MANUAL for EUCHARISTIC ADORATION The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration
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Saint Joseph Adoration Monastery
Charlotte, North Carolina
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Nihil obstat:
Reverend Matthew Kauth, S.T.D. Censor Deputatus
Imprimatur:
Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, J.C.D. Bishop of Charlotte February 15, 2016 Feast of St. Claude de la Colombiere
The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations that a book is free from doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who grant the nihil obstat and imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed. Copyright © 2016 TAN Books, PO Box 410487, Charlotte, NC 28241 All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Scripture quotations from non-quoted material are from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America copyright © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. Excerpts from Pastores Dabo Vobis copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. All excerpts from Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., and Ignatius C. Brady, O.F.M., trans., Francis and Clare: The Complete Works (Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1982), are used with the permission of the publisher. All excerpts from Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., ed. and trans., The Lady—Clare of Assisi: Early Documents (New York: New City Press, 2006), are used with the permission of the publisher. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is from the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul, © 1987 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Paperback Edition: 978-1-61890-786-8 eBook Edition: 978-1-61890-787-5 Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress TAN Books www.TANBooks.com Charlotte, North Carolina 2016
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For all Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration throughout the world, in thanksgiving for the loving witness to Christ’s Eucharistic Presence that you give to the Church. Adoremus in Aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum
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To converse with You, O King of glory, no third person is needed. You are always ready in the Sacrament of the Altar to give audience to all. All who desire You always find You there, and converse with You face to face. ST. T ERESA OF ÁVILA
Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces, and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them. ST. P ETER OF ALCÁNTARA
I throw myself at the foot of the tabernacle like a dog at the foot of His master. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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CONTENTS
How to Use This Manual
Part One: Preparing for Eucharistic Adoration 1. A Matchless Mystical Medicine 2. The Mystery Revealed 3. Patterns of Adoration 4. Eucharistic Adoration Through the Ages 5. Guidelines for Adoration
Part Two: Aids in Eucharistic Adoration 6. Church Teaching About Eucharistic Adoration From the Catechism From Church Councils From Papal Teaching From the Sacred Congregations 7. The Eucharist and Adoration in Scripture The Holy Eucharist Foreshadowed and Prophesied in the Old Testament The Holy Eucharist Fulfilled in the New Testament The Lord Is Worthy to Be Adored 8. The Saints and Other Spiritual Writers on the Eucharist Adoring Jesus Christ With St. Francis St. Clare of Assisi, Seraphic Lover of the Blessed Sacrament Other Saints Other Spiritual Writers 9. Words From the Founders of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration 8
10. Eucharistic Meditations, Devotions, Prayers, and Hymns Eucharistic Meditations Eucharistic Devotions: Chaplets Eucharistic Devotions: Litanies Prayers for Adoration Interceding for Priests Devotions for Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction Making a Spiritual Communion Hymns for Eucharistic Adoration Hymns for a Longing Soul Further Reading
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HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
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o you realize,” St. Thérèse of Lisieux once asked, “that Jesus is there in the tabernacle especially for you—for You alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart.” The purpose of this little manual is twofold: to encourage you to seek out our Eucharistic Lord, who desires so fervently that you come to Him, and to provide you with prayers and other devotional resources that will draw you closer to Him as you spend time in His presence. The first part of this book lays out the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for Eucharistic adoration. It will help you better understand the origins, development, meaning, and importance of this devotion, as well as the graces it brings. This section also provides some basic guidelines for your personal time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The second part of this book offers aids for adoration: relevant scriptural texts; excerpts from papal and other Church documents; wisdom from the saints and anecdotes from their lives; prayers, hymns, and other devotions; and further resources for study. All these can deepen your contemplation, enrich your worship, and strengthen your love for our Eucharistic Lord. Eucharistic devotion seems to be increasing in many places. We are witnessing the construction of new chapels set aside exclusively for this purpose, the establishment or reestablishment in many parishes of perpetual adoration or the forty hours devotion, the flourishing of religious orders and lay associations dedicated to Eucharistic adoration, and the proliferation of prayers and hymns of devotion to the Holy Eucharist. We trust that this book will make a useful contribution to this welcome renewal of devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, in the tabernacle, and in the monstrance. Our hope is that countless Catholics will find this manual so helpful that they will carry it with them to their places of adoration and make frequent use of it there. For this reason, the book has been produced in a sturdy, compact edition that allows you to keep it handy and refer to it often. Our prayer is that you will encounter our Lord Jesus waiting for you in all His power, beauty, and majesty. And we echo the challenge once issued by St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: “To make room in our life for the Eucharistic Lord, so that He can change our life into His—is that asking too much?” T HE EDITOR
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PART ONE Preparing for Eucharistic Adoration
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1 A MATCHLESS MYSTICAL MEDICINE I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. . . . There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth. J. R. R. T OLKIEN
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hat riches, glory, and grace we possess in the treasury of our Catholic faith! How good God is to us, who are so weak and so very much in need of His mercy and His love! We have been given a priceless gift, a matchless mystical medicine. Yet it is not a thing but a Person: Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. He has promised to remain with us until the end of the world, in order to exhaust every effort in guiding us to heaven, in securing our true peace and our only happiness.
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Discovering the True Reality
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f we have been baptized into the Catholic faith as infants and have spent our Sundays attending Mass, perhaps we have missed what many converts are so ecstatic about. We are prone to a certain “house-blindness,” going through the motions of the Faith without bothering to scratch the surface. But for those who are brave enough to venture farther than surface-skimming, an entirely new chapter of their lives begins to unfold when the true reality before us is realized: The same Jesus we read about in the Bible, hear about in the readings of Mass, and watch movies about (if they are trendy enough) is the very same Jesus we receive and adore in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Stop for a moment and spend some time thinking about what this really means. I adore Jesus’ Body in the Sacred Host? At Mass I consume His Sacred Body? I drink His Blood? I receive His Soul into my soul? Somehow I receive His Divinity? Could this be possible? How could He deign to be so intimate with me, a poor sinner?
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An Intimate Presence
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t is something far beyond our comprehension, but it is true. Not only are we able to receive Jesus in Holy Communion at each Mass as baptized Catholics in the state of grace, but we also have Him available in another very intimate way. He remains with us so that we may come to Him and gaze upon Him, “Face to face,” in the Most Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed for adoration. St. Paul wrote about the transforming power of gazing upon Our Lord: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18). To spend time with Him is to become more like Him. We may find it difficult to believe that God has a vested interest in us, but He certainly does! He loves us so much that He died for us. Yet after His resurrection and His glorious ascension to the right hand of the Father, He did not want to leave us as orphans. He has gone before us to prepare a place for us. Even so, He desires at the same time to be intimately present to us. He desires to show us that He is interested in every detail of our lives. How does He do this? He waits for a visit from us wherever He is present in the Holy Sacrament throughout the world.
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2 THE MYSTERY REVEALED To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. . . . This was according to the eternal purpose which He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through faith in Him. EPHESIANS 3:8–9,
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e who knew us before time began, who loves us and willed us into being, and who will be waiting for us at the moment of our last breath, is the same One looking upon us from the Sacred Host. Let’s take a look at some passages from Sacred Scripture in order to unpack this mystery further.
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The Eucharist Foreshadowed
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he wondrous gift of the Eucharist, given by God to man through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is hidden in shadow yet also explicitly shown in the Sacred Scriptures. If we take a journey to discover the origins of this gift, we find it throughout the Bible. It is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, with hints of what was to come. And it is fulfilled in the New Testament, where the mystery is unveiled. From Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac to the institution of the Passover, from the manna in the desert to the ark of the covenant, we see God gradually revealing Himself to man —until the fullness of time, when He sends His only-begotten Son into the world.
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The Sacrifice of Isaac, the Promised Son
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ear the dawn of salvation history, Genesis recounts the drama of Abraham’s call from God to go in faith to a new land (see Gn 12). There God rewards his trust by promising to give him descendants as countless as the stars. However, Abraham’s belief in God’s word is further tested as he—already an old man—waits many more years before receiving assurance that his wife Sarah will bear a son. Abraham’s journey of faith is put to the ultimate test when God asks the elderly man to sacrifice his son Isaac, on whom his hope for descendants rests. Scripture recounts no dilemma on Abraham’s part, no wavering in his obedient faith in this seeming contradiction of the original promise: “You shall be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gn 17:4). And yet the Lord most certainly knew what He was asking when He ordered the oblation of this “only son . . . whom you love” (Gn 22:2). In a striking foreshadowing, God was fashioning Abraham into His own likeness, asking Abraham to do what He Himself would in fact decree for His own “beloved Son” (Mt 3:17). Isaac, the willing son and would-be victim, questions his father about the animal for the holocaust. Not knowing the full significance of his words, Abraham replies with certainty, “God will provide Himself the lamb” (Gn 22:8). Of course, the Lord intervened at the last moment when Abraham was about to complete the sacrifice of Isaac on the altar he had built, and Isaac was spared. Then, “when the time had fully come” (see Gal 4:4), God gave His own Son as the sacrificial expiation, the true “Lamb of God” (Jn 1:36) in the new covenant of our redemption. The letter to the Hebrews describes Abraham’s willingness to offer up his son in a way that parallels Jesus’ offering of His life with total trust in God as His Father. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son. . . . He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him back, and this was a symbol” (Heb 11:17, 19). As Abraham had promised Isaac, God Himself truly provided the Lamb, His own Son, offered as a willing sacrifice, raised from the dead, and present daily on the altar at every Holy Mass.
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The Passover Lamb: Price of Salvation
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enerations later, the foreshadowing of Christ as the saving Lamb of God and Food for our salvation was profoundly imaged in the Passover feast. For generations, Abraham’s descendants, the children of Israel, were slaves to the Egyptians. Out of compassion for their affliction, God sent Moses to lead the people out of bondage so that they might belong to Him and worship Him in freedom (see Ex 3–12). Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, obstinately refused to let the Israelites leave in spite of the ten plagues sent by God—the disastrous consequences of his emphatic no to God’s word that had been spoken through Moses. Thus God decreed a final plague, the death of every firstborn, in order to change the heart of Pharaoh. Moses’ own people escaped this tragic blow but only through the sacrifice of a lamb. In the first celebration of Passover, God instructed the Israelites to hold a ritual meal. In preparation for it, a year-old lamb without blemish (a foreshadowing of Christ) was to be slaughtered. Then its blood was to be put on the doorposts and lintel of their houses (see Ex 12). God promised the Israelites, “The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (Ex 12:13). They were to eat the lamb that was sacrificed for their salvation, and with it unleavened bread, because their haste in their exodus from slavery left them no time to make yeast bread. This one-time event resulting in the liberation of Israel from the Egyptian tyrant was designated by divine decree to become a perpetual memorial of this saving act of God (see Ex 12:14). As a dramatic annual feast, Passover held great importance in the history of Israel. And it was during this same feast that Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and became the price of our salvation from sin, death, and eternal slavery to the Devil (see Lk 22:14). The offering of Christ’s body and blood put to death our enmity with God (see Col 1:19–23) and gave us the promise of eternal life with Him (see Jn 6). He is the only “lamb without blemish” (1 Pt 1:19), the true Lamb of God, whose blood was “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:28). When we receive Christ at Holy Mass, we truly enter into the memorial of His saving passion (see 1 Cor 11:23–26) and are given the pledge of eternal salvation.
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Manna and the True Bread From Heaven
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s they sojourned in the desert wilderness towards Canaan, the Promised Land, the people of Israel became utterly dependent on God for their survival (see Ex 16). He answered their cries of thirst by providing water from a rock. When they complained of hunger, the Lord rained down bread from heaven (see Ex 16:4) and sent quails when they were craving meat (v. 13). Each morning, as the dew fell, the Lord sent the people manna, their daily bread. They were to gather just what they needed for that day. Thus the children of Abraham learned to rely on God’s daily providence, knowing that it was the food that He sent that was sustaining them on their journey. When they reached the Promised Land and food was available, the miracle of the manna ceased. Christ is Himself the reality foreshadowed by manna in the desert; He is the Bread of Life (see Jn 6:35), as He tells the crowds in the synagogue of Capernaum: “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. . . . I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh” (Jn 6:32, 51). It is the Lord Jesus who has given us His own Flesh and Blood, daily offered on the altar to be the sustenance of our souls. We have tremendous need of such supernatural Food, as we must travel through this vale of tears to the place He has prepared for us in heaven (see Jn 14:2).
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The Ark of the Covenant, God’s Resting Place
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od continued to manifest His divine presence to the people of Israel during the forty years in the desert and beyond. More treasured than the pillar of cloud and fire that heralded God’s going before them, the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant were the privileged places where the Lord Almighty dwelt with His chosen ones and spoke with His servant, Moses. Built of precious materials, acacia wood and gold, the ark was fashioned as a box, supported and carried by poles on which was set the “mercy seat,” flanked by two cherubim (see Ex 25:10–22). Concerning the ark, God told Moses, “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel” (Ex 25:22). God commanded that the stones engraved with the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and the rod of Aaron (who was the first priest of the old covenant) be placed within the ark. Each of these reminders of God’s covenant, placed within the ark, were themselves foreshadowing Christ. He was the fulfillment of the Law (see Mt 5:17; Rom 10:4), the Bread from Heaven (Jn 6:32–35), and the eternal High Priest (Heb 7:23–26). In Jesus, God has become Man and truly “dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). And it is the same GodMan who day and night remains in tabernacles around the world, which have become not just a mercy seat but a Eucharistic “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) where we can meet with Him and speak to Him.
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The Eucharist Fulfilled
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n the New Testament we are introduced to the first public miracle of Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana. In this nuptial setting, Jesus turns water into wine. A few short years later, He will turn wine into His very own Blood. John, the beloved disciple (see Jn 13:23), relates that this initial sign performed by Jesus “manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (Jn 2:11). At this wedding feast, they received not only new wine, foreshadowing the Eucharist, but also the gift of faith. John the Baptist and even Christ Himself make it clear that He, God incarnate, is the Bridegroom (see Jn 3:29; Mt 9:14–15). He has come to share His own divine life with those who believe (see 2 Pt 1:3–4). Cana foreshadows what is to come: The gift Jesus gives is fresh wine, and then the full reality of Christ as the Bridegroom is the gift of Himself to His Bride, the Church, in the Holy Eucharist. In the beginning, God created man and woman, giving them to one another to become “one flesh” (Gn 2:24). This oneness reflects the unity Christ desires to have with each soul (see Eph 5:31–32), which is made a reality when He gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. The Bridegroom who once changed water into wine, at the new “wedding feast of the Lamb” (the Mass), turns wine into His own Blood and gives it to the members of His Bride, so that she might be one with Him (see Rv 19:7–10). We are also presented with the scene of Our Lord multiplying loaves in order to provide physical sustenance for the crowd whom He had already fed spiritually by His words. In this, Jesus foreshadows the intimate and humble gift of Himself as our “True Manna,” our sacred “Food for the journey,” which vitalizes our soul and keeps us on the path to heaven. “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you” (Jn 6:27). Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John lead us in an escalation of movement toward Holy Thursday, when the holy priesthood is instituted and the first Eucharist celebrated. On the following day, Good Friday, the Lamb of God is offered up, and that same Holy Sacrifice will be offered up through the ages in the Eucharist. Then Luke tells us, on the evening of the day when Jesus rose again from the dead, He appears to two of His disciples and celebrates with them “the breaking of the bread,” the Eucharist (Lk 24:35). While teaching the early Christians about the proper way to celebrate the Mass, the Apostle Paul also describes the first Eucharist: “The Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me’” (1 Cor 11:23–24). We have heard many times the familiar quote that the Eucharistic Sacrifice—the Most Blessed Sacrament—is the “source and summit of our faith.” Truly it is such, because the Eucharist is God Himself. From this Source, all our worship, all our devotion flows.
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3 PATTERNS OF ADORATION All the nations thou hast made shall come / and bow down before thee, O Lord, / and shall glorify thy name. / For thou art great and doest wondrous things, / thou alone art God. P SALM 86:9–10
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ur brief overview of the Eucharist in Scripture helps us see that it is in truth Christ’s marvelous gift of Himself to us. Once we come to embrace more fully the reality that the Eucharist is truly Our Lord—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—we can begin to understand why this Blessed Sacrament is worthy to be adored. In Sacred Scripture we also glean wonderful examples of adoration for our instruction. Let’s take our cue first from the angels and the elders in the Book of Revelation.
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Angels and Saints Adore Him
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scene in St. John’s vision displays for us the great beauty and power of the adoration of Our Lord in heaven: And day and night [the angels] never cease to sing, / “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, / who was and is and is to come!” / And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, / “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and God, / to receive glory and honor and power, / for Thou didst create all things, / and by Thy will they existed and were created.” (Rv 4:8–11)
From this passage we learn about the proper adoration due to God. First, singing is a highly appropriate expression of our love and reverence for God. It is an overflowing of the heart in words of love, praise, and honor. Many times well written hymns are great food for meditation, drawing our hearts and minds into deeper devotion. (See “Hymns for Eucharistic Adoration,” p. 201.) Another insight from this passage is an example of appropriate posture before the living God. Many times in Sacred Scripture when people encounter an angel, their immediate instinct is to throw themselves on the ground, prostrating before the angelic messenger. But the angels usually counter with a correction of some sort, clarifying that they are not God, merely messengers of the Most High. Now if this is the reaction of human beings in the presence of an angel, how much more reverent should we be in the presence of Almighty God! Bowing and kneeling, which are standard postures at various points in the Mass, are also appropriate at times in our Eucharistic adoration. We can see in a number of biblical passages that this expression of reverence for God, which symbolizes submission to His will, has been practiced by God’s people since ancient times, even in the Old Testament era: “O come, let us worship and bow down, / let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! / For He is our God” (Ps 95:6–7). “I bow down toward Thy holy temple / and give thanks to Thy name for Thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness” (Ps 138:2). “For thus says the LORD, . . . To Me every knee shall bow” (Is 45:18, 23; see also Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10–11).
