Why I Adore Him
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior! One of the great mysteries of our faith is the Priest performing a miracle during every Eucharistic Celebration — what are earthly products of wheat and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. It is an incredible blessing that we have the opportunity to participate in this Sacrament and receive His Body and Blood so regularly, every Sunday I trust, and perhaps many weekdays. This “transubstantiation” is what differentiates us as Catholics from our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations.
But we can do much more. That is what I’ve found to be true for me in the Adoration Chapel. He IS present in the Monstrance! There is indeed a physical entity that does not just represent God — it IS God! As much as I pray in solitude at home and recite the Rosary during my walks, my mind is always pulled in other directions. The agenda of the day makes its presence known. And Mr. Worry becomes active wondering how things will go. When I am in the Chapel I am isolated with just my God. Not just physically, in a hexagonal room. But also mentally, emotionally, spiritually. During my initial genuflection upon entering, I tell my mind and my heart to be still, to be open to the experience of being in God’s presence. What can I tell Him? Nothing that He does not already know, admittedly. But as a mini-Reconciliation or beefed-up Examination of Conscience, it is the time and place for me to share all with my Redeemer. And after that, it is the ideal setting to be quiet and listen. God, what do you have to tell me today?
The above is quite a change from what I would or could have expressed not too many years ago. I joined the Catholic Church through RCIA in 2000. For the first ten years or so I was merely a Census Catholic. Eventually, God chipped away at my stony heart and my faith became more important, more of what I wanted myself to be and become. I wondered what else I could do to further the Church’s goals. As a teacher, my “Treasure” was limited, and I have no rock-solid “Talents” as others in our Church do. Is there more of my “Time” that I can contribute? There was, and is. I admit, mea culpa, that the driver for much of what I did at first was born of a sense of duty, an attitude inherent in my nature, and something my military service did much to strengthen. Adoration was an hour on my Calendar because a warm body was needed. Aye, Aye, Sir! Reporting for Duty! But it became more than that. I was in the presence of Our Lord and allowed His saving Grace to do what it can so wonderfully do. This has helped me so much in the other activities I do at OLMC; nothing may have changed by appearance, but please believe that I am (I hope) exercising more effectively what Christian Charity consists of.
I encourage everyone to visit the Adoration Chapel, to put themselves in the presence of God. It is so much more than what we do on our own, even more than kneeling in a pew at Mass. It is the Nutrient our Spiritual being needs to thrive; I’ll leave it to the theologians to determine the Recommended Daily Allowance! And I ask that you go that small step further and commit to one hour each week. You can spare the time. The regularity of the habit makes it easier to build your life around. Think of how much better our physical bodies are once we get into a routine of exercising at the same time every day. I can tell you that those who coordinate Adoration will be ever so thankful for what you do. And by the way, I always offer a Prayer of Thanksgiving to the Koehl’s for their work being the scenes — they make the “We Adore Him” scheduling process so easy.
I’ll go further and ask you to consider signing up for one of the overnight hours. These are difficult to fill for obvious reasons. This, however, is where I have myself scheduled for Adoration. Yes, sometimes sleep is in short supply. And yes, sometimes I find it difficult to stay awake with Jesus, just as the Apostles did in Gethsemane. But these quiet times of the day make it easier for me to focus my heart, mind, and soul on what I share with and learn from God in the Monstrance. There are fewer distractions. I came to realize this many years ago while working graveyard shifts and standing mid-watches; this appreciation of the stillness is what prompted me to sign up for an oh-darkthirty time slot in the Chapel.
Thank you for your attention and consideration of this opportunity to further reflect the importance of our Faith and to demonstrate it to our world.