Ask Father, Part 2 of 3
Here's part 2 of 3 from Fr. Bolek on the topic of Adoration and taking a Holy Hour with our Lord.
Father, why are we having so much Adoration at St. Jude?
First some practical reasons...
The more hours of adoration available, the more people will come. Jesus said, “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” The more we expand the hours, the more we extend the opportunity. When adoration is available more often, then more people from the parish can participate, because everyone thinks “well, definitely, I can find at least one hour once a week to go to be with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” We cannot keep the parish doors unlocked through the night due to safety, but we live in a parish that stays unlocked most days until 9pm, the more we can get people into the church to be with Jesus, the greater impact we can have on our society. Having dedicated times and days for adoring our Lord safe, secure and convenient.
Next a more personal reason...
We are all called to a personal relationship with Jesus, Our Savior, in the Blessed Sacrament. Without coming before Him in quiet moments of prayer, we are not living our Catholic Faith to the full. It’s by taking time out of our busy schedules to be with Him in the Blessed Sacrament that this relationship with Our Lord begins to increase, grow and blossom. If a husband and wife do not take time out to speak, to bond, to be together, that relationship is going to diminish. If they do take time out to be together it’s a sign that they value each other’s company, it’s a sign that their relationship, their friendship, their bond means so much to them. The richer our personal relationship with Jesus is, then the more capacity we have to love each other and to be merciful and compassionate. It’s in going before the Blessed Sacrament that we take on His attributes, His qualities, whereby in seeing ourselves so much loved by Him, it gives us the capacity to love each other.
Another reason is for the grace of the fruit Adoration will bear...
Archbishop Fulton Sheen made a Holy Hour once a day, Pope John Paul II made two Holy Hours every day, and St. Teresa Calcutta made three Holy Hours in the Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, every single day. We see the fruitfulness of their lives and in the way they were able to serve others. Their example serves us as a model, that our lives will also be fruitful, when we unite ourselves to the vine, Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. More Adoration will make our parish even more fruitful and amazing!
Another practical reason, Adoration builds community in our parish and in the Universal Church...
The Lord calls us to build community and a civilization of love. Adoration builds that necessary community. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of unity, Jesus unifying His people. Today a growing number of people feel alienated from the Church. They feel lost among the multitudes. Adoration helps those people feel more personally involved with Christ, His Church and the People of God. Through the intimacy of quiet prayer with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, one experiences the personal love of the Savior. Through this personal love, one is more able to grasp the reality that they are one with the whole Body of Christ-we are one!
We cannot forget that the Eucharist is the best Evangelizer...
Through this weekly act of prayer, we give witness to our belief that God is truly dwelling with His people. Adoration is making the Good Shepherd available to His people with the constant miracles of His grace and love. Being with God in prayer changes us and fills us with joy and love, this then compels us to share that Joy and Love with others. Worship of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament will make us unable to keep silent!
Of course, our knowledge of the Lord will grow...
When two people fall in love the desire of their heart is to be together as often as possible, sometimes too often. Why, they wish to learn about each other and that can only truly be done when they are in each other’s presence. As young love shows us, we must spend time with our Beloved to learn from Him. Adoration increases an individual’s knowledge of our Lord. While in Adoration many people take time to read books, literature and above all the Living Word of God-the Bible.