you need to do is turn to Jesus in the Eucharist, through Holy Mass, Holy Communion and Holy Hour.

But what if we stumble? What if we fall into sin while struggling to live the Christian life, just as one might fall while climbing a mountain? Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Confession because He knew that sometimes we would stumble, lose our way, or even abandon the climb altogether. Through the ministry of His priests, we can apologize to Jesus, ask His forgiveness, receive absolution and then get up refreshed and strengthened to continue our climb. Sacramental Confession is our chief means of repentance, which is to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus.

The efficacy of the Sacrament of Confession flows from the Eucharist, for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Sacrament of Jesus' Sacrifice on Calvary. Confession is also oriented towards the Eucharist. It is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, namely, union with Christ in the Eucharist. It is precisely what allows us to get up after a fall and continue the climb.

So great is God's preference for humility over pride that each sin confessed actually leads us closer to Him Who raises us up even higher after we have repented than before we fell. Each fall is only a stepping-stone that leads us closer to the summit! What matters most is our effort; not how many times we fall, but rather, how many times we get up after we fall and try again.

Have no worries either that the climb will be too difficult or that the cross that you will carry up the mountain will be too heavy. We are never given more than we can carry or bear and, in the Eucharist, Jesus Himself helps us to carry our cross. All trials purify us and lead us into a deeper union with Jesus when we humbly surrender ourselves to His Eucharistic Love.

Just as every aspect of a climbing expedition is oriented towards reaching the summit, every aspect of the Christian Faith is oriented towards the Eucharist. This is not surprising if you consider the Bible. Recall that the Covenant was the central theme of the Old Testament. Every aspect of faith, worship and life were, for the Israelites, based on the Covenant and were oriented towards the Covenant. In fact, the Old Testament is impossible to understand unless you consider it in light of the Covenant.

Significantly, Jesus spoke of the Covenant only once in the Gospels, and that was when He established the Eucharist as the New and Everlasting Covenant. Clearly, the Eucharist is the central theme of Christian faith and life. In fact, the Church teaches that in the Eucharist is contained the entire wealth of the Church.

As with Scripture, an interesting exercise is to always try to understand faith, morals, and even our very lives in the light of the Eucharist. In his encyclical, Veritatis Splendor, this is precisely what Pope John Paul II speaks about:

"No one can escape from the fundamental questions: What must I do? How do I distinguish good from evil? The answer is only possible thanks to the splendor of the truth which shines forth deep within the human spirit, as the Psalmist bears witness: "There are many who say: 'O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord,' (Ps 4:6).

"The light of God's face shines in all its beauty on the countenance of Jesus Christ, "the image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15), the "reflection of God's glory" (Heb 1:3), "full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14). Christ is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6). Consequently the decisive answer to every one of man's questions, his religious and moral questions in particular, is given by Jesus Christ, or rather is Jesus Christ himself."

The true Christian life is a life centered on the Eucharist. And though it is not always easy, it is as uncomplicated as climbing a mountain. If you have not yet been convinced to make a weekly holy hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament then this should do the trick. "Lord send forth Your light and Your truth, let these be my guide, to bring me to Your holy mountain, the place where You dwell!"

WHAT POWER!^[TOP]

Jesus calls you to be with Him in the Most Blessed sacrament, waiting for you with great desire. "I have called you by name... because you are precious in My eyes and glorious, and because I love you." All the love throughout the world since the beginning of time is only a drop in the ocean compared to the love that Jesus has for you alone in the Most Blessed Sacrament. He loves us so much! Why would we not want to fulfill His simple request for a weekly holy hour?

If you have not yet been moved to make the commitment of a weekly holy hour, then perhaps you don't yet know what great power awaits you. Every moment you spend in the Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament deepens your union with Christ and makes your soul everlastingly more beautiful and glorious in heaven for all eternity.

The glorious Resurrection of Our Lord continues in the glory of the Blessed Sacrament for this is where Our Risen Savior dwells, pouring out His life, His light and His love to all who come into His presence. Just as you can't go out into the sunlight without being warmed by its rays, neither can you go before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament without being touched by the rays of His grace and love.