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Lessons on Adoration From the Life of Mary
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et’s also take a look at the first three joyful mysteries, which have their foundation in the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Mark. In the mystery of the Annunciation, Jesus, the eternal Word of the Father, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, is made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus comes to live in Mary—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—because her soul is perfectly receptive to the workings and will of God. In the mystery of the Visitation, Our Lady carries Jesus, hidden in her womb, to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. In the meeting of these two holy women, extraordinary things happen; changes are wrought, signs given. Mary is caught up in an ecstatic hymn of praise to God, while the Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth and a prophecy flows from her lips: And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:41–45) Finally, let’s take a look at the mystery of the Nativity—specifically, the response of the Magi when they finally have the consolation of looking upon the Lord whom they had so ardently sought: “And going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him” (Mt 2:11). In sum, Mary becomes a living tabernacle. Jesus’ hidden presence has great power. As soon as God is made visible, He is adored.
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A Catechesis on Adoration
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ur takeaway from this brief look at these mysteries is a little catechesis on the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. When we go spend time with our Eucharistic Lord, going in the company of His mother is a very good beginning! Who knows Jesus more intimately than Mary, His mother? For nine months, Mary shared in a uniquely intimate relationship with Jesus, which did not end with His nativity. She is a great exemplar of how to remain always in the presence of God. From the Cross, Jesus entrusted us to His mother in the person of St. John. We are her children; she is our true mother. So when we go to adoration, it is fitting that we should ask her to accompany us and to help us dispose our souls to the graces God wishes to give. We can do this in a simple heartfelt prayer in our own words, or we can pray a Hail Mary or a Rosary. Jesus chose to come to us through Mary, and we simply use the same pathway—we go through Mary to Jesus. Another lesson arises from the Visitation: As receivers of grace, we become instruments of grace. As we spend time with Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we become more receptive to grace. Our souls become like fine-tuned radio receivers, listening to the movements of the Holy Spirit within. Then we are filled with the light and strength to know and do God’s will in our lives, and through our witness, we draw others into a more intimate relationship with Christ. We become bearers of hope. Finally, we see in the Magi how the mighty of the world are searching for a deeper fulfilment that is found only in the humble innocence of a vulnerable Child. This humility and vulnerability are mirrored in the Most Blessed Sacrament, where Our Lord lowers Himself to remain with us in what appears to be a simple white host. He is at the mercy of the priest who handles the Sacred Host and of those who receive Him. When the Magi enter into the poor dwelling of the Divine Child, their souls recognize the reality before them, and they fall to their knees in adoration in this hidden sanctuary of Bethlehem.
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4 EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE AGES And the Lord gave me such faith in churches that I would simply pray and speak in this way: “We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the world, and we bless You, for through Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.” ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
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he institution of the Holy Eucharist by Our Lord not only lays the foundation of the Church but is in fact the heart of the Church. The Apostles faithfully observed Our Lord’s injunction—“Do this in memory of Me” (Lk 22:19)—and the first Christians centered their life on the Sacrifice of the Mass in the infant Church. Let’s survey briefly the development of Eucharistic adoration in the history of the Church.1
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In the Ancient Church
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n the days of the early Christians, the Blessed Sacrament was preserved after Mass in order to bring Holy Communion to the sick or to those in prison for their faith. We hear stories, such as that of St. Tarcisius, of Christians risking their lives to carry the Blessed Sacrament to others. Records also show that in the late fourth century, in some dioceses, converts to the faith were invited to adore the Blessed Sacrament exposed for eight days after their baptism. Early monastic hermits reserved the Blessed Sacrament in their solitary settings. When groups of those dedicated to prayer began to form into communities, this practice was continued. In the great solicitude of our Holy Mother Church, souls yearning for more intimacy with Our Eucharistic Lord were given this opportunity to “dwell with Him,” to spend time apart from the celebration of Mass with Him in adoration.
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In the Medieval Church
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cross the centuries, devotion centered on this profound and intimate time in close proximity to the Blessed Sacrament continued to develop. In the eleventh century, a French archdeacon challenged the Church’s faith that the Blessed Sacrament was in fact the Body and Blood of Christ. Pope Gregory VII (reigned 1073–85) responded with a definitive statement of what the Church had always believed. After the controversy was resolved, Eucharistic adoration began to flourish. The Church soon instituted processions of the Blessed Sacrament, prescribed rules for Eucharistic adoration, and encouraged the faithful to visit Our Lord reserved in the churches. The martyr St. Thomas à Becket (1118–70), for example, once wrote to a friend that he often prayed for him in the church before “the Majesty of the Body of Christ.” In 1226, after King Louis VII of France (1120–80) won a victory over the Albigensian heretics who had taken up arms against him, he asked the Bishop of Avignon to have the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The faithful who came to adore were so numerous that the bishop allowed the adoration to continue indefinitely, day and night. This decision was later ratified by the pope, and adoration at Avignon continued uninterrupted until 1792, when the French Revolution halted the devotion. It was resumed, however, in 1829. Also in the thirteenth century, Pope Urban the IV (reigned 1261–64) instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ), commissioning St. Thomas Aquinas to write hymns for the feast. The lyrics for these compositions reflect a profound awareness of Christ’s abiding Presence with us in the Blessed Sacrament and of the reverence, adoration, and gratitude we owe Him for that surpassing Gift. In the fourteenth century, we find the English mystic Richard Rolle (1300–49) urging Christians to visit a nearby church as often as they can. He explains why: “In the Church . . . there is God upon the altar to hear those who pray to Him and to grant them what they ask and what is best for them.” By the end of that century, the custom of visiting the Blessed Sacrament had become common.
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From the Council of Trent to the Present
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n the sixteenth century, new challenges to Eucharistic faith were presented by the various Protestant movements. In response, the Council of Trent solemnly affirmed the age-old teaching of the Church that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. The Council also declared in 1551 that Our Lord is to be adored in the Blessed Sacrament, honored with festive celebrations, carried solemnly in processions, and publicly exposed for the people’s adoration. The declarations of Trent prepared the way for a new era of Eucharistic devotion. Pope Clement VIII (reigned 1592–1605) issued a document establishing the practice of the forty hours devotion at Rome, a custom that had been popular in the city of Milan. From Rome, the devotion slowly spread throughout the Church. In 1654, the Benedictines of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Austria took a solemn vow of perpetual adoration. Other cloistered religious institutes were founded for the specific purpose of adoring the Blessed Sacrament day and night. Apostolic religious institutes were established for the members both to practice adoration and to promote it among the faithful. The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar was one such institute, formally approved in 1817. The lay faithful came together in their own societies focusing on perpetual adoration. One of the earliest was founded in Paris for women in 1641. Men’s nocturnal adoration societies, such as the Pious Union of the Adorers of the Most Blessed Sacrament (founded in 1810), eventually spread throughout Europe and into North and South America. Such associations received enthusiastic support and encouragement, especially through the teaching of St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811–1868). Pope St. John Paul II has called him “the Apostle of the Eucharist.” The first Code of Canon Law (1917) urged the faithful to “visit the Most Blessed Sacrament as often as possible” (Canon 1273). The new Code (1983) declares that “unless there is a grave reason to the contrary, a church, in which the Blessed Eucharist is reserved, is to be open to the faithful for at least some hours every day, so that they can pray before the Blessed Sacrament” (Canon 937). Members of religious institutes are instructed that each day they are to “adore the Lord Himself present in the Sacrament” (Canon 663). For centuries, when popes have faced times of crisis in the Church and in the world, they have called upon the faithful to form Eucharistic processions and to fast and pray, begging God for the protection and help so desperately needed. The popes saw that adoration was a potent remedy for stemming the tide of evil attacking the Church and her flock. In more recent times, we have seen an even wider spread of the forty hours devotion, Eucharistic congresses, and perpetual adoration chapels. We are now in a time of flowering of the Church’s love for the Most Blessed Sacrament, through deeply 31
Eucharistic popes such as Pope St. John Paul II.
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A Foretaste of Heaven
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e have traced the development of Eucharistic adoration throughout history. But we should note that our adoration of the Son of God will continue long after history comes to a close. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in this life—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ—is our preparation for heaven. When we adore Him in the Holy Eucharist, we begin here on earth what we will be doing for all eternity. In the Book of Revelation, we see glimpses of the heavenly Jerusalem, with multitudes falling down in worship before the throne of the “Lamb who was slain” (Rv 5:12). All these elements are mirrored in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, from which flows all Eucharistic devotion. We, the Church militant, with the angels and saints—the Church triumphant—are joined in praise and worship, in thanksgiving and love for the King of kings. He is already seated upon His throne in heaven, yet He is here with us in every tabernacle.
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5 GUIDELINES FOR ADORATION When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the Other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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he Constitutions of our order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, declare, “In the Eucharist, Jesus offers perfect worship to the Father; our adoration unites us with Him in His sacrifice of praise.” When we spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we can sometimes feel unsure of how to pray, how to spend our time in His Presence. We know by faith that before us is hidden a great mystery of God’s power and love, which should overwhelm us with awe, reverence, and fervent devotion. But it is a hidden mystery. The King of kings is not visible in majestic glory upon His throne when we enter into an adoration chapel. We do not see His human face as we gaze upon the Sacred Host. In His mercy, His Real Presence is veiled to our senses, so that our weak humanity will not fear to draw near to Him in the Sacrament of His love. This hiddenness, however, requires of us a strong and living faith. We may wonder at times if He is really there, if He is listening. We may feel bored, tired, or distracted when we commit ourselves to spending time with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. We may wonder how to adore in the first place.
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How Do I Adore?
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t is important to remember that feelings of love, fervor, and devotion are not essential for adoration. Adoration is not a sentiment. Fr. John Hardon, in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, defines adoration as “the act of religion by which God is recognized as alone worthy of supreme honor because He is infinitely perfect, has supreme dominion over humans, and the right to human total dependence on the Creator. It is at once an act of mind and will, expressing itself in appropriate prayers, postures of praise, and acts of reverence and sacrifice.”2 Our adoration, therefore, begins when we walk in the door of the church or adoration chapel. When we genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, kneel in the pew, and show Him our respect by giving Him our full attention, we adore Him. When we turn off our cell phone and maintain a reverent silence in the chapel, we adore Him. When we make a simple act of faith in His Real Presence, we adore Him. When we place ourselves before Him as empty vessels to be filled with His love, we adore Him. In our self-centered culture and classic American emphasis on work, we often feel we have to accomplish something during our times of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We rate our experience by how “good” our prayer was, how heartfelt our devotion was, or how focused we could remain. Yet prayer and contemplation are fundamentally God’s work, in which we are invited to participate. We need only to give Him the opening, and He will do the rest. By coming to adoration, we are handing Him the key to our hearts, allowing the rays of His love and grace to bathe our souls in the light of His Presence, as the rays of the sun bathe our bodies in light. If we can take the time to pull away from the busyness and distractions of life and just sit at His feet, He will lead us.
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How Should I Spend My Time in Adoration?
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o two holy hours—as hours spent in adoration are often called—are alike. Our Lord acts upon our souls in manifold ways. Perhaps we may be inspired by a line of Sacred Scripture on which we meditate. We may be experiencing a great sorrow or worry, and He helps us to bring it before Him, to be trusting and open with our gentle Savior about our fears and struggles. We may feel exhausted and check our watch every two minutes, but even then, He is working. When it is hard to pray, we have the gift of showing our love through self-sacrifice. We will be surprised at the fruits that will come from this prayer of patient, persevering love. When we come to adoration, we don’t have to check our real lives at the door and open a prayer book to be able to commune with the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants to meet us where we are. Giving in to distractions and letting our minds wander is very different from taking the realities of our day, the problems we face, and talking them over with the One who is waiting for us to be honest with Him. Often, though, we need something to help us focus our attention on the great treasure of Our Lord’s Real Presence. We may need a springboard to dive into prayer or something to pull from when our minds begin to wander. Devotions such as the Rosary or the reading of Scripture can be a great aid to quieting our minds and focusing our attention on our Eucharistic Lord and the mysteries of His love.
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ARTS
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t can also be wonderfully helpful to make use of the different types of prayer traditionally categorized by the Church: adoration, reparation, thanksgiving, and supplication. We often think first of prayer as supplication or petition, as we pray for our needs and the needs of others. Yet this is not the highest or most essential form of prayer. By incorporating each of the four types of prayer, we learn to round out our prayer life more fully, and we can structure accordingly our holy hour or whatever length of time we may spend in prayer. A great way to memorize these prayer categories is the acronym “ARTS.” Begin your time of Eucharistic adoration with a prayer of adoration. You can find one in a prayer book or you can simply gaze upon Our Lord with love, worshipping Him with perhaps a simple invocation such as “My God and My All.” Then turn to reparation. This could be a good time to make an examination of conscience, to ask God’s help in difficult areas of temptation. Pray an act of contrition for your sins. Offer a prayer or devotion in reparation for your offences against His love and for the sins of the whole world. Beg for His mercy. The Divine Mercy chaplet is a beautiful prayer that can be prayed in reparation. The next kind of prayer may often be overlooked: prayers of thanksgiving. Compose your own personal litany of thanksgiving: for prayers answered, for graces received. Pray in thanksgiving for those things we take for granted: life itself, our five senses, good health, our Catholic faith, the sacraments we so often receive, the protection of our guardian angel. Thank God for the gift of His Son, for your redemption, for the Blessed Mother and the saints. The list becomes endless. Thank Him also for those who do not ever think to give thanks to God. Finally, turn to prayers of supplication. Ask Our Lord humbly, simply, and directly for the things you need, for the prayer requests entrusted to you by others, for all the intentions that are on your heart. Ask in the faith-filled, trusting manner of Our Lady, as shown to us at the wedding feast of Cana when she says to her Son, “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Then leave all your petitions in His Heart, asking that they be accomplished according to His most holy will.
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The Journey of Prayer
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e hope that some of the devotions, prayers, and words from the Church and many of the saints included in this book will be an inspiration for your times of adoration. Remember, though, that each person’s relationship with Our Lord is wholly unique and that throughout our lives we will go through different experiences of prayer. At times, we may need to find new ways to open ourselves to God, and at other times, we may need to set aside the familiar and comfortable in order to follow where He is leading. The most profound kind of prayer is that of contemplation, which is a grace that only God can bestow on our souls. The essence of contemplation is, truly, a silence of our whole being, a quieting of our human faculties, that we may be immersed and consumed wholly in Him. When He gives this grace, we need only correspond and not worry if other kinds of prayer are not possible. We learn then to let Him lead in our souls.
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The Fruits of Adoration
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he most powerful thing we can do on this earth with our time is to spend it in Eucharistic adoration. Nothing can do more to change the world, to bring about peace, to convert hearts, to make reparation for the many evils committed. Spending time in prayer may seem, on the outside, to be a passive thing; however, it is anything but! Our world is in desperate need of hope, of renewal, of a “turning back” to the things of God. By visiting Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we take up the best weapon for the battles of our age and contribute to the healing of our culture. Cultivating a Eucharistic life of adoration also bears tremendous fruit in our own hearts and lives. We cannot spend time in the rays of His Eucharistic Presence without receiving His grace, His love, His mercy, His peace. As we gaze upon Him Face to face, we are transformed little by little into a closer reflection of His divine image. When we deepen our personal relationship with Jesus by spending time with Him in this way, we will become more like Him, just as old friends or a long-married couple grow more and more similar. We become more aware of the obstacles of sin in our life that stand between us and Our Lord. We develop a stronger desire to make habits of virtue and self-sacrifice in imitation of Him. Being with the One who, out of infinite love, waits for us in the Blessed Sacrament, we will grow in peace amid the sufferings and trials of this life. We will find rest in the knowledge of His love for us, which is beyond our wildest hopes and dreams. When we truly know that we are loved, we can endure much and accomplish many things for the Kingdom. Spending time with Jesus in His Sacrament of love will also fill our hearts with abiding joy and bless our days, our jobs, our families, our lives with His protection and grace. Each hour that we give to Our Lord bears fruit a hundredfold in this life and in the next. As we participate even now in the “work” of eternity—adoring and praising with hymns of thanksgiving Our Creator and Savior—our souls become more brilliant and beautiful as we are penetrated with His grace and love.
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Building the Foundation of a Eucharistic Life
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s Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, we center our lives on Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Throughout our day, we return again and again to the chapel, to His Real Presence, adoring Him on behalf of the Church, interceding for the whole world. The Holy Eucharist is the very Heart of the Church, and so every Catholic is called to live a Eucharistically centered life. Though you may not be able to spend a holy hour with Him each day, try to include times of adoration in your week. Maybe you would be able to pop into an adoration chapel on your way home from work. Perhaps you could take a late-night or early morning hour at a local perpetual adoration chapel. Maybe you can arrive early or stay later after Mass for some precious moments of communing with Him. You will find that your day, your week, your month, your life will begin to be transformed under the rays of His Eucharistic light. May this book encourage and support you on this path of prayer and fill your heart with a deeper love for the overwhelming gift of Our Lord’s abiding Presence with us in the Most Blessed Sacrament: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20).
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PART TWO Aids in Eucharistic Adoration
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6 CHURCH TEACHING ABOUT EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FROM THE CATECHISM
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The Church Has Always Adored Christ in the Eucharist
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he Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated Hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession” (Paul VI, MF 56). The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent, outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to His Church in this way. Since Christ was about to take His departure from His own in His visible form, He wanted to give us His sacramental presence; since He was about to offer Himself on the Cross to save us, He wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which He loves us “to the end” [Jn 13:1], even to the giving of His life. In His Eucharistic presence He remains mysteriously in our midst as the One who loves us and gave Himself up for us [see Gal 2:20], and He remains under signs that communicate and express this love. . . . Because Christ Himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, He is to be honored with the worship of adoration. “To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord” (Paul VI, MF 66).3 CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
FROM CHURCH COUNCILS
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The Council of Trent
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here is, therefore, no room for doubt that all the faithful of Christ may, in accordance with a custom always received in the Catholic Church, give to this most holy sacrament in veneration the worship of latria [adoration], which is due to the true God. Neither is it to be less adored for the reason that it was instituted by Christ the Lord in order to be received. For we believe that in it the same God is present of whom the Eternal Father, when introducing Him to the world, says, And let all the angels of God adore Him (Heb 1:6); whom the Magi, falling down, adored (Mt 2:11); who, finally, as the Scriptures testify, was adored by the Apostles in Galilee (Mt 28:17; Lk 24:52).4 T HIRTEENTH SESSION (1551)
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The Second Vatican Council
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n the house of prayer the most Holy Eucharist is celebrated and reserved. There the faithful gather, and find help and comfort through venerating the presence of the Son of God our Savior, offered for us on the sacrificial altar. This house must be well kept and suitable for prayer and sacred functions. There, pastors and the faithful are called to respond with grateful hearts to the gift of Him who through His humanity constantly pours divine life into the members of His body.5 DECREE ON THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF P RIESTS (1965)
FROM PAPAL TEACHING
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The Mystery of the Incarnation
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or two thousand years, the Church has been the cradle in which Mary places Jesus and entrusts Him to the adoration and contemplation of all peoples. May the humility of the Bride cause to shine forth still more brightly the glory and power of the Eucharist, which she celebrates and treasures in her heart. In the sign of the consecrated Bread and Wine, Christ Jesus risen and glorified, the light of the nations (see Lk 2:32), reveals the enduring reality of His Incarnation. He remains living and real in our midst in order to nourish the faithful with His Body and Blood.6 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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The Need for Eucharistic Worship
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he Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet Him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.7 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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Union With Christ
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herefore, let us all enter into closest union with Christ and strive to lose ourselves, as it were, in His most holy soul and so be united to Him that we may have a share in those acts with which He adores the Blessed Trinity with a homage that is most acceptable, and by which He offers to the eternal Father supreme praise and thanks, which find an harmonious echo throughout the heavens and the earth.8 P OPE P IUS XII
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Sacred Solitude
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o place ourselves before Jesus in the Eucharist, to take advantage of our “moments of solitude” and to fill them with this Presence, is to enliven our consecration by our personal relationship with Christ, from whom our life derives its joy and its meaning.9 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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Reposing in His Eucharistic Heart
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he worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church. . . . It is pleasant to spend time with Him, to lie close to His breast like the Beloved Disciple (see Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in His heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer,” how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? . . . The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: By not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass, we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace.10 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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The Sacred Reality Mysterium fidei!” Every time he proclaims these words after consecrating the bread and wine, the priest expresses his ever-renewed amazement at the extraordinary miracle worked at his hands. It is a miracle which only the eyes of faith can perceive. The natural elements do not lose their external characteristics, since the “species” remain those of bread and wine; but their “substance,” through the power of Christ’s word and the action of the Holy Spirit, is changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. On the altar, then, Christ crucified and risen is “truly, really and substantially” present in the fullness of His humanity and divinity. What an eminently sacred reality!11 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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Sacrifice and Sacrament
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hen, therefore, the Church bids us adore Christ hidden behind the Eucharistic veils and pray to Him for spiritual and temporal favors, of which we ever stand in need, she manifests living faith in her divine Spouse who is present beneath these veils, she professes her gratitude to Him and she enjoys the intimacy of His friendship.12 P OPE P IUS XII
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Eucharist and Mission
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o live the Eucharist it is necessary, as well, to spend much time in adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, something which I myself experience every day, drawing from it strength, consolation, and assistance (see Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25). The Eucharist, the Second Vatican Council affirms, “is the source and summit of all Christian life” (Lumen gentium, 11), “the source and summit of all evangelization” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5). The bread and wine, fruit of human hands, transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ, become a pledge of the “new heaven and new earth” (Rv 21:1), announced by the Church in her daily mission. In Christ, whom we adore present in the mystery of the Eucharist, the Father uttered His final word with regard to humanity and human history. How could the Church fulfil her vocation without cultivating a constant relationship with the Eucharist, without nourishing herself with this food which sanctifies, without founding her missionary activity on this indispensable support? To evangelize the world there is need of apostles who are “experts” in the celebration, adoration and contemplation of the Eucharist.13 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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A Foretaste of Heaven
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e are all invited to profess faith in the Eucharist, “the pledge of future glory,” in the certainty that the communion with Christ now experienced by pilgrims in their mortal lives is a foretaste of their ultimate encounter with Him on that day when “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2). The Eucharist is a “taste of eternity within time,” it is God’s presence and our communion with that presence.14 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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His Consoling Presence
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o one can fail to understand that the Divine Eucharist bestows upon the Christian people an incomparable dignity. Not only while the Sacrifice is offered and the Sacrament is received, but as long as the Eucharist is kept in our churches and oratories, Christ is truly the Emmanuel, that is, “God with us.” Day and night He is in our midst, He dwells with us, full of grace and truth. He restores morality, nourishes virtues, consoles the afflicted, strengthens the weak. He proposes His own example to those who come to Him that all may learn to be, like Himself, meek and humble of heart and to seek not their own interests but those of God. Anyone who approaches this august Sacrament with special devotion and endeavors to return generous love for Christ’s own infinite love, will experience and fully understand —not without spiritual joy and fruit—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 of holiness.15 BLESSED P OPE P AUL VI
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The Impulse of Divine Love
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hat genuine charity, therefore, which knows how to do and to suffer all things for the salvation and the benefit of all, leaps forth with all the heat and energy of a flame from that most holy Eucharist in which Christ Himself is present and lives, in which He indulges to the utmost. His love towards us, and under the impulse of that divine love, ceaselessly renews His Sacrifice.16 P OPE LEO XIII
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The Center of the Christian Life
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ut indeed a Sacrament so great and so rich in all manner of blessings can never be extolled as it deserves by human eloquence, nor adequately venerated by the worship of man. This Sacrament, whether as the theme of devout meditation, or as the object of public adoration, or best of all as a food to be received in the utmost purity of conscience, is to be regarded as the center towards which the spiritual life of a Christian in all its ambit gravitates; for all other forms of devotion, whatsoever they may be, lead up to it, and in it find their point of rest. In this mystery more than in any other that gracious invitation and still more gracious promise of Christ is realized and finds its daily fulfillment: “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will refresh you” (Mt 11:28).17 P OPE LEO XIII
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The Soul of the Church
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n a word, this Sacrament is, as it were, the very soul of the Church; and to it the grace of the priesthood is ordered and directed in all its fullness and in each of its successive grades. From the same source the Church draws and has all her strength, all her glory, her every supernatural endowment and adornment, every good thing that is here; wherefore she makes it the chiefest of all her cares to prepare the hearts of the faithful for an intimate union with Christ through the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, and to draw them thereto. And to this end she strives to promote the veneration of the august mystery by surrounding it with holy ceremonies.18 P OPE LEO XIII
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A Seed of Immortality
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ow the venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist is both the source and the pledge of blessedness and of glory, and this, not for the soul alone, but for the body also. For it enriches the soul with an abundance of heavenly blessings, and fills it with a sweet joy which far surpasses man’s hope and expectations; it sustains him in adversity, strengthens him in the spiritual combat, preserves him for life everlasting, and as a special provision for the journey accompanies him thither. And in the frail and perishable body that divine Host, which is the immortal Body of Christ, implants a principle of resurrection, a seed of immortality, which one day must germinate.19 P OPE LEO XIII
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A Mystery of Mercy
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wish once more to recall this truth and to join you, my dear brothers and sisters, in adoration before this mystery: a great mystery, a mystery of mercy. What more could Jesus have done for us? Truly, in the Eucharist, He shows us a love which goes “to the end” (see Jn 13:1), a love which knows no measure.20 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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Nourishment for Our Souls
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doration is prayer that prolongs the celebration and Eucharistic communion and in which the soul continues to be nourished: It is nourished with love, truth, peace; it is nourished with hope, because the One before whom we prostrate ourselves does not judge us, does not crush us, but liberates and transforms us.21 P OPE BENEDICT XVI
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A Relationship of Union
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t is appropriate to remember in this regard the different meanings of the word “adoration” in the Greek and Latin languages. The Greek word proskýnesis means the act of submission, the recognition of God as our true measure and by whose law we agree to abide. The Latin word adoratio, on the other hand, denotes the physical contact—the kiss, the embrace—which is implicit in the idea of love. The aspect of submission foresees a relationship of union because the one to whom we submit is Love. Indeed, in the Eucharist, worship must become union: union with the living Lord and then with His Mystical Body.22 P OPE BENEDICT XVI
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Growing in Faith and Charity
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f you adore Christ and walk behind Him and with Him, your diocesan Church and your parishes will grow in faith and in charity, in the joy of evangelizing.23 P OPE FRANCIS
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God With Us
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hat strength, what consolation, what staunch hope the contemplation of the Eucharistic mystery gives rise to! It is God with us who enables us to share His life and sends us into the world to evangelize it and make it holy!24 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
FROM THE SACRED CONGREGATIONS
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Eucharistic Adoration Leads to Union With Christ
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doration of the Blessed Sacrament . . . is to “bring the faithful to recognize in the Eucharist the wonderful presence of Christ and to invite them to a spiritual union with Him, a union which finds its culmination in sacramental Communion.”25 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH
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Eucharistic Adoration and the New Evangelization
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ew evangelization must also signal a new clarity about the centrality of the Eucharist, the source and summit of the entire Christian life, to the faithful. “No Christian community can be built up unless it grow from and hinges on the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist” because “the other sacraments and indeed all ecclesial ministries and works of the apostolate are bound up with the Eucharist and are directed toward it. For in the most Blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church. . . .” The strength of Christian life in every particular Church and parish community depends, in large measure, on rediscovery of the great gift of the Eucharist in faith and adoration.26 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY
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Eucharistic Adoration and Priests
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he grace and the indelible character conferred with the sacramental unction of the Holy Spirit, place the priest in personal relation with the Trinity since it is the fountain of the priestly being and work. Therefore, the priest must live this relationship in an intimate and personal manner, in a dialogue of adoration and of love with the three divine Persons, conscious that he has received this gift for the service of all. . . . The centrality of the Eucharist should be apparent not only in the worthy celebration of the Sacrifice, but also in the proper adoration of the Sacrament, so that the priest might be the model for the faithful also in devote attention and diligent meditation— whenever possible—done in the presence of Our Lord in the tabernacle. It is hoped that the priests entrusted with the guidance of communities dedicate long periods of time for communal adoration and reserve the greatest attention and honor for the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar, also outside of Holy Mass, over any other rite or gesture. “Faith and love for the Eucharist will not allow Christ to remain alone in His presence in the tabernacle.”27 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY
The forms of prayer, methods of prayer, the insights of prayer and even the consolations of prayer are never an end in themselves. They are all but part of the means leading to that final loving union of the oneness of will with that of the Father. And that oneness of will can never come to be if the priest is not faithful daily to the prayer of the Mass, the Hours, adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, devotion to Mary, meditation, and the simplest prayers of heartfelt adoration, thanksgiving, contrition and petition.28 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY
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Eucharistic Adoration and the Consecrated Life
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hen God consecrates a person, He gives a special gift to achieve His own kind purposes: the reconciliation and salvation of the human race. He not only chooses, sets apart, and dedicates the person to Himself, but He engages him or her in His own divine work. Consecration inevitably implies mission. These are two facets of one reality. The choice of a person by God is for the sake of others: The consecrated person is one who is sent to do the work of God in the power of God. Jesus Himself was clearly aware of this. Consecrated and sent to bring the salvation of God, He was wholly dedicated to the Father in adoration, love, and surrender, and totally given to the work of the Father, which is the salvation of the world. . . . As with Jesus, too, the habit of prayer is necessary if the religious is to have that contemplative vision of things by which God is revealed in faith in the ordinary events of life. . . . This is the contemplative dimension which the Church and the world have the right to expect of religious by the fact of their consecration. It must be strengthened by prolonged moments of time set apart for exclusive adoration of the Father, love of Him and listening in silence before Him. For this reason, Paul VI insisted: “Faithfulness to daily prayer always remains for each religious a basic necessity. Prayer must have a primary place in your constitutions and in your lives. . . .” For the religious, prayer is not only a personal turning in love to God but also a community response of adoration, intercession, praise and thanksgiving that needs to be provided for in a stable way.29 SACRED CONGREGATION FOR RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR INSTITUTES
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7 THE EUCHARIST AND ADORATION IN SCRIPTURE THE HOLY EUCHARIST FORESHADOWED AND PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
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The High Priest Melchizedek
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nd Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, / maker of heaven and earth; / and blessed be God Most High, / who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Gn 14:18–20
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The Passover Lamb
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he LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, . . . “Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. . . . Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old . . . and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Ex 12:1, 3, 5, 6–8
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. . . . On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly . . . And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt.” Ex 12:14–17
“And you shall offer the passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place which the LORD will choose, to make His name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in hurried flight—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.” Dt 16:2–3
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The Wilderness Manna, Bread From Heaven
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et He commanded the skies above, / and opened the doors of heaven; / and He rained down upon them manna to eat, / and gave them the grain of heaven. / Man ate of the bread of the angels; / He sent them food in abundance. Ps 78:23–25
Thou didst give Thy people food of angels, and without their toil Thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat, / providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. Ws 16:20
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Elijah’s Bread From Heaven
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ut [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came a second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.” And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 1 Kgs 19:4–8
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A Banquet of Eternal Life
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n this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, wine on the lees well refined. . . . He will swallow up death for ever, and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. Is 25:6, 8
THE HOLY EUCHARIST FULFILLED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
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Jesus, a Priest of the Order of Melchizedek
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esus . . . became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Heb 5:7, 9–10
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Jesus, the True Passover Lamb
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ohn was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jn 1:35–37
For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor 5:7–8
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Jesus, the Bread From Heaven
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esus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” They said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jn 6:32–34
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. . . . All that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will not cast out.” Jn 6:35, 37
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” Jn 6:47–51
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” Jn 6:52–58
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The Eucharist Is Instituted
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ow as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Mt 26:26–28
And as they were eating, He took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” Mk 14:22–24
And when the hour came, He sat at table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” . . . And He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Lk 22:14–16, 19–20
After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” Jn 19:28
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The Eucharist, Eternal Banquet for the Redeemed
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hey constrained [Jesus], saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So He went in to stay with them. When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. . . . Then they told what had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Lk 24:29–33, 35
So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Acts 2:41–42
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 1 Cor 11:23–27
After this I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, / “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, / for His judgments are true and just.” . . . / And from the throne came a voice crying, / “Praise our God, all you His servants, / you who fear Him, small and great.” / Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, / “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. / Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, / for the marriage of the Lamb has come, / and His Bride has made herself ready. . . . / Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Rv 19:1–2, 5–7, 9
THE LORD IS WORTHY TO BE ADORED
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Invitations to Adoration
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et us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. . . . Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Heb 10:19–23
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel. Heb 12:22–24
For God alone my soul waits in silence; / from Him comes my salvation. / He only is my rock and my salvation, / my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved. . . . / Trust in Him at all times, O people; / pour out your heart before Him; / God is a refuge for us. Ps 62:1– 2, 8
O come, let us sing to the LORD; / let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! / Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; / let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! / For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods. . . . / O come, let us worship and bow down, / let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! / For He is our God, / and we are the people of His pasture, / and the sheep of His hand. Ps 95:1–3, 6–7
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands! / Serve the LORD with gladness! / Come into His presence with singing! / Know that the LORD is God! / It is He that made us, and we are His; / we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. / Enter His gates with thanksgiving, / and His courts with praise! / Give thanks to Him, bless His name! / For the LORD is good; / His steadfast love endures for ever, / and His faithfulness to all 80
generations. Ps 100:1–5 Bless the LORD, O my soul; / and all that is within me, bless His holy name! / Bless the LORD, O my soul, / and forget not all His benefits, / who forgives all your iniquity, / who heals all your diseases, / who redeems your life from the Pit, / who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. Ps 103:1–4
O give thanks to the LORD, / call on His name, / make known His deeds among the peoples! / Sing to Him, sing praises to Him, / tell of all His wonderful works! / Glory in His holy name; / let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! / Seek the LORD and His strength, / seek His presence continually! Ps 105:1–4
Praise the LORD! / Praise, O servants of the LORD, / praise the name of the LORD! / Blessed be the name of the LORD / from this time forth and for evermore! / From the rising of the sun to its setting / the name of the LORD is to be praised! / The LORD is high above all nations, / and His glory above the heavens! Ps 113:1–4
One thing have I asked of the LORD, / that will I seek after; / that I may dwell in the house of the LORD / all the days of my life, / to behold the beauty of the LORD, / and to inquire in His temple. . . . / Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, / be gracious to me and answer me! / Thou hast said, “Seek ye My face.” / My heart says to thee, / “Thy face, LORD, do I seek.” / Hide not Thy face from me. Ps 27:4, 7–9
“Ho, every one who thirsts, / come to the waters; / and he who has no money, / come, buy and eat! . . . / Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, / and your labor for that which does not satisfy? . . . / Incline your ear, and come to Me; / hear, that your soul may live.” Is 55:1–3
“Come to Me, you who desire Me, / and eat your fill of My produce. / For the remembrance of Me is sweeter than honey, / and My inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb. / Those who eat Me will hunger for more, / and those who drink Me will thirst for more.” Sir 24:19–21
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Joining the Hosts of Heaven in Adoration
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ay and night they never cease to sing, / “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, / who was and is and is to come!” / And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, / “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and God, / to receive glory and honor and power, / for Thou didst create all things, / and by Thy will they existed and were created.” Rv 4:8–11
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. . . . And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying, / “Worthy art Thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, / for Thou wast slain and by Thy blood didst ransom men for God / from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, / and have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, / and they shall reign on earth.” / Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, “To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Rv 5:6, 8–14
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” Rv 7:9–12
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Prayers of Adoration, Blessing, and Praise
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lessed art Thou in the temple of Thy holy glory / and to be extolled and highly glorified for ever. / Blessed art Thou, who sittest upon cherubim and lookest upon the deeps, / and to be praised and highly exalted for ever. / Blessed art Thou upon the throne of Thy kingdom / and to be extolled and highly exalted for ever. / Blessed art Thou in the firmament of heaven / and to be sung and glorified for ever. Dn 3:31–34
How precious is Thy steadfast love, O God! / The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings. / They feast on the abundance of Thy house, / and Thou givest them drink from the river of Thy delights. / For with Thee is the fountain of life; / in Thy light do we see light. Ps 36:7–9
I will bless the LORD at all times; / His praise shall continually be in my mouth. / My soul makes its boast in the LORD; / let the humble hear and be glad. / O magnify the LORD with me, / and let us exalt His name together! / I sought the LORD, and He answered me, / and delivered me from all my fears. / Look to Him, and be radiant; / so your faces shall never be ashamed. Ps 34:1–5
O God, Thou art my God, I seek Thee, / my soul thirsts for Thee; / my flesh faints for Thee, / as in a dry and weary land where no water is. / So I have looked upon Thee in the sanctuary, / beholding Thy power and glory. / Because Thy steadfast love is better than life, / my lips will praise Thee. / So I will bless Thee as long as I live; / I will lift up my hands and call on Thy name. / My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat, / and my mouth praises Thee with joyful lips, / when I think of Thee upon my bed, / and meditate on Thee in the watches of the night; / for Thou hast been my help, / and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy. / My soul clings to Thee; / Thy right hand upholds me. Ps 63:1–8
How lovely is Thy dwelling place, / O LORD of hosts! / My soul longs, yes, faints / for the courts of the LORD; / my heart and flesh sing for joy / to the living God. . . . / Blessed are those who dwell in Thy house, / ever singing Thy praise! Ps 84:1–2, 4
LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place / in all generations. Ps 90:1
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Who is this King of glory? / The LORD of hosts, / He is the King of glory! Ps 24:10
Come, bless the LORD, / all you servants of the LORD, / who stand by night in the house of the LORD! / Lift up your hands to the holy place, / and bless the LORD! / May the LORD bless you from Zion, / He who made heaven and earth! Ps 134:1–3 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! / Praise your God, O Zion! / For He strengthens the bars of your gates, / He blesses your sons within you. / He makes peace in your borders; / He fills you with the finest of the wheat. Ps 147:12–14
Praise the LORD! / Praise God in His sanctuary; / praise Him in His mighty firmament! / Praise Him for His mighty deeds; / praise Him according to His exceeding greatness! . . . / Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! / Praise the LORD! Ps 150:1–2, 6
Hearken to the sound of my cry, / my King and my God, / for to Thee do I pray. / O LORD, in the morning Thou dost hear my voice; / in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for Thee, and watch. . . . / But I through the abundance of Thy steadfast love / will enter Your house, / I will worship toward Thy holy temple / in the fear of Thee. Ps 5:2–3, 7–8
God is our refuge and strength, / a very present help in trouble. / Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, / though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; / though its waters roar and foam, / though the mountains tremble with its tumult. / . . . “Be still, and know that I am God.” Ps 46:1–3, 10
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Prayers of Reparation and Confession
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LORD, who shall sojourn in Thy tent? / Who shall dwell on Thy holy hill? / He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, / and speaks truth from his heart. Ps 15:1–2
When my soul was embittered, / when I was pricked in heart, / I was stupid and ignorant, / I was like a beast toward Thee. / Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; / Thou dost hold my right hand. . . . / Whom have I in heaven but Thee? / And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides Thee. / My flesh and my heart may fail, / but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. / For lo, those who are far from Thee shall perish; / Thou dost put an end to those who are false to Thee. / But for me it is good to be near God; / I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, / that I may tell of all Thy works. Ps 73:21–23, 25–28
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, / whose sin is covered. / Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, / and in whose spirit there is no deceit. / When I declared not my sin, my body wasted away / through my groaning all day long. / For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; / my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. / I acknowledged my sin to Thee, / and I did not hide my iniquity; / I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; / then Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Ps 32:1–5
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy steadfast love; / according to Thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. / Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, / and cleanse me from my sin! / For I know my transgressions, / and my sin is ever before me. / Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, / and done that which is evil in Thy sight, / so that Thou art justified in Thy sentence, / and blameless in Thy judgment. / Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, / and in sin did my mother conceive me. / Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward being; / therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. / Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; / wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. / Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice. / Hide Thy face from my sins, / and blot out all my iniquities. / Create in me a clean heart, O God, / and put a new and right spirit within me. / Cast me not away from Thy presence, / and take not Thy holy Spirit from me. / Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, / and uphold me with a willing spirit. Ps 51:1–12
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Prayers of Thanksgiving
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t is good to give thanks to the LORD, / to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; / to declare Thy steadfast love in the morning, / and Thy faithfulness by night. . . . / For Thou, O LORD, hast made me glad by Thy work; / at the works of Thy hands I sing for joy. Ps 92:1–2, 4
O LORD, I am Thy servant; / I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid. / Thou hast loosed my bonds. / I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving / and call on the name of the LORD. Ps 116:16–17
I give Thee thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; / before the gods I sing Thy praise; / I bow down toward Thy holy temple / and give thanks to Thy name for Thy steadfast love and Thy faithfulness; / for Thou hast exalted above everything / Thy name and Thy word. / On the day I called, Thou didst answer me, / my strength of soul Thou didst increase. Ps 138:1–3
I wash my hands in innocence, / and go about Thy altar, O LORD, / singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, / and telling all Thy wondrous deeds. / O LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house, / and the place where Thy glory dwells. Ps 26:6–8 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; / I will tell of all Thy wonderful deeds. / I will be glad and exult in Thee, / I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High. Ps 9:1–2
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Prayers of Petition and Trust
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reserve me, O God, for in Thee I take refuge. / I say to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; / I have no good apart from Thee.” Ps 16:1–2
Let me dwell in Thy tent for ever! / Oh to be safe under the shelter of Thy wings! / For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows, / Thou hast given me the heritage of those who fear Thy name. Ps 61:4–5
Hear the voice of my supplication, / as I cry to Thee for help, / as I lift up my hands / toward Thy most holy sanctuary. . . . / Blessed be the LORD! / for He has heard the voice of my supplications. / The LORD is my strength and my shield; / in Him my heart trusts; / so I am helped, and my heart exults, / and with my song I give thanks to Him. Ps 28:2, 6–7
O LORD, how many are my foes! / Many are rising against me; / many are saying of me, / there is no help for him in God. / But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me, / my glory, and the lifter of my head. Ps 3:1–3
May all who seek thee / rejoice and be glad in Thee! / May those who love Thy salvation / say evermore, “God is great!” / But I am poor and needy; / hasten to me, O God! / Thou art my help and my deliverer; / O LORD, do not tarry! Ps 70:4–5
For God alone my soul waits in silence, / for my hope is in Him. / He only is my rock and my salvation, / my fortress; I shall not be shaken. / On God rests my deliverance and my honor; / my mighty rock, my refuge is God. / Trust in Him at all times, O people; / pour out your heart before Him; / God is a refuge for us. Ps 62:5–8
But I am like a green olive tree / in the house of God. / I trust in the steadfast love of God / for ever and ever. / I will thank Thee for ever. Ps 52:8–9
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Promises of God’s Presence, Aid, and Comfort
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nd lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Mt 28:20
[Jesus prayed:] “Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, may be with Me where I am, to behold My glory which Thou hast given Me in Thy love for Me before the foundation of the world.” Jn 17:24
Therefore are they before the throne of God, / and serve Him day and night within His temple; / and He who sits upon the throne will shelter them with His presence. . . . / For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, / and He will guide them to springs of living water; / and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Rv 7:15, 17
And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” Rv 21:3–4
And He who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” . . . And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life.” Rv 21:5–6 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, / “I will live in them and move among them, / and I will be their God, / and they shall be My people.” 2 Cor 6:16
“I am the LORD your God, / who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. / Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. . . . / I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, / and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Ps 81:10, 16
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Blessed is he whom thou dost choose and bring near, / to dwell in Thy courts! / We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, / Thy holy temple! Ps 65:4
The righteous flourish like the palm tree, / and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. / They are planted in the house of the LORD, / they flourish in the courts of our God. Ps 92:12–13 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; / You hold my lot. . . . / I keep the LORD always before me; / because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. / Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; / my body also dwells secure . . . / Thou dost show me the path of life; / in Thy presence there is fullness of joy, / in Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Ps 16:5, 8–9, 11
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; / He makes me lie down in green pastures. / He leads me beside still waters; / He restores my soul. / He leads me in paths of righteousness / for His name’s sake. / Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I fear no evil; / for Thou art with me; / Thy rod and thy staff, / they comfort me. / Thou preparest a table before me / in the presence of my enemies; / Thou anointest my head with oil, / my cup overflows. / Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me / all the days of my life; / and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD / for ever. Ps 23:1–6
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, / “therefore I will hope in Him.” / The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, / to the soul that seeks Him. / It is good that one should wait quietly / for the salvation of the LORD. Lam 3:24–26 He will feed His flock like a shepherd, / He will gather the lambs in His arms, / He will carry them in His bosom / and gently lead those that are with young. Is 40:11
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. . . . As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; abide in My love.” Jn 15:4–5, 9
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of 89
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe, according to the working of His great might. Eph 1:16–19
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Mt 11:28–30
For He is our peace. Eph 2:14
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father . . . that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph 3:14, 17–19
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Heb 6:19–20
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. . . . How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Heb 9:11–12, 14
When Christ came into the world, He said, / “Sacrifices and offerings Thou hast not desired, / but a body hast Thou prepared for Me”; . . . / then He added, “Lo, I have come to do Thy will.” . . . And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:5, 9–10 90
You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Pt 1:18–19
By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Pt 2:24–25
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8 THE SAINTS AND OTHER SPIRITUAL WRITERS ON THE EUCHARIST ADORING JESUS CHRIST WITH ST. FRANCIS
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od often grants the greatest penetration and insight into His mysteries to the humble and pure of heart. St. Francis of Assisi, wholly in love with Christ Crucified, was a man who sought to follow in His footsteps with all humility and thus was transformed by the One he desired to imitate. The following quotations from the Seraphic Saint’s writings take us into his wonder and awe at the great humility of Christ in His Eucharistic Presence.
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Exhortations of the Seraphic Saint Let the whole of mankind tremble the whole world shake and the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God, is [present] on the altar in the hands of a priest. O admirable heights and sublime lowliness! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under the little form of bread! Look, brothers, at the humility of God and pour out your hearts before Him! Humble yourselves, as well, that you may be exalted by Him. Therefore, hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves so that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally.30
See, daily He humbles Himself (see Phil 2:8) as when He came from the royal throne (Wis 18:15) into the womb of the Virgin; daily He comes to us in a humble form; daily He comes down from the bosom of the Father (see Jn 1:18) upon the altar in the hands of a priest. And as He appeared to the holy apostles in true flesh, so now He reveals Himself to us in the sacred bread. And as they saw only His flesh by means of their bodily sight, yet believed Him to be God as they contemplated Him with the eyes of faith, so, as we see bread and wine with [our] bodily eyes, we too are to see and firmly believe them to be His most holy Body and Blood living and true. And in this way the 93
Lord is always with His faithful as He Himself says: Behold I am with you even to the end of the world (see Mt 28:20).31 GIVE US THIS DAY: in memory and understanding and reverence of the love which [our Lord Jesus Christ] had for us and of those things which He said and did and suffered for us OUR DAILY BREAD: Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.32
For in this world we have and see nothing corporally of the Most High except [His] Body and Blood, and the words through which we have been made and have been redeemed from death to life (1 Jn 3:14).33 If the blessed Virgin is so honored, as it is right, since she carried Him in [her] most holy womb; if the blessed Baptist trembled and did not dare to touch the holy head of God; if the tomb in which He lay for some time is so venerated, how holy, just, and worthy must be the person who touches [Him] with his hands, receives [Him] in his heart and mouth, and offers [Him] to others to be received. [This is] He who is now not about to die, but who is eternally victorious and glorified, upon whom the angels desire to gaze (1 Pt 1:12).34
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St. Francis’ Prayers of Adoration You are holy, Lord, the only God, You do wonders (Ps 76:15). You are strong, You are great, You are the most high, You are the almighty King. You, Holy Father, the King of heaven and earth (Jn 17:11; Mt 11:25). You are Three and One, Lord God of gods (see Ps 135:2); You are good, all good, the highest good, Lord, God, living and true (see 1 Thes 1:19). You are love, charity. You are wisdom; You are humility; You are patience (see Ps 70:5); You are beauty; You are meekness; You are security; You are inner peace; You are joy; You are our hope and joy; You are justice; You are moderation, You are all our riches [You are enough for us]. You are beauty, You are meekness; You are the protector (see Ps 30:5); You are our guardian and defender; You are our strength; You are refreshment (see Ps 42:2). You are our hope, You are our faith, You are our charity, You are all our sweetness, You are our eternal life: Great and wonderful Lord, God almighty, Merciful Savior.35
Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us in our misery [the grace] to do for You alone what we know You want us to do, and always to desire what pleases You. Thus, inwardly cleansed, 95
interiorly enlightened, and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And, by Your grace alone, may we make our way to You, Most High, who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity, and are glorified God all-powerful forever and ever. Amen.36
And the Lord gave me such faith in churches that I would simply pray and speak in this way: “We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the world, and we bless You, for through Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.”37
Therefore let us desire nothing else let us wish for nothing else let nothing else please us and cause us delight except our Creator and Redeemer and Savior, the one true God, Who is the Fullness of Good all good, every good, the true and supreme good Who alone is Good merciful and gentle delectable and sweet 96
Who alone is holy just and true holy and right Who alone is kind innocent pure From whom and through whom and in whom is all pardon all grace all glory of all the penitent and the just of all the blessed who rejoice together in heaven.38
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Imitating the One We Adore
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howing toward that Sacrament deserving of all reverence all the reverence he could, [Francis] offered a sacrifice of all his members; and receiving the Lamb that was offered, he immolated his own spirit with the fire that burned always upon the altar of his heart.39
ST. CLARE OF ASSISI, SERAPHIC LOVER OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
S
t. Clare of Assisi knew that it was through prayer and living the gospel life that the Church and her members were supported and strengthened in faith. She was born of a noble family in 1194 and was captivated by Christ in her youth. Inspired by the preaching of St. Francis, she radically left all behind to belong to her Lord. She and her sisters dedicated themselves wholly to prayer in the enclosure of San Damiano, where Christ in the Eucharist was their life and their all.
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Love Him Totally
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ove Him totally who gave Himself totally for your love.40
Look upon Him who became contemptible for you. . . . Your Spouse, though more beautiful than the children of men (Ps 44:3), became for your salvation, the lowest of men, despised, struck, scourged untold times throughout His whole body, and then died amid the sufferings of the Cross. . . . Gaze upon [Him], consider [Him], contemplate [Him], as you desire to imitate [Him].41
Happy, indeed, is she to whom it is given to share this sacred banquet, to cling with all her heart to Him Whose beauty all the heavenly hosts admire unceasingly, Whose love inflames our love, Whose contemplation is our refreshment, Whose graciousness is our joy, Whose gentleness fills us to overflowing, Whose remembrance brings a gentle light, Whose fragrance will revive the dead, Whose glorious vision will be the happiness of all the citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.42
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Responding to His Love
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he would take her disciple by the hand, lead her before Jesus lying on the straw at Bethlehem, blood-stained on the Cross, and veiled in the Eucharist, and say to her, “Look into your heart and search for the answer you will give Him.”43
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Transformed by the Eucharistic King of Glory
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hen [Clare] returned with joy from holy prayer, she brought from the altar of the Lord burning words that also inflamed the hearts of her sisters. In fact, they marveled that such sweetness came from her mouth and that her face shone more brilliantly than usual. Surely, in His sweetness, God has waited upon the poor, and the True Light which was already revealed outwardly in her body, had filled her soul in prayer.44
[Clare] shares with her sisters the sweet things she tasted while praying at the everlasting fountain, the flames which came to her from the blessed furnace, the soft hues she brought from her Spouse’s throne. She delights them with the nectar of the word. Inflamed she delights in inflaming her own with the flame of her words. They marvel at the virgin’s brilliant countenance and at the fiery words of her speech. . . . Look at what pure prayer merits for the just or what holy meditation brings to one who is praying. As the radiant face of Moses, coming down from the mountain, shimmered because of a glimpse of the Lord, so a sweet encounter of the Spouse, while she contemplates heavenly things in the citadel of her mind, proportionately enriches the senses of her soul and adorns her face.45
How great was Saint Clare’s affection and devotion to the Sacrament of the Altar is shown by their effect. . . . When receiving the Body of the Lord, however, she at first shed burning tears and, approaching with trembling, she feared [Him who was] hidden in the Sacrament no less than [Him who was] ruling heaven and earth.46
When the sisters believed the blessed mother [Clare] was at the moment of death and the priest had given her the holy Communion of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, she, the witness, saw a very great splendor about the head of mother, St. Clare. It seemed to her the Lord’s Body was a very small and beautiful young boy. After the holy Mother had received with great devotion and tears, as was her custom, she said these words: “God has given me such a gift today, that heaven and earth could not equal it.”47
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The Blessed Sacrament, Powerful Refuge and Defense
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n the year 1240, mercenary Saracen soldiers, employed by the Emperor Frederick II, invaded the Spoleto Valley. Reaching the outskirts of Assisi, they stormed the San Damiano Monastery where St. Clare and her sisters lived. The following two accounts of the attack describe how Assisi was spared not by force but through the power of Christ in the Eucharist and the fervent prayer of the Lady Clare.
When the Saracens entered the cloister of [San Damiano], the Lady [Clare] made them bring her to the entrance of the refectory and bring a small box where there was the Blessed Sacrament of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throwing herself prostrate on the ground in prayer, she begged with tears, saying among other things: “Lord, look upon these servants of yours, because I cannot protect them.” Then the witness heard a voice of wonderful sweetness: “I will always defend you!” The Lady then prayed for the city, saying: “Lord, please defend the city as well!” The same voice resounded and said: “The city will endure many dangers, but it will be defended.” Then the Lady turned to the sisters and told them: “Do not be afraid, because I am a hostage for you so that you will not suffer any harm now nor any other time as long as you wish to obey God’s commandments.” Then the Saracens left in such a way that they did not do any harm or damage.48
Once when the fury of the enemy pressed upon Assisi, a city dear to the Lord, and the army was already near its gates, the Saracens, the worst of people, who thirsted for the blood of Christians and attempted imprudently every outrage, rushed upon San Damiano, [entered] the confines of the place and even the enclosure of the virgins. The hearts of the ladies melted with fear; their voices trembled with it, and they brought their tears to their mother. She, with an undaunted heart, ordered that she be brought, sick as she was, to the door and placed there before the enemy, while the silver pyx enclosed in ivory in which the Body of the Holy of Holies was most devotedly reserved, preceded her. When she had thoroughly prostrated herself to the Lord in prayer, she said to her Christ with tears [in her eyes]: “Look, my Lord, do you wish to deliver into the hands of pagans your defenseless servants whom You have nourished with Your own love? Lord, I beg You, defend these Your servants whom I am not able to defend at this time.” Suddenly a voice from the mercy-seat of new grace, as if of a little child, resounded in her ears: “I will always defend you.” “My Lord,” she said, “please protect this city which for Your love sustains us.” And the Lord said to her: “It will suffer afflictions, but will be defended by my protection.”49
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OTHER SAINTS
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Who Is the Most Blessed Sacrament?
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od is as really present in the consecrated Host as He is in the glory of heaven. ST. P ASCHAL BAYLON
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The Pledge of His Abiding Presence
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he heavenly Sacrifice, instituted by Christ, is the most gracious legacy of His new covenant. On the night He was delivered up to be crucified, He left us this Gift as a pledge of His abiding Presence. ST. GAUDENTIUS OF BRESCIA
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The Pledge of Our Salvation
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ome, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light; I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With My own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father. ST. MELITO OF SARDIS
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Why Adore?
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o make room in our life for the Eucharistic Lord, so that He can change our life into His—is that asking too much? ST. T ERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS
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To Adore Is to Love
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ord Jesus Christ, pierce my soul with Your love so that I may always long for You alone, who are the bread of angels and the fulfillment of the soul’s deepest desires. May my heart always hunger for You, so that my soul may be filled with the sweetness of Your presence. ST. BONAVENTURE
Love . . . transforms the lover into the one loved. ST. P AUL OF THE CROSS
The Eucharist is the sacrament of love; it signifies love; it produces love. ST. T HOMAS AQUINAS
I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of God. ST. MARGARET MARY
You have cast yourself into the abyss of that divine solitude. Love and be silent, be silent and love! What silence, what sacred silence, what deep and holy love! ST. P AUL OF THE CROSS
What a tremendous delight, my God! To spend over fifteen hours without anything else to do but look at You and tell You, “Lord, I love You!” BL. CHARLES DE FOUCAULD
Our communal worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration in order that our love may be complete. P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
Loving souls can find no greater delight than to be in the company of those whom they love. If, then, we love Jesus Christ much, behold, we are now in His presence. Jesus in 108
the Blessed Sacrament sees us and hears us; shall we, then, say nothing to Him? Let us console ourselves in His company; let us rejoice in His glory, and in the love which so many enamored souls bear Him in the most holy Sacrament. Let us desire that all should love Jesus in the holy Sacrament and consecrate their hearts to Him. ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
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Abandon God’s Mysteries to God
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et weak and frail man come here in humble entreaty to adore the Sacrament of Christ, not to discuss high things, or to wish to penetrate difficulties, but to bow down to secret things in humble veneration, and to abandon God’s mysteries to God, for Truth deceives no man—Almighty God can do all things. ST. P AUL OF THE CROSS
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Finding Rest in His Real Presence
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Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament in our churches, You give us solace and refuge; You give us faith, hope, love, and hospitality. You build for us an inner retreat, an ardent repose. Help us to seek You and find You. BL. CHARLES DE FOUCAULD
How sweet, the presence of Jesus to the longing, harassed soul! It is instant peace, and balm to every wound. ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON
You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You. ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
I throw myself at the foot of the Tabernacle like a dog at the foot of his Master. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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The Best Moments of Life
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he time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in heaven, and will help bring about everlasting peace on earth. BL. T ERESA OF CALCUTTA
You may be sure that of all the moments in your life, the time you spend before the divine Sacrament will be that which will give you more strength during life and more consolation at the hour of your death and during eternity. ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
If we really loved the good God, we would make it our joy and happiness to come and spend a few moments to adore Him, and ask Him for the grace of forgiveness; and we would regard those moments as the happiest of our lives. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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For You Alone
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o you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you—for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart. ST. T HÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
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A Fountain of Light
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his fountain [the Blessed Sacrament] is a fountain of light, shedding abundant rays of truth. And beside it the angelic powers from on high have taken their stand, gazing on the beauty of its streams, since they perceive more clearly than we the power of what lies before us and its unapproachable dazzling rays. ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
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Like the Blessed Ones in Heaven
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n the presence of Jesus in the holy Sacrament, we ought to be like the blessed ones in heaven before the Divine Essence. ST. T ERESA OF ÁVILA
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Increased Merits
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understand that, each time we contemplate with desire and devotion the Host in which is hidden Christ’s Eucharistic Body, we increase our merits in heaven and secure special joys to be ours later in the beatific vision of God. ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT
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Indescribable Joy
E
very time I hear anyone speak of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or of the Blessed Sacrament, I feel an indescribable joy. It is as if a wave of precious memories, sweet affections and joyful hopes swept over my poor person, making me tremble with happiness and filling my soul with tenderness. These are loving appeals from Jesus, who wants me wholeheartedly there, at the source of all goodness, His Sacred Heart, throbbing mysteriously behind the Eucharistic veils. P OPE ST. JOHN XXIII
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A Share in Mary’s Life and Mission
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ucharistic adorers share in Mary’s life and mission of prayer at the foot of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is the most beautiful of all missions, and it holds no perils. ST. P ETER JULIAN EYMARD
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Teach Youth to Adore
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urge priests, religious, and lay people to continue and redouble their efforts to teach the younger generations the meaning and value of Eucharistic adoration and devotion. How will young people be able to know the Lord if they are not introduced to the mystery of His presence? P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II
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The Measure of an Age
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et us never forget that an age prospers or dwindles in proportion to its devotion to the holy Eucharist. This is the measure of its spiritual life and its faith, of its charity and its virtue. ST. P ETER JULIAN EYMARD
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A Lovable Contrivance
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y Jesus! What a lovable contrivance this sacrament was—that You would hide under the appearance of bread to make Yourself loved and to be available for a visit by anyone who desires You! ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
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A Sign of How Much Jesus Loves You Now
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hen you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you
now.
BL. T ERESA OF CALCUTTA
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Veiled and Captured
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blessed Host, enchantment of all heaven, though Your beauty be veiled and captured in a crumb of bread, strong faith tears away that veil. ST. FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
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Wrapped in Mystery
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he God of the Eucharist conceals Himself in order to be desired, veils Himself in order to become an object of contemplation; He wraps Himself in mystery in order to spur on and perfect the soul’s love. ST. P ETER JULIAN EYMARD
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In the Nighttime
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hen you awake in the night, transport yourself quickly in spirit before the tabernacle, saying: “Behold, my God, I come to adore You, to praise, thank, and love You, and to keep You company with all the angels.” ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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Bow Before the Mystery
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et weak and frail man come here in humble entreaty to adore the Sacrament of Christ, not to discuss high things, or to wish to penetrate difficulties, but to bow down to secret things in humble adoration, and to abandon God’s mysteries to God, for Truth deceives no man—Almighty God can do all things. ST. P AUL OF THE CROSS
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The Host Dazzles
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look and look, and turn to look again at the consecrated Host; its whiteness dazzles me; its brilliant rays wound my soul to its utmost depths by revealing to me all its defects and deformities. . . . Who can think himself humble in the presence of Him who is hidden under the form of bread? VENERABLE CONCEPCIÓN CABRERA DE ARMIDA
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Hands Full of Graces
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ur Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces, and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them. ST. P ETER OF ALCÁNTARA
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Conversing With the King
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o converse with You, O King of glory, no third person is needed. You are always ready in the Sacrament of the altar to give audience to all. All who desire You always find You there, and converse with You face to face. ST. T ERESA OF ÁVILA
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A Breath From One to the Other
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hen we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other. ST. JOHN VIANNEY
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He Hears Us Readily
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owhere does Jesus hear our prayers more readily than in the Blessed Sacrament. BL. HENRY SUSO
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Fruits of Adoration
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rom the time we started having adoration every day, our love for Jesus became more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, our love for the poor more compassionate, and we have double the number of vocations. . . . The time we spend in having our daily audience with God is the most precious part of the whole day. BL. T ERESA OF CALCUTTA
OTHER SPIRITUAL WRITERS
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A Testimony of the Church’s Faith
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n this manner [Eucharistic adoration] the faithful testify to and solemnly make evident the faith of the Church, according to which the Word of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary who suffered on the Cross, who lies present hidden in the Eucharist, and who reigns in heaven, are believed to be identical. P OPE P IUS XII
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Most Noble, Profitable, and Sweet
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he devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble because it has God as its object; the most profitable for salvation, because it gives us the Author of grace; it is the sweetest, because the Lord is sweetness itself. P OPE P IUS XII
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The World’s Greatest Love
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ut of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. . . . There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, that every man’s heart desires. J. R. R. T OLKIEN
The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white Host. ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN
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The Queen of All Devotions
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evotion to the Blessed Sacrament is the queen of all devotions. It is the central devotion of the Church. All others gather round it, and group themselves there as satellites; for others celebrate His mysteries; this is Himself. It is the universal devotion. FR. FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER
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You Have Time
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o not say that you have no time. Rather, acknowledge that you do not love Him enough. If you did, you would leave everything in order to visit Him. JOSÉ GUADALUPE T REVINO
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At the Feet of Jesus
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t the feet of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, let your hearts through the grace of God and the sacrifices you perform be like a golden thurible. Your generous hearts will be as it were incandescent pieces of charcoal. Your purity will become incense which, as it is consumed, gives joy to the heart of Jesus through the perfume rising from it. MARIE-DELUIL MARTINY, MOTHER MARY OF JESUS
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The Treasure of the Eucharist
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f souls but understood the treasure they possess in the divine Eucharist, it would be necessary to encircle the tabernacles with the strongest ramparts, for—in the delirium of a devouring holy hunger—they would press forward themselves to feed on the Bread of Angels. The churches would overflow with adorers consumed with love for the divine Person no less by night than by day. BL. DINA BELANGER
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St. Joseph Believed
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t. Joseph believed unhesitatingly in the mystery of the Incarnation, in the fruitful virginity and the divine maternity of Mary. He believed without seeing the miracles that were to fill Judea with His glory and renown of His holy name. We too should recognize Jesus in the frail Host that is offered to us at the altar. Here He is even smaller than at Bethlehem, more hidden than in St. Joseph’s workshop. Still it is He. BISHOP P ETER ANASTASIUS P ICHENOT
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An Abiding Bethlehem
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he Bethlehem of that night . . . has never passed away. It lives a real life . . . in the worshipful reality of the Blessed Sacrament. Round the tabernacle, which is our abiding Bethlehem, goes on the same world of beautiful devotion which surrounded the newborn Babe, real, out of real hearts, and realized by God’s acceptance. FR. FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER
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Do Not Turn Away From Me
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oor, pitiable sinners. Do not turn away from Me. . . . Day and night I am on the watch for you in the tabernacle. I will not reproach you. . . . I will not cast your sins in your face. . . . But I will wash them in My blood and in My wounds. No need to be afraid. . . . Come to Me. . . . If you only knew how dearly I love you. JESUS TO SR. JOSEFA MENÉNDEZ
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God Listens Favorably
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od likes to listen favorably to the prayers of His faithful, particularly when they are looking at Christ’s Body. WILLIAM OF AUXERRE
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Jesus Veiled!
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esus veiled! Let us kneel down before Him in adoring awe, while our mother [Mary] teaches us His beauty, and His sweetness, and His goodness, and His nearness. When we think we know Him, we shall not know the half, and when we speak of Him, we shall stammer as children do, and when our hearts are hot with love of Him, they will be cold in comparison to the love which is His due. FR. FREDERICK WILLIAM FABER
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The Hidden God
O
mystery worthy of the admiration of angels! Mystery, whose excellence is infinitely enhanced by the goal which the King of glory proposes to Himself in reducing Himself to so abject a condition! This truly hidden God has withdrawn into the obscurity of His tabernacle to console the afflicted, sustain the tempted, enrich the impoverished, protect the unfortunate, heal the sick, and load with benefits all those who visit Him. ARCHBISHOP FRANÇOIS FENELON
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Illumination in His Presence
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ll my sermons are prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. As recreation is most pleasant and profitable in the sun, so homiletic creativity is best nourished before the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit that presided at the Incarnation is the best atmosphere for illumination. ARCHBISHOP FULTON J. SHEEN
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9 WORDS FROM THE FOUNDERS OF THE POOR CLARES OF PERPETUAL ADORATION
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r. Bonaventure Heurlaut, O.F.M. Cap., and Mother Marie de Sainte Claire are the founders of the Franciscan cloistered contemplative order known as the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (PCPA). Founded in Troyes, France, on December 8, 1854, this order is dedicated to adoring perpetually Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed, in a spirit of reparative thanksgiving. PCPA monasteries of nuns are currently in six countries around the world. These thoughts are found in the papers of the Archives of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, in Troyes, France.
O Mary, inflame in our hearts the sacred fire, which inflamed the hearts of the saints, so that it might consume in us all that is opposed to the reign of Jesus our Eucharistic Lord. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
Adoration is the annihilation of oneself in the presence of God. We want to give Him glory and give Him the honor that we owe Him as our God: in one word, we want to adore Him perpetually! Which is therefore the means, to annihilate oneself: that is to say, to make our own life disappear in order that one sees nothing more except Jesus in us.50 MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
To devote ourselves to Jesus in the Eucharist, to the Church, to the interests of the glory of God, to the extension of the Kingdom of Our Lord, these are our duties. And do not say that, because of our humility, it is too great a vocation. As adoring souls, we must lead all souls to Jesus, but principally the souls of priests. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
St. Francis has fully probed this deep mystery of the love of Jesus. He has seen all created things flee and disappear when he writes: “I see nothing sensible in this world but the Most Holy Body and the Most Holy Blood of Jesus Christ.” He communicates to his three Orders the fire which consumes him, and we can say, according to the history, that 147
the devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is so natural to all the children of the Patriarch of Assisi. In the desire to imitate their Seraphic Father and to conserve the precious traditions of the Order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration have chosen as their state and special work the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
By this extraordinary faith toward the Holy Eucharist, [we] propose to imitate the angels and the Blessed of heaven whom St. John presents to us prostrate before the Lamb without blemish, and always occupied in giving Him glory and honor. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
May all our adoration pass through the hands of the Blessed Virgin. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
If the holiness of Jesus has its imitation in the Virgin, if His justice has its victim in the soul vowed to reparation, if His grandeur is exalted through the penitent, it is equally just that His Eucharistic Love should be honored, praised, and thanked through perpetual thanksgiving. And such is the principle end of adoration from the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration take thanksgiving for the principle and particular end of their adoration. In order better to fulfill this exercise which God inscribes on the conscience, and for which He has always demanded tribute, the sisters will undertake to know and meditate on the generous and particular favors of the divine Eucharist, and to consider all the blessings of God, whether in the order of nature, in the order of grace, or in the order of His glory. Finally, considering that these blessed souls have chosen such a holy and sublime work, they will make thanksgiving their dominant thought . . . in taking upon themselves, with the Savior and through Him, reparation for ingratitude, and in becoming victims of thanksgiving. MOTHER MARIE DE SAINTE CLAIRE
Nothing has ever wounded the heart of Jesus more than ingratitude.
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FR. BONAVENTURE HEURLAUT
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10 EUCHARISTIC MEDITATIONS, DEVOTIONS, PRAYERS, AND HYMNS EUCHARISTIC MEDITATIONS
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“I Thirst!”
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esus wants me to tell you again, how much love He has for each one of you—beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus—one to one —you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel—but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying “I thirst” in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person —not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say “I love you”—impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead—meditation, only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him— speaking in the silence of your heart. Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The Devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes—to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more—He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes—He is the one who always accepts you. My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe—You are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet—only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest. You all know in your mind that Jesus loves you—but in this letter Mother wants to touch your heart instead. Jesus wants to stir up our hearts, so not to lose our early love. That is why I ask you to read this letter before the Blessed Sacrament, the same place it was written, so Jesus Himself can speak to you each one. Jesus Himself must be the one to say to you, “I thirst.” Hear your own name. Not just once. Every day. If you listen with your heart, you will hear, you will understand. “I thirst” is something much deeper than Jesus just saying “I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you—you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.51 BL. T ERESA OF CALCUTTA
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Our Lord’s Presence
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ur Lord is not in the Blessed Sacrament as dead or asleep, not simply there to receive your love and adoration. But just as the most blessed Virgin had her divine Son’s life, and His holy examples, and words, and actions before her eyes, even so we have her Son’s life and example going on before our eyes, in all their stages, which we can study to our immense profit and advancement in grace. The life of our dear Lord in the sacred Host is most active. He remains still in the tabernacle, it is true, but graces are flying forth from His Heart in inconceivable abundance. From the tabernacle, Our Lord works miracles both on souls and bodies, as He did of old in Galilee and Judea. Our divine Lord, thus present in the sacrament of His love, is the central object of the devotion and worship of the holy Catholic Church. From His Sacred Heart, present in the tabernacle, go forth streams of grace upon human souls that lift them up in prayer and adoration to the throne of God. The very words we use, a “visit to the Blessed Sacrament,” reminds us that we go to a living person, and that He is no other than our blessed Savior. Before the tabernacle great saints have communed with God upon the heights which we may never reach; there, too, sinners have come, and touched by the grace that goes out from Him, found the contrite and humbled heart which He will never despise. Think of the millions of the faithful who day by day come into the house of God to pray. Think of the religious to whom this presence is as the air they breathe, the very life and sustenance of their souls. No one shall ever know all that this adorable sacrament is for human souls, raising all our hearts to that one Heart which is the center and source of grace and love. He is with us in the Blessed Sacrament as a consequence of the Resurrection and Ascension; and His sacramental presence is a constant reminder of those mysteries. He is in the same actual state, now, in the tabernacle, as He was on the morning of His resurrection, and when He was parted from His apostles on Ascension Day. He comes to us from the glory of heaven, fresh from the bosom of His Father, full of beauty, of blessedness, and joy, full of the new wine of the Father’s love, crowned and sceptered, and Sovereign of the Kingdom of God, and desiring to confer all this blessedness, glory, and royalty on all who will open to Him their hearts. Blessed are we, who have Him with us night and day! In Him we have all we want, for in the Holy Eucharist He gives us all He ever was, and is, and is to be.52 FR. FRANCIS ALOYSIUS SPENCER
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Fifteen Minutes in the Company of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
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y child, you need not know much in order to please Me: Only love Me dearly. Speak to Me simply, as you would talk to your mother, if she had taken you in her arms. Have you no one to recommend to Me? Tell Me the names of your relations, and of your friends; after each name add what you wish Me to do for them. Do not hesitate to ask a great deal! I love generous hearts that forget themselves for others. Speak to Me, with simplicity, about the poor whom you want to help; the sick whom you have seen suffer; the sinner whom you would convert; the persons who are alienated from you, and whose affections you wish to win back. For all, recite a fervent prayer. Remind Me that I have promised to grant every prayer that comes from the heart; and surely the prayers are heartfelt which we say for those whom we love, and who love us. Have you no favors to ask for yourself? Write, if you like, a long list of all your wishes—all the needs of your soul—and come and read it to Me. Tell Me frankly how self-indulgent you are; how proud; how touchy; how selfish; how cowardly; how idle . . . and ask Me to help you to improve. Poor child! Do not blush! There are in heaven so many saints who had the same faults as you! But they prayed to Me, with humility; and little by little, they were freed from their defects. Do not hesitate to ask for the goods of body and mind—for health, for memory, for success in your works, business, or studies. I can give you everything, and I always give when the gifts would make souls more holy. What do you want today, My child? Oh, if you knew how I long to do you good! Have you no plans to interest you? What can I do for you? Do you have any projects that you are working on? Tell Me about them. Do they concern your vocation? What are you worried about? What do you think of? What would you like? Are you planning some pleasure for your mother, your family, your guardian? What do you wish Me to do for them? And have you no thoughts of zeal for Me? Are you not anxious to do a little good for the souls of your friends, for those whom you love, and who, perhaps, have forgotten Me? Tell Me what interests you; what motives urge you; what you yearn for; what means you wish to take. Confide in Me your failures. I will show you the cause. Whom do you wish to see interested in your work? I am the Master of all hearts, My child, and I lead them gently, without damage to their freedom, where I please. I will place about you those who are necessary to you: Never fear! Have you nothing that annoys you? My child, tell Me your annoyances with every detail. Who has pained you? Who has wounded your self-love? Who has treated you contemptuously? Come closer to My heart, that has the balm to cure all of your wounds. Tell Me all, and then say that you 153
forgive everything and forget all, in My likeness, and I will give you My blessing to comfort you. Do you dread something painful? Is there in your soul a vague fear which seems unreasonable, and yet torments you? Throw yourself into My arms and trust fully in My providence. I am with you; here, by your side. I see everything. I hear it all. I will not leave you. Are there about you friends who seem less kind than formerly, who neglect you through indifference or forgetfulness without your having consciously done anything to wound them? Pray for them, and I will restore them to you, if their companionship is not an obstacle to your sanctification. Have you no joy to tell Me? Why not confide to Me your pleasures? Tell Me what has happened since yesterday to console you, to make you happy, to give you joy. An unexpected visit has done you good; a fear has been suddenly dispelled; you have met with unlooked-for success; you have received some mark of affection—a letter, a present; some trial has left you stronger than you supposed. All these things, My child, I obtained for you. Why are you not grateful? Why do you not say, “I thank You”? Gratitude draws benefits, and the benefactor loves to be reminded of his bounty. Have you no promises to make Me? You know I read the very bottom of your heart. Men are deceived easily; but God is not. Be frank; speak to Me with all sincerity. Are you resolved to avoid that occasion of sin, to give up the object which leads you astray, not to read the book which excites your imagination, to withdraw your friendship from that person who is irreligious and whose presence disturbs the peace of your soul? Will you go at once and be kind to that companion who annoyed you? Well, My child, go now and resume your daily work. But do not forget the minutes we have shared together. Go now and practice silence, modesty, honesty, patience, charity. Love My mother, who is also your mother, the Blessed Virgin, and return again tomorrow, bringing Me a heart even more devoted and loving. Tomorrow I shall have new favors for you. In My heart, you will always find new love, new benefits, new comforts. ATTRIBUTED TO ST. ANTHONY MARY CLARET
EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS: CHAPLETS
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The Chaplet of the Five Wounds
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his devotion to the Holy Wounds was revealed by Our Lord to Sr. Mary Martha Chambon (1841–1907) of the Monastery of the Visitation of Chambery. The cause for her beatification was introduced in 1937. The Chaplet of the Five Wounds may be prayed on a traditional rosary. During each decade, meditate on one of the Five Wounds of Our Lord.
On the large beads, pray: Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls. AMEN.
On the small beads, pray: My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Sacred Wounds. AMEN.
Conclude each decade with the Glory Be.
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The Chaplet of the Precious Blood of Jesus
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et us pray: O precious Blood of Jesus, infinite price of sinful man’s redemption, both drink and laver of our souls, Thou who dost plead continually the cause of man before the throne of infinite mercy; from the depths of my heart, I adore Thee, and so far as I am able, I would requite Thee for the insults and outrages which Thou dost continually receive from human beings, and especially from those who rashly dare to blaspheme Thee. Who would not bless this Blood of infinite value? Who doth not feel within himself the fire and love of Jesus who shed it all for us? What would be my fate, had I not been redeemed by this divine Blood? Who hath drawn it from the veins of my Savior, even to the last drop? Ah, this surely was the work of love. O infinite love, grant that every heart and every tongue may be enabled to praise Thee, magnify Thee and give Thee thanks now and for evermore. AMEN. V. O God, come to my assistance! R. Lord, make haste to help me! V. Glory be to the Father . . . R. As it was in the beginning . . . First Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood in the circumcision. Let us ask for chastity of soul and body.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood. Second Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Let us ask for the spirit of prayer.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood. Third Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood in the scourging. 156
Let us ask for the grace of mortification.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood. Fourth Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood in the crowning with thorns. Let us ask for contempt of worldly honors.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood. Fifth Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His cross. Let us ask for patience.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood. Sixth Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood in the crucifixion. Let us ask for contrition for our sins.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood.
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Seventh Mystery: Jesus shed His Blood and water when His side was pierced. Let us ask for the grace of perseverance.
Say the Our Father five times; then say: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Say one Glory Be; then complete the mystery by reciting: We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious Blood.
Final prayer: Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ in satisfaction for my sins, for the needs of Holy Church and for the relief of the souls in purgatory.
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Eucharistic Chaplet of the Most Blessed Sacrament Let us pray: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Relying on this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. AMEN. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fountain of all good, I adore You, I love You and, sincerely repenting of my sins, I offer You my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure, and in everything conformed to Your wishes. Grant, O good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing in all my works, and the grace of a holy death. AMEN.
Say the Glory Be. We pray for the salvation of sinners. Say the Hail Mary. We pray for the relief of the Holy Souls. Say the Hail Mary. We pray for the protection of families. Say the Hail Mary. We pray for the encouragement of vocations. Say the Hail, Holy Queen. We pray for the strengthening of priests. Say the prayer of St. Michael.
Say the following prayer five times, in reparation to the Blessed Sacrament: O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.
Conclude by repeating the following prayers: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Relying on this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. AMEN. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fountain of all good, I adore You, I love You and, sincerely repenting of my sins, I offer You my poor heart. Give it back to me humble, patient, pure and in everything conformed to Your wishes. Grant, O good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You. Protect me in dangers, comfort me in afflictions, give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing in all my works and the grace of a holy death. AMEN.
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The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
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he Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Optional opening prayers: You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of life, unfathomable divine mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. AMEN.
Repeat three times: O Blood and water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You!
Pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. AMEN. Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. AMEN. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AMEN.
On the Our Father bead of each decade, pray: Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. 160
On each of the ten small beads of each decade, pray: For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding prayer (repeat three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Optional closing prayer: Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.53
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Chaplet to the Mother of the Most Holy Eucharist This devotion is prayed on the Rosary. Begin with the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
On the first large bead, pray: My God, I love you with my whole heart; I repent of ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again; grant that I may love You always, and then do with me what You will. AMEN.
On the next three small beads, pray the Hail Mary three times: Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. AMEN.
Before each decade, on the Our Father bead, pray: Hail Mary, O Mother of the Most Holy Eucharist, help me to believe completely, help me to love completely, help me to live what I believe.
On each of the ten small beads of each decade, pray: O Mother, help me!
After each decade, say the Memorare to Mary: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. AMEN.
Concluding prayer: Dearest Mother, I believe that Jesus Christ, your Son, is truly present in the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I believe that He is the only-begotten Son of God, who became Man to save me, a sinner. By partaking of this most holy Sacrament, I profess that I believe in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and that Her teachings and sacraments were instituted by Christ; that because this is truly His precious Body and life-giving Blood, to receive Him in the state of grace will bring healing to both my soul and body; but to knowingly receive Him in the state of mortal sin will bring me judgment and condemnation. Dearest Virgin of virgins, I declare these truths before you as my witness, that you 162
who are the great Mother of God may remember me before my Lord and Master, now and at the hour of my death. AMEN. O Mother of the Most Holy Eucharist, pray for us.
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Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament
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he Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament consists of a medal of the Blessed Sacrament and thirty-three beads, recalling the thirty-three years of Christ’s life on earth.
On the medal, make a spiritual communion with these words: As I cannot now receive Thee, my Jesus, in Holy Communion, come spiritually into my heart, and make it Thine own forever.
On each bead, say: Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, have mercy on us! (APPROVED MAY 30,
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1911, BY P OPE
P IUS X)
Eucharistic Holy Face Chaplet
T
his is an extremely powerful prayer of intercession for priests, especially when prayed in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed. It is prayed on the fivedecade rosary.54
Begin by praying: O sacred banquet in which Christ is received, the memory of His passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given us (Alleluia).
On each Our Father bead, pray: My soul is thirsting for God, the strong and living God; when shall I enter and see the face of God? (Ps 41:3)
On each of the ten small beads in each decade, pray: It is Your Eucharistic face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not Your Eucharistic face from me. (Cf. Ps 26:8–9)
In place of the Glory Be at the end of each decade, pray: Behold, O God our protector, and look upon the face of Your Christ. (Ps 83:10)
Then pray: Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty God and Father, forever and ever. AMEN.
Then pray three times: Father, glorify the Eucharistic face of Your Son, that His Eucharistic face may glorify You. (See Jn 17:1)
Conclude by praying the Salve Regina, thereby entering into the desire of 165
Pope St. John Paul II that we should contemplate the face of Christ with Mary: Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who by the working of the Holy Spirit didst prepare both body and soul of the glorious virgin mother, Mary, that she might deserve to be made a worthy dwelling for Thy Son, grant that we who rejoice in her memory may, by her loving intercession, be delivered from present evils and from lasting death, through the same Christ our Lord. AMEN.
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Ten Mysteries of the Holy Face These are the Ten Mysteries: The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ The Presentation in the Temple The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple The Transfiguration The Institution of the Most Holy Eucharist The Agony in the Garden The Crowning with Thorns The Death and Burial of Jesus The Resurrection The Ascension
Each decade is prayed as with the classic Marian Rosary, except that each Our Father is preceded by the following invocation: It is Your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not Your face from me.
In addition, each Glory Be is followed by this petition: Most Holy Face of Jesus, look upon us and have mercy.55
EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS: LITANIES
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Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ, Blood of Christ,
only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us. incarnate Word of God, save us. of the new and eternal Covenant, save us. falling upon the earth in agony, save us. shed profusely in the scourging, save us. flowing forth in the crowning with thorns, save us. poured out on the Cross, save us. price of our salvation, save us. without which there is no forgiveness, save us. Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us. stream of mercy, save us. victor over demons, save us. courage of martyrs, save us. strength of confessors, save us. bringing forth virgins, save us. help of those in peril, save us. relief of the burdened, save us. solace in sorrow, save us. hope of the penitent, save us. consolation of the dying, save us. peace and tenderness of hearts, save us. 168
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us. Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us. Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord. You have redeemed us, O Lord, in Your Blood, and made us, for our God, a kingdom. Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, You have appointed Your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant, we beseech You, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.
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Litany of the Holy Eucharist Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Jesus, eternal high priest of the Eucharistic sacrifice, have mercy on us. Jesus, divine Victim on the altar for our salvation, have mercy on us. Jesus, hidden under the appearance of bread, have mercy on us. Jesus, dwelling in the tabernacles of the world, have mercy on us. Jesus, really, truly and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament, have mercy on us. Jesus, abiding in Your fullness, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, have mercy on us. Jesus, Bread of life, have mercy on us. Jesus, Bread of angels, have mercy on us. Jesus, with us always until the end of the world, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, summit and source of all worship and Christian life, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, sign and cause of the unity of the Church, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, adored by countless angels, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, spiritual food, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, Sacrament of love, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, bond of charity, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, greatest aid to holiness, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, gift and glory of the priesthood, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, in which we partake of Christ, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, in which the soul is filled with grace, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, in which we are given a pledge of future glory, have mercy on us. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. 170
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. For those who do not believe in Your Eucharistic presence, have mercy, O Lord. For those who are indifferent to the Sacrament of Your love, have mercy, O Lord. For those who have offended You in the holy Sacrament of the Altar, have mercy, O Lord. That we may show fitting reverence when entering Your holy temple, we beseech You, hear us. That we may make suitable preparation before approaching the altar, we beseech You, hear us. That we may receive You frequently in Holy Communion with real devotion and true humility, we beseech You, hear us. That we may never neglect to thank You for so wonderful a blessing, we beseech You, hear us. That we may cherish time spent in silent prayer before You, we beseech You, hear us. That we may grow in knowledge of this Sacrament of sacraments, we beseech You, hear us. That all priests may have a profound love of the Holy Eucharist, we beseech You, hear us. That they may celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in accordance with its sublime dignity, we beseech You, hear us. That we may be comforted and sanctified with Holy Viaticum at the hour of our death, we beseech You, hear us. That we may see You one day face to face in heaven, we beseech You, hear us. Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord. O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine. Let us pray. Most merciful Father, You continue to draw us to Yourself
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through the Eucharistic Mystery. Grant us fervent faith in this Sacrament of love, in which Christ the Lord Himself is contained, offered, and received. We make this prayer through the same Christ our Lord. AMEN.56
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Litany of the Blessed Sacrament Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Living bread, that came down from heaven, have mercy on us. Hidden God and Savior, have mercy on us. Wheat of the elect, have mercy on us. Wine of which virgins are the fruit, have mercy on us. Bread of fatness and royal dainties, have mercy on us. Perpetual sacrifice, have mercy on us. Clean oblation, have mercy on us. Lamb without spot, have mercy on us. Most pure feast, have mercy on us. Food of angels, have mercy on us. Hidden manna, have mercy on us. Memorial of the wonders of God, have mercy on us. Supersubstantial bread, have mercy on us. Word made flesh, dwelling in us, have mercy on us. Sacred Host, have mercy on us. Chalice of benediction, have mercy on us. Mystery of faith, have mercy on us. Most high and adorable Sacrament, have mercy on us. Most holy of all sacrifices, have mercy on us. True propitiation for the living and the dead, have mercy on us. Heavenly antidote against the poison of sin, have mercy on us. Most wonderful of all miracles, have mercy on us. Most holy commemoration of the passion of Christ, have mercy on us. 173
Gift transcending all fullness, have mercy on us. Special memorial of divine love, have mercy on us. Affluence of divine bounty, have mercy on us. Most august and holy mystery, have mercy on us. Medicine of immortality, have mercy on us. Tremendous and life-giving Sacrament, have mercy on us. Bread made flesh by the omnipotence of the Word, have mercy on us. Unbloody sacrifice, have mercy on us. At once our feast and our Guest, have mercy on us. Sweetest banquet, at which angels minister, have mercy on us. Sacrament of piety, have mercy on us. Bond of charity, have mercy on us. Priest and victim, have mercy on us. Spiritual sweetness tasted in its proper source, have mercy on us. Refreshment of holy souls, have mercy on us. Viaticum of such as die in the Lord, have mercy on us. Pledge of future glory, have mercy on us. Be merciful, spare us, O Lord. Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord. From an unworthy reception of Thy Body and Blood, O Lord, deliver us. From the lust of the flesh, O Lord, deliver us. From the lust of the eyes, O Lord, deliver us. From the pride of life, O Lord, deliver us. From every occasion of sin, O Lord, deliver us. Through the desire with which Thou didst long to eat this Passover with Thy disciples, O Lord, deliver us. Through that profound humility with which Thou didst wash their feet, O Lord, deliver us. Through that ardent charity by which Thou didst institute this Divine Sacrament, O Lord, deliver us. Through Thy Precious Blood, which Thou didst leave us on our altars, O Lord, deliver us. Through the five wounds of this Thy most holy Body, which Thou didst receive for us, O Lord, deliver us. 174
We sinners beseech Thee, hear us. That Thou wilt preserve and increase our faith, reverence, and devotion toward this admirable Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us. That Thou wilt conduct us, through a true confession of our sins, to a frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, we beseech Thee, hear us. That Thou wilt deliver us from all heresy, perfidy, and blindness of heart, we beseech Thee, hear us. That Thou wilt impart to us the precious and heavenly fruits of this most holy Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us. That at the hour of death Thou wilt strengthen and defend us by this heavenly Viaticum, we beseech Thee, hear us. Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Thou didst give them Bread from heaven, containing in Itself all sweetness. Let us pray. O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy passion, grant us the grace, we beseech Thee, so to venerate the Sacred Mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever continue to feel within ourselves the blessed fruit of Thy redemption, who livest and reignest, God forever and ever. AMEN.57
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Night Litany for the Blessed Sacrament God, our Father, hear us. We intercede before You, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for all who tonight in this world stand in the most need of Your merciful love and protection. On souls beset by temptation, have mercy. On those who have fallen into sin, have mercy. On those who are given up to worldliness and are forgetful of You, have mercy. On those who are at this moment in danger of losing You forever, have mercy. On those who are carrying on wicked trades and profit by sin, have mercy. On the victims of sin, have mercy. On those indulging in sinful amusements, have mercy. On all who are imperiling their souls by self-indulgence and luxury, have mercy. On all frequenting haunts of sin, have mercy. By Your scourging, save them, Jesus. On all who are out tonight, the homeless, the weary, the starving, the lonely, those tempted to suicide, the intemperate, have mercy. For those who are out to rescue others, grant them help and protection. On those in the entertainment industry, have mercy. On the President and all government officials, have mercy. For those who work at night, let Your presence be with them, Jesus. For the sick and suffering and all who are enduring any agony of mind or body, comfort them, Jesus. For all undergoing operations, strengthen them Jesus, and help them in body and soul. For the sleepless and lonely, be near them. For those in anxiety, nervous or mental distress, calm them. For the mentally ill, keep them under Your protection. For those who attend upon the mentally ill, make them tenderhearted and compassionate. For night nurses, give them faithfulness and sympathy. For priests and doctors called out this night, reward them. By Your crown of thorns, deliver them, Jesus. On abused, abandoned, and aborted children, have mercy. 176
On those who this night must suffer bereavement, have mercy. For those for whom this will be their last night on earth, deepen their contrition and receive their souls. On those whom sudden death summons before Your judgment, have mercy. On those dying alone without priest or sacraments, have mercy. On those dying, rejecting the ministry of Holy Church, have mercy. On those dying unconscious, have mercy. On those dying in their sin, have mercy. On the souls of unbelievers who are near death, have mercy. On those who are trying to turn to You even in their last hour, have mercy. For those who are afraid to die, turn their heaviness into joy. On dying priests and religious, have mercy on them and receive them to Yourself. For the faithful departed, grant them light and peace. For ourselves in our last hour, grant the pardon of our sins, our negligence, and our ignorance. By Your holy death, deliver us all, O Jesus. On behalf of those who neglect to praise God and thank Him, let us say: Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name. On behalf of those who blaspheme and neglect the Blessed Sacrament: Praised, worshipped, and adored be Jesus Christ on His throne of glory in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.58
PRAYERS FOR ADORATION
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Intercession
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doration is a most powerful form of prayer. Especially when we are first beginning regular times of adoration, it can be helpful to choose a certain intention for which to offer our holy hour. This approach can guide us in developing a habit of intercession and of focusing our thoughts and prayers on a specific need. Here are some suggested intentions: ♦ For a family member or loved one ♦ For a certain situation, event, or difficulty ♦ In reparation for the outrages Our Lord suffers in the Most Blessed Sacrament ♦ In reparation for our own sins and the sins of others ♦ For the conversion of sinners ♦ For missionaries and the work of evangelization ♦ For an end to abortion, euthanasia, and the culture of death ♦ For the Church ♦ For our Holy Father and our bishops ♦ For the sanctification of the priesthood ♦ For our own pastor, parish, bishop, and diocese ♦ For persecuted Christians ♦ For the poor souls in purgatory ♦ For the sick and the dying ♦ For those who are lonely or shut in ♦ For the poor ♦ For strong marriages and families ♦ For vocations to the priesthood and to religious life ♦ For growth in a certain virtue ♦ For discernment ♦ In thanksgiving for the blessings we have received ♦ For our president ♦ For our country ♦ For peace throughout the world and an end to war
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Invocations Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist, sweet companion of our exile, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, I adore Thee. Solitary heart, humiliated heart, I adore Thee. Abandoned heart, forgotten heart, I adore Thee. Despised heart, outraged heart, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, unknown by men, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, loving our hearts, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, desiring to be loved, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, patient in waiting for us, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, eager to grant our requests, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, desirous of being sought, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, source of new graces, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, wishing to speak to our souls, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, sweet refuge of the hidden life, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, teaching the secrets of divine union, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, heart of Him who sleeps yet ever watches, I adore Thee. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Jesus, victim! I wish to console Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish to unite myself with Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish to immolate myself with Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish to annihilate myself before Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish to forget myself to think of Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish to be forgotten and despised for love of Thee. Jesus, victim! I wish not to be loved or understood save only by Thee. Jesus, victim! I will be silent to listen to Thee. Jesus, victim! I will leave myself, to lose myself in Thee. Jesus, victim! Grant that I may thus quench Thy thirst. Eucharistic heart of my Jesus, whose Blood is the life of my soul, I will no longer live, but live, Thou, alone in me. Eucharistic heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, inflame our hearts with love for Thee. 179
May the heart of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. Praised and blessed at every moment be the most holy and divine Sacrament. Adoremus in aeternum—Sanctissimum Sacramentum: Let us adore forever—the Most Blessed Sacrament. Deo Gratias per Jesum in Sanctissimo Sacramento: Thanks be to God through Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.59
INTERCEDING FOR PRIESTS
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n 2007, the Congregation for Clergy produced a document entitled Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests and Spiritual Maternity. This was the fruit of their efforts to discover the root cause of priestly scandals and the decline of priestly vocations, and to offer a remedy. Looking with clarity at the heart of the matter, they were able to identify the only true remedy, a spiritual one: adoration and reparation for the sanctification of the priesthood. We know that Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament is the heart of our faith and the key to holiness for all the faithful. We also realize that the priesthood is essential for the future of the Church and the sacramental life of the faithful. When we have a clear realization of the depth of sacrifice called for in living out a priestly vocation—one that demands a complete self-gift poured out for the salvation of souls—then we come to a deeper understanding of our duty to help supply for the graces clergy need to live their calling faithfully, lovingly, fruitfully. The Holy See is appealing for a “common action in support of the ministerial priesthood,” to quote the 2007 document. This action involves “establishing true and proper cenacles in which clerics, religious, and lay people . . . may devote themselves to prayer, in the form of continuous Eucharistic adoration in a spirit of genuine and authentic reparation and purification.”60 This work is entrusted to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Eternal High Priest, and it is in union with her that we can effectively help bring about this renewal in the Church. It is a vital need in our Church today for souls to dedicate themselves to prayer on behalf of our priests. Holy priests will lead to stronger, holier faithful, and this in turn will yield an abundant harvest in the building up of Holy Mother Church. Our times of Eucharistic adoration are precious moments in which to remember the 180
needs of the clergy and offer loving reparation to the heart of our Redeemer on their behalf. Here are a few of the many beautiful prayers and devotions available to aid in this endeavor.
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Prayers for Priests Divine Savior Jesus Christ, who has entrusted the whole work of Your redemption, the welfare, and salvation of the world to priests as Your representatives, through the hands of Your most holy mother and for the sanctification of Your priests and candidates for the priesthood, I offer You this present day wholly and entirely, with all its prayers, works, joys, sacrifices, and sorrows. Give us truly holy priests who, inflamed with the fire of Your divine love, seek nothing but Your greater glory and the salvation of our souls. AMEN. O Almighty, Eternal God, look upon the face of Your Son and for love of Him, who is the Eternal High Priest, have pity on Your priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the bishop’s hands. Keep them close to You, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation. O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests; for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for the lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in purgatory. But above all, I commend to You the priests dearest to me, the priest who baptized me, the priests who have absolved me from my sins, the priests at whose Masses I have assisted and who have offered me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion, the priests who have taught and instructed me or helped and encouraged me, and the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. AMEN. CARDINAL RICHARD CUSHING (1895–1970) Lord Jesus, You have chosen Your priests from among us and sent them out to proclaim Your Word and to act in Your name. For so great a gift to Your Church, we give You praise and thanksgiving. We ask You to fill them with the fire of Your love, that their ministry may reveal Your presence in the Church. Since they are earthen vessels, we pray that Your power shine out through their weakness. In their afflictions let them never be crushed; in their doubts never despair; in temptation never be destroyed; in persecution never abandoned. Inspire them through prayer to live each day the mystery of Your dying and rising. In times of weakness send them Your Spirit, and help them to praise Your heavenly Father and pray for poor sinners. By the same Holy Spirit, put Your words on their lips and Your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the brokenhearted. And may the gift of Mary Your mother, to the disciple whom You love, be your gift to every priest. Grant that she 182
who formed You in her human image may, by her intercession, help to form them in Your divine image by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. AMEN. O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Your priests within the shelter of Your Most Sacred Heart, where none can touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Your sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips daily tinged with Your precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Your holy love surround and protect them from the world’s contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here, and their everlasting crown in eternity. AMEN. ST. T HÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
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Rosary Reflections for Priests: The Joyful Mysteries The Annunciation
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he angel Gabriel announces to Mary, a virgin, that she will become the Mother of God, the Word made flesh. For all centuries to come, Jesus will become flesh in the Holy Eucharist to nourish us in a most intimate union with Him. We pray for all priests who daily through the words of the consecration at Mass, and through Holy Communion, bring us the Body and Blood of Christ. We pray for all future priests now being formed in the wombs of their mothers, that they may be safe from physical harm, and come to ordination as God intends. We pray for all future generations of priests. We pray also that priests may treasure the gift of celibacy. The Visitation
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ary visits her cousin, Elizabeth, who recognizes Mary as the living tabernacle for their divine Lord. We pray especially for priests who bring Holy Communion to the sick and the shut-ins, and Viaticum to the dying. We pray for all the priests who minister to the sick in other ways, to counsel, comfort and console them. The Nativity of Jesus
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esus is born in Bethlehem. The angels announce His birth; kings and shepherds come to adore Him. We pray that all seminarians grow in knowledge and love of God to become holy priests. We pray especially for those who will be ordained soon, that they remain faithful all their lives to the sublime privilege of being “other Christs” among us. We pray that everyone will come to value the Eucharistic feast and the priesthood as among God’s greatest gifts to us. We pray that every priest will consider himself a member of the Holy Family, a true son of Mary and Joseph, and a brother priest of Jesus, the great High Priest. The Presentation in the Temple
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ary and Joseph, in obedience to the Law of Moses, bring Jesus to the Temple to be dedicated to God. Simeon expresses his gratitude to God for revealing the Messiah to him before he dies. We thank God for all priests who, like Simeon, have given us decades of faithful service. We pray that they may be rewarded for their generosity and self-sacrifice. We pray also for all priests whose hearts are pierced by loneliness, depression, and rejection. 184
Finding Jesus in the Temple
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esus is found among the teachers in the Temple. He returns home and is obedient to Mary and Joseph. We pray that priests will always be found going about their Father’s business and will be obedient to the teaching of the magisterium of the Church, our Holy Father, and the bishops in communion with him. We pray for all young priests that the love and dedication they experience in the first years of their priesthood may increase in the future. We pray for all priests who teach the Faith to children and adults.
The Sorrowful Mysteries The Agony in the Garden
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he Apostles fall asleep. Jesus sweats blood at the thought of His coming passion and death. Angels come to comfort Him. We pray that all priests may live only to do our Father’s will, as Jesus always did.
Jesus Is Scourged
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esus is cruelly scourged and beaten by the soldiers. We pray for priests who are persecuted; physically or mentally abused; imprisoned or prevented from offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or receiving Communion. We pray for those priests living under Communist [and other political] oppression. Jesus Is Crowned With Thorns
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esus is mocked as King, and His precious head is cruelly pierced by thorns. We pray for priests who suffer for defending authentic Catholic doctrine. We pray that all bishops will uphold the true teachings of the Catholic Church and resist temptations to compromise doctrine in the face of cultural and social pressures. Jesus Carries His Cross
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ruised, bleeding, and exhausted, Jesus is forced to drag Himself and His cross up the hill of Calvary. We pray for all priests with heavy crosses; those who are weak, lonely, or have fallen from God’s grace in some way. We pray for the Holy Father, who perhaps has the heaviest of crosses; the widespread persecution and abandonment of the Church from within and without. 185
Jesus Dies on the Cross
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esus sheds His last drops of precious blood to redeem us from sin and death. We pray for all priests who are in their last agony and those who will die today. We pray for those who thirst for the salvation of souls. We pray that the crucifixion of their wills may accomplish God’s designs for the salvation of the whole world. We pray that priests may take Mary into their hearts, as St. John the Apostle, one of the first priests, took Mary into his home.
The Glorious Mysteries The Resurrection
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esus rises from the dead and appears to the Apostles. We pray that priests will remember that the Crucifixion is followed by the Resurrection: Darkness is always followed by light. We pray that all priests may share the joy of the risen Christ. The Ascension
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esus instructs His apostles and returns to His Father in heaven. We pray that priests may carry out Jesus’ instructions to evangelize the whole world, instructing and baptizing countless souls. We pray for missionaries who live lives of utter poverty and deprivation in order to bring the gospel to all people. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
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he Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles, who are gathered with Mary. We pray that priests may be open to the graces of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them for the task of bringing souls to God and God to souls. We pray that they may be on fire to convert the most hardened sinners and bring God’s love to the whole world. The Assumption
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ary is taken, body and soul, to heaven. While she was on earth, she loved and prayed for the Apostles, the first priests. We pray that priests will be devoted to Mary and find in her the love and comfort of a mother, the most powerful intercession of our greatest saint, and the surest refuge against Satan and his cohorts, who seek destruction of priests and the priesthood. 186
The Coronation
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ary is crowned queen of heaven and earth; she is rewarded for her faithfulness to God. We pray that Mary, Queen of the Clergy, will be their model of faith and joy, and their constant guide until they reach heaven, where a crown, jeweled with many souls entrusted to them on the day of their ordination, will be their reward for faithful and loving service. JOHN CARDINAL CARBERRY (1904–98)
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A Scriptural Rosary for Priests: Opening Reflection
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he fingers of the priest which have touched the adorable Flesh of Jesus Christ, been dipped in the chalice which has held His Blood, and in the ciborium which has held His Body—they are precious. The priest is to you as a mother, as a nurse to a baby. She gives him his food; he has only to open his mouth. “There, my little one, eat,” the mother says to you; “this is the Body of Jesus Christ; may it keep you and bring you to eternal life!” . . . A child rushes to his mother when he sees her . . . So in the presence of the priest your soul springs naturally towards him; it runs to meet him, but is held back by the bonds of the flesh in men who give all to the senses and live only for the body. At the sight of a spire you may say, “What is there? The Body of our Lord. Why is it there? Because a priest has been there and he said holy Mass.” The priest is everything, after God!61 ST. JOHN VIANNEY
The Luminous Mysteries The Baptism of Our Lord in the River Jordan: The Priest as Servant
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hen Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for Us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:13–17). The apostle Paul had a clear and sure understanding of this point. Writing to the Christians of the church in Corinth, he refers to “ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). Above all, this was the explicit and programmatic teaching of Jesus when He entrusted to Peter the ministry of shepherding the flock only after his threefold affirmation of love, indeed only after he had expressed a preferential love: “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter . . . said to Him, ‘Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep’” (Jn 21:17).62 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II, PASTORES DABO VOBIS
Eternal Father, You blessed Your Son Jesus at the moment of His baptism at the Jordan when You declared: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” 188
Bless the priest with Your fatherly affirmation and speak to his heart the words he longs to hear: “You are My beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” Bless him that he may understand he is precious in Your sight. Help him to benefit from the release of sacramental grace, especially baptismal grace wherein he is restored; and the grace of holy orders wherein he is anointed to be an alter Christus. When he considers the selfless outpouring of his life, the determined sacrifice of his will, and the needs of those he serves, grant him courage. Help him to submit himself humbly as Jesus did when John baptized Him. May the words of Simon Peter be on his lips: “Lord, You know everything; you know that I love You.” Graciously help him remember that to serve is to reign. Never let him be parted from Your love that empowers him to be a faithful servant. We entrust the priest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. AMEN. Jesus’ Self-Manifestation at the Wedding at Cana: The Priest as Missionary
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n the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with His disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from . . . the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. Jn 2:1–11
[T]he spiritual life of the priest should be profoundly marked by a missionary zeal and dynamism. In the exercise of their ministry and the witness of their lives, priests have the duty to form the community entrusted to them as a truly missionary community. As I wrote in the encyclical Redemptoris Missio, “all priests must have the mind and heart of missionaries open to the needs of the Church and the world, with concern for those farthest away and especially for the non-Christian groups in their area. They should have at heart, in their prayers and particularly at the Eucharistic sacrifice, the concern of the whole Church for all of humanity.”63 189
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Eternal Father, the glorious miracle at Cana manifests the obedience and humility of Jesus whose heart is enkindled in missionary zeal. Conformed to the heart of Jesus, the priest can expand his mind and heart to reach around the globe. At the altar of sacrifice he is one with the Eternal High Priest interceding for humanity. This is the greatest miracle of all. You make the priest the new wineskin filled with the best wine to bless Your people with joy. Graciously help the priest to discern the gentle nudge of his Mother Mary who will prompt him to act in union with the Holy Spirit. Through Mary’s maternal intercession, may he become a vessel of miracles so that people will come back to the Church and believe! Lead the priest to generous self-giving because he has drunk the wine of Your love that is missionary. We entrust the priest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. AMEN. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God: The Priest and the Proclamation of the Gospel
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ow after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mk 1:14–17
For all Christians without exception, the radicalism of the gospel represents a fundamental, undeniable demand flowing from the call of Christ to follow and imitate Him by virtue of the intimate communion of life with Him brought about by the Spirit (see Mt 8:18ff; 10:37ff; Mk 8:34–38; 10:17–21; Lk 9:57ff). This same demand is made anew to priests, not only because they are “in” the Church, but because they are “in the forefront” of the Church inasmuch as they are configured to Christ, the Head and Shepherd, equipped for and committed to the ordained ministry, and inspired by pastoral charity. Within and as a manifestation of the radicalism of the gospel one can find a blossoming of many virtues and ethical demands which are decisive for the pastoral and spiritual life of the priest, such as faith, humility in relation to the mystery of God, mercy, and prudence.64 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II, PASTORES DABO VOBIS 190
Eternal Father, at the Last Supper Your Son proclaimed: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it you” (Jn 15:15). Father, if the priest is met with criticism of his proclamation of the gospel, support him so that nothing extinguishes his zeal for the truth. Let the faithful see in their priest the harmony of what he says and lives. Transform the mind and heart of the priest so that his only proclamation is that of Jesus and the Church. We entrust the priest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. AMEN. The Transfiguration of Our Lord: The Priest and Divine Love
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fter six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, [James’] brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And He was transfigured before them, and His face became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if You wish, I will make three booths here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking, when behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Mt 17:1–8
The consciousness that one is a minister of Jesus Christ the Head and Shepherd also brings with it a thankful and joyful awareness that one has received a singular grace and treasure from Jesus Christ: the grace of having been freely chosen by the Lord to be a “living instrument” in the work of salvation. This choice bears witness to Jesus Christ’s love for the priest. This love, like other loves and yet even more so, demands a response. Jesus first asks Peter if he loves Him so as to be able to entrust His flock to him. However, in reality it was Christ’s own love, free and unsolicited, which gave rise to His question to Peter and to His act of entrusting “His” sheep to Peter. Therefore, every ministerial action—while it leads to loving and serving the Church—provides an incentive to grow in every greater love and service of Jesus Christ the Head, Shepherd, and Spouse of the Church, a love which is always a response to the free and unsolicited love of God in Christ. Growth in the love of Jesus Christ determines in turn the growth of 191
love for the Church.65 P OPE ST. JOHN P AUL II, PASTORES DABO VOBIS
Eternal Father, we give You glory that at Mount Tabor You revealed to Peter, James and John the truth of Your ineffable Love for Jesus when You said the words that every priest longs to hear: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” We beg You to allow the priest to experience Your healing Love; ground him in the firmness of the Trinitarian embrace. Help the priest to respond with profound gratitude to the reality that he is Your son, chosen and loved by You. May he be aware of the awesomeness of what is entrusted to him—the salvation of souls, the truths of the faith, the most sacred mysteries. May a ray of the celestial light that Peter, James and John saw on Mt. Tabor pierce the priest’s heart, confirm his vocation and strengthen him to be radiant with love. We entrust the priest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. AMEN. The Institution of the Holy Eucharist: The Priest and the Eucharist
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ow as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a chalice, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Mt 26:26–29
Pastoral charity, which has its specific source in the sacrament of Holy Orders, finds its full expression and its supreme nourishment in the Eucharist. As the Council states, “This pastoral charity flows mainly from the Eucharistic sacrifice, which is thus the center and root of the whole priestly life. The priestly soul strives thereby to apply to itself the action which takes place on the altar of sacrifice.” Indeed, the Eucharist re-presents, makes once again present, the sacrifice of the Cross, the full gift of Christ to the Church, the gift of His Body given and His Blood shed, as the supreme witness of the fact that He is Head and Shepherd, Servant and Spouse of the Church. Precisely because of this, the priest’s pastoral charity not only flows from the Eucharist but finds in the celebration of the Eucharist its highest realization—just as it is from the Eucharist that he receives the grace and obligation to give his whole life a “sacrificial” dimension.66 192
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Almighty and Eternal Father, please help the priest at all times to realize that his Eucharistic mission unites heaven and earth. At the altar of sacrifice he echoes the words of Jesus at the Last Supper: “Take, eat, this is my body.” For the priest these words are personal because he, in union with Christ, is being offered on behalf of the Church. Graciously help him never to pray the Holy Mass superficially. At the elevation of the Sacred Host, consecrated and broken, plunge him into the mystery of Divine Love to strengthen his faith, hope and love. Preserve the priest from offending the Lamb who, at the altar, becomes vulnerable in the priest’s anointed hands. Grant his hands to be clean and holy. May the crimson cloak of the Precious Blood be for the priest his mystical vestment of glory and joy. May the Eucharist be his consolation always! We entrust the priest to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. AMEN.67
DEVOTIONS FOR EUCHARISTIC EXPOSITION AND BENEDICTION
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Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
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he altar server(s) and celebrant enter the Church as all stand. The congregation kneels while the celebrant places the luna with the Host into the monstrance on the altar. Once the celebrant has reached the front of the altar and kneels, he will lead all in singing the hymn “O Salutaris Hostia” (“O Saving Victim”): O Salutáris Hóstia Quae caeli pandis óstium: Bella premunt hostília, Da robur, fer auxílium Uni trinóque Dómino Sit sempitérna glória, Qui vitam sine término Nobis donet in pátria. AMEN. O Saving Victim, op’ning wide The gate of heav’n to man below, Our foes press on from ev’ry side; Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow. To Thy great name be endless praise, Immortal Godhead, One in Three. O grant us endless length of days In our true native land with Thee. AMEN.
After the celebrant has incensed the monstrance, he may leave the Blessed Sacrament exposed for an extended time of adoration, or Scripture readings, meditations, or prayers may follow.
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Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
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hile the celebrant incenses the monstrance, all sing the hymn “Tantum Ergo” (“Down in Adoration Falling”):
Tantum ergo sacraméntum Venerémur cérnui: Et antíquum documéntum Novo cedat rítui Praestet fides suppleméntum Sénsuum deféctui. Genitóri, Genitóque Laus et jubilátio Salus, honor, virtus quoque Sit et benedicto: Procedénti ab utróque Compar sit laudátio. AMEN. Down in adoration falling Lo, the sacred Host we hail; Lo, o’er ancient forms departing, Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father, And the Son who reigns on high, With the Spirit blest proceeding Forth from each eternally, Be salvation, honor, blessing, Might and endless majesty. AMEN.
All remain kneeling when the celebrant says, “Let us pray”: Lord Jesus Christ, You gave us the Eucharist
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as the memorial of Your suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of Your Body and Blood help us to experience the salvation You won for us and the peace of the kingdom where You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.
The celebrant then blesses all present with the Most Blessed Sacrament. After the Benediction is concluded, the celebrant places the monstrance on the altar and kneels. He then leads the congregation in the Divine Praises: Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy. Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
He may add, “May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. AMEN.” After the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the Tabernacle, all stand and sing “Holy God We Praise Thy Name”: Holy God, we praise Thy name; Lord of all, we bow before Thee! All on earth Thy scepter claim, 196
All in heaven above adore Thee; Infinite Thy vast domain, Everlasting is Thy reign. Hark! the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising, Cherubim and seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising; Fill the heavens with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy, Lord! Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee; While in essence only One, Undivided God we claim Thee; And adoring bend the knee, While we own the mystery. AMEN.
MAKING A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
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beautiful practice during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament is to make an act of spiritual communion. To make a spiritual communion is to express a desire to be deeply united with Christ when actual reception of the Blessed Sacrament is not possible. Some of the saints offered continual acts of this nature, so as to foster an intimate communion with Our Lord at every moment. St. Thomas Aquinas says that spiritual communion consists of “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.” He notes that a “complete spiritual communion can even take place when we are unable to receive sacramentally, because ‘the effect of a sacrament can be secured if it is received by desire.’” Other saints and spiritual writers have spoken enthusiastically about this form of devotion. “When we feel the love of God growing cold,” recommends St. John Vianney, “let us instantly make a spiritual communion. When we cannot go to the church, let us turn towards the tabernacle; no wall can shut us out from the good God.” “In this golden chalice I put your sacramental communions,” Our Lord said to St. Catherine of Siena. “In this silver chalice I put your spiritual communions. Both chalices are quite pleasing to Me.” 197
“When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass,” insisted St. Teresa of Ávila, “you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; for great is the love of Our Lord which is in this way infused into the soul. For when we prepare ourselves to receive Him, He never fails to give Himself to us in many modes which we comprehend not.” Fr. John Hardon observes: “Spiritual communion, made in acts of faith and love during the day, is highly recommended by the Church. According to the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the faithful ‘who receive the Eucharist in spirit’ are ‘those who, inflamed with a lively faith that works in charity, partake in wish and desire of the celestial Bread offered to them, receive from it, if not the entire, at least very great benefits.’”68 There is no specific formula for making a spiritual communion. It may be expressed by a simple desire of the heart, or a short phrase such as “Lord Jesus, come!” But here are some suggested prayers.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and I unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. AMEN.
Come, my dearest Jesus, come into this poor heart of mine; come and satiate my desires, come and sanctify my soul; come, my sweetest Jesus, come and remain with me always. AMEN.
My Savior and my God! I am not worthy to appear before Thee, for I am a poor sinner; yet I approach Thee with confidence in Thy goodness and mercy, for Thou hast said, “Come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.” Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart. I am truly sorry for my sins, because by them I have offended Thee, who are infinitely good. Whatever may have been my foolish transgressions in the past, I love Thee now above all things, and with all my heart. I have a great desire, a vehement longing, O divine Spouse of my soul, to receive Thee in Holy Communion, and since I cannot now receive Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, I beseech Thee to come to me spiritually and to refresh my soul with Thy sweetness. Come, my Lord, my God, and my All! Come to me, and let me never again be separated from Thee by sin. Teach me Thy blessed ways; help me with Thy grace to practice meekness, humility, charity, and all the virtues of Thy Sacred Heart. Receive 198
me, as one who wishes to follow Thee, and let me live and labor and suffer and pray in union with Thee, for the glory of God, for the accomplishment of the heavenly Father’s will, and for the salvation of souls. Jesus, I give Thee my heart with all its affections, my soul with all its powers, and my body with all its senses. My divine Master, help me with Thy grace, that I may be ever mindful of Thy presence, and that I may be faithful to the end in Thy service. Bless me in life and in death, that I may praise Thee forever in heaven. AMEN.69
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Hymns of Adoration Godhead Here in Hiding (Adoro Te)
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in Thee deceived: How says trusty hearing? That shall be believed; What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true. On the Cross Thy Godhead made no sign to men, Here the very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call Thee Lord and God as he; Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O thou our reminder of Christ crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom He died, Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind, There be Thou the sweetness man was meant to find. Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican; Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran, Blood whereof a single drop has power to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light
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And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight. ST. T HOMAS AQUINAS Of the Glorious Body Telling (Pange Lingua)
Of the glorious Body telling, O my tongue, its mysteries sing, And the Blood, all price excelling, Which the world’s eternal King, In a noble womb once dwelling, Shed for this world’s ransoming. Given for us, for us descending, Of a Virgin to proceed, Man with man in converse blending Scattered He the gospel seed, Till His sojourn drew to ending, Which He closed in wondrous deed. At the last great Supper lying Circled by His brethren’s band, Meekly with the Law complying, First He finished its command, Then, immortal Food supplying, Gave Himself with His own Hand. Word made Flesh, by word He maketh Very bread His Flesh to be; Man in wine Christ’s Blood partaketh: And if senses fail to see, Faith alone the true heart waketh To behold the Mystery. Therefore we, before Him bending, This great Sacrament revere; Types and shadows have their ending, For the newer rite is here; 201
Faith, our outward sense befriending, Makes the inward vision clear. Glory let us give, and blessing, To the Father, and the Son, Honor, might, and praise addressing, While eternal ages run; Ever too His love confessing, Who from Both with Both is One. AMEN. ST. T HOMAS AQUINAS Thee We Adore, O Hidden Savior, Thee
Thee we adore, O hidden Savior, Thee, Who in Thy Sacrament dost deign to be; Both flesh and spirit at Thy Presence fail, Yet here Thy Presence we devoutly hail. O blest Memorial of our dying Lord, Who Living Bread to men does here afford! O may our souls forever on Thee feed, And Thou, O Christ, forever precious be. Fountain of Goodness, Jesu, Lord and God, Cleanse us unclean with Thy most cleansing Blood; Increase our faith and love, that we may know The hope and peace which from Thy Presence flow. O Christ, whom now beneath a veil we see, May what we thirst for soon our portion be, To gaze on Thee unveil’d and see Thy Face, The vision of Thy glory and Thy grace. ST. T HOMAS AQUINAS O Bread of Heaven
O Bread of heav’n! beneath this veil, Thou dost my very God conceal. 202
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail! I love Thee and adoring kneel. Each loving soul by Thee is fed With Thine own Self in form of bread. O Food of life, Thou who dost give The pledge of immortality: I live; no, ’tis not I that live. God gave me life, God lives in me. He feeds my soul, He guides my ways, And with joy every grief repays. My dearest Good! Who dost so bind My heart with countless chains to Thee! O sweetest Love, my soul shall find In Thy dear bonds true liberty; Thyself Thou hast bestowed on me, Thine, Thine forever I will be. ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI Hail! Thou Living Bread
Hail! Thou living Bread from heaven Sacrament of awesome might! I adore Thee, I adore Thee; Ev’ry moment day and night. Holiest Jesu! Heart of Jesu! O’er me shed your gift divine, Holiest Jesu! My Redeemer! All my heart and soul are Thine. EDWARD CASWALL That He Who Lay on Mary’s Knee
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Was the dear Guest at Bethany, And bled and died on Calvary, That He in truth abides with me I hold with faith’s sure certainty, O God, O hidden Deity, Profoundly I here worship Thee, Jesus! My Master! O God, most wonderful in all Thy ways, Most in this Mystery of love, upraise, My heart to Thee in canticles of praise, Jesus! My Master! And since my hungry soul this day is fed With “meat indeed,” with Thee the living Bread, Give me to live by Thee as Thou hast said, Jesus! My Master! MOTHER LOYOLA Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all How can I love Thee as I ought? And how revere this wondrous gift, So far surpassing hope or thought? Sweet Sacrament! We Thee adore! O make us love Thee more and more! O make us love Thee more and more! Had I but Mary’s sinless heart To love Thee with, my dearest King; Oh, with what bursts of fervent praise Thy goodness, Jesus, would I sing. Thy Body, Soul, and Godhead, all! O mystery of love divine! 204
I cannot compass all I have, For all Thou hast and art are mine! Sound, sound His praises higher still, And come, ye angels to our aid, ’Tis God! The very God, Whose power both men and angels made! FR. FREDERICK W. FABER
HYMNS FOR A LONGING SOUL Lord, to Thine Altar Let Me Go
Lord, to Thine altar let me go, Thy child of weariness and woe, My home to find; From sin and sense set free, Absorbed alone in love to Thee, Able to leave in liberty The world behind. Jesu, be Thou my heavenly Food, Sweet Source divine of every good. Center of rest; One with Thy heart let me be found Prostrate upon that holy ground Where grace and peace abound, Drawn from Thy breast. There let me move and live and die, As fast the fleeing moments fly, Sands in a glass; Which time may shake with restless hand, Yet only at Thine own command, Till to a dearer, happier land 205
My soul shall pass. Then, then unveiled wilt Thou appear To those, who walking with Thee here, These wilds have trod; In faith, that with the cherubim, The saints, and hosts of seraphim, They too may join the eternal hymn To Thee, O God. FR. FREDERICK W. FABER Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face
Here, O my Lord, I see Thee Face to face; Here would I touch and handle things unseen, Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace, And all my weariness upon Thee lean. Here would I feed upon the Bread of God, Here drink with Thee the royal wind of heav’n. There would I lay aside each earthly load, Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiv’n. HORATIUS BONAR Jesus, Jesus, Come to Me
Jesus, Jesus, come to me; Oh