Jesus is asking you to spend this hour with Him to make your life easier, not more difficult. He said: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in him will produce abundantly, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Two people who bear much fruit are Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Pope John Paul II. No matter how busy they are, or how many important people they must see, they always make sure to spend time with the most important Person of all, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Every day they spend two or three hours in His Eucharistic presence. They tell the whole world that this is where they get all their energy to do so much for God and His people. Eucharistic adoration is humble acknowledgment of our total dependency upon Jesus Who, in the Eucharist, is the Living Source of all life, light and love.

The problem seems to be one of time. We are all so busy in the world today. Recall the Gospel account of the busy Martha and her sister Mary. Jesus' words to Martha were recorded for us today: "Martha, Martha... you are anxious and concerned about a great many things. One thing alone is necessary! Your sister Mary has chosen the best part." Mary had chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus, just as we do in our holy hour with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

In truth, it is simply a question of priorities. Pope St. Pius X said, "The work of perpetual adoration is superior to all other religious practices. It is the work of works - the source of all works." Just as the sun is the source of all energy and warmth, so is the Blessed Sacrament the source of all grace and love.

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Unity. One person standing before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament represents not only himself but also his family, his parish, his country and, in fact, the entire world. Pope John Paul II says that anyone who prays to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament draws the whole world with him and raises it up to God. In other words, every man, woman and child on the face of the earth is touched by a new effect of God's grace and mercy each time you put you faith into practice by visiting Jesus for a holy hour of prayer. WHAT POWER!

Dr. Peter Kreeft, a professor of philosophy at Boston College, explains this great power in his book, The Angel and the Ants:

"Adoration... will heal our church, and thus our nation, and thus our world. It is one of Satan's most destructive lies that sitting alone in a dark church adoring Christ is irrelevant, impractical, a withdrawal from vital contemporary needs. Adoration touches everyone and everything in the world from within, in fact, from their very center. When we adore, we plunge into the center of the hurricane, "the still point of the turning world"; we plug into infinite dynamism and power. Adoration is more powerful for construction than nuclear bombs for destruction. And it's only as far away as our nearest church."

Pope John Paul II says, "every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that this sacrament of Love shall be at the center of the life of the people of God," and that we must be "ready to make reparation for the great evils of the world. May our adoration never cease!"

St. Peter Julian Eymard explained, "Today, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the grace and need of our time. Society will be restored and renewed when all its members group themselves around our Emmanuel."

Do you ever wonder how you can make a difference in the world? Think of the woman in the Gospel who had been hemorrhaging for years and had faith enough to know that "if I but only touch the tassel of His cloak I will be healed." Jesus turned and said, "Who touched Me? I felt POWER coming from Me."

Throughout the Gospels, everyone was always trying to touch Jesus. A holy hour is where we reach out and touch Jesus in faith and, thereby, release His power, the greatest power in the universe!

PLEDGE OF FUTURE GLORY^[TOP]

Before His ascension, Jesus promised us: "Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world." The Blessed Sacrament is our great gift of hope in which Our Lord gives Himself to us as a pledge of future glory, assuring us that: "Everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day."

All are called to transforming union and invited to a spiritual marriage with the Lord. Happiness is responding to this invitation of deep union and divine intimacy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Our degree of union with Him on earth will determine forever the degree of glory that we share with Him in heaven.

How good it is for us to be here! We are as privileged in being called to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as were Peter, James and John in being called to be with Him on Mt. Tabor where they witnessed to the glory of His Transfiguration. The Eucharist is the very glory of Jesus about to be revealed. Even though we are not aware of it, Jesus transfigures us with glory when we receive Him in Holy Communion or visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

The Holy Eucharist is the Mystery, the plan that God was pleased to decree in Christ, to be carried out in the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth into one under Christ's headship. In the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus draws us to Himself and detaches us from the things of earth that we may yearn for the things of heaven, where everyone will be united in the bosom of the Holy Trinity.

The Holy Eucharist is a foreshadowing of Christ's Reign on earth. O King of the nations! Who would dare refuse You honor, or the glory due Your Name? O Lord, since You are holy, all nations shall come and worship in Your Presence.

The Holy Eucharist is the promise of restoration: The city had no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God gave it light and its lamp was the Lamb. The nations shall walk by its light and to it the kings of the earth shall bring their treasures. The angel then showed me the river of life-giving water clear as crystal, which issued from the throne of God and the Lamb.

Happy are they who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb! The Eucharist is a sharing in the wedding feast of heaven, a wedding feast of divine love that will have no end, where we will love God and one another with the perfect love of God's very own love. This is the glory of union!

WHAT NEXT?^[TOP]

The first step, if you haven't already taken it, is to make the commitment of a weekly holy hour. You will find that this commitment is much easier to keep if you choose a specific hour and make it a regular part of your weekly schedule. A specific hour will be easier to remember and will become a habit, your weekly appointment with the BOSS.

For further intellectual and spiritual formation, I strongly recommend the book Rosary Meditations from Mother Teresa of Calcutta. As she writes in the introduction, this was her daily prayer book. I can attest to this personally from my own visit to Calcutta some years ago as well as from talking to many of her sisters. It is a book of fifteen Eucharistic meditations taken from Scripture and structured around the Holy Rosary. It's all in there!

If your parish already a PEA program, I strongly urge you to participate. In so doing, you become a link in an unbroken chain of love and adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. If your parish does not yet have PEA please ask Our Blessed Mother to inspire you to become an apostle of her Son by helping to start PEA in your parish. For assistance, please contact us.

Remember that when Pontius Pilate said to the people, 'Behold your King', they replied, 'we have no king', and Jesus was handed over, crowned with thorns and lifted up in hatred upon the Cross. Today we have the opportunity to do the exact opposite because in Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration we proclaim Jesus King, we crown Him with glory and we lift Him up in love! Together, as a parish in perpetual adoration, we give witness to the world that Christ is our Emmanuel, God with us, and that He is welcomed, loved and adored by us.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, one day each of us will see God the Father face to Face. On that day I can promise you that He will embrace you and spend all eternity thanking you and loving you in heaven because of your efforts to thank and love His Beloved Son here on earth through Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine,

through Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration,

all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine,

by every heart in every parish throughout the world!

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PERPETUAL ADORATION WORLDWIDE MISSION

The Bible & The Eucharist

SCRIPTURE IS ALIVE^[TOP]

BASIC TEACHINGS: BIBLE & CHURCH^[TOP]

COME LET US ADORE HIM^[TOP]

WHY DOES JESUS HIDE HIMSELF?^[TOP]

MARY OUR MODEL^[TOP]

I WILL CLIMB MOUNT ZION^[TOP]

WHAT POWER!^[TOP]

PLEDGE OF FUTURE GLORY^[TOP]

WHAT NEXT?^[TOP]

PERPETUAL ADORATION WORLDWIDE MISSION

The Bible & The Eucharist

SCRIPTURE IS ALIVE[TOP]

BASIC TEACHINGS: BIBLE & CHURCH[TOP]

COME LET US ADORE HIM[TOP]

WHY DOES JESUS HIDE HIMSELF?[TOP]

MARY OUR MODEL[TOP]

I WILL CLIMB MOUNT ZION[TOP]

WHAT POWER![TOP]

PLEDGE OF FUTURE GLORY[TOP]

WHAT NEXT?[TOP]

SCRIPTURE IS ALIVE^[TOP]

BASIC TEACHINGS: BIBLE & CHURCH^[TOP]

COME LET US ADORE HIM^[TOP]

WHY DOES JESUS HIDE HIMSELF?^[TOP]

MARY OUR MODEL^[TOP]

I WILL CLIMB MOUNT ZION^[TOP]

WHAT POWER!^[TOP]

PLEDGE OF FUTURE GLORY^[TOP]

WHAT NEXT?^[TOP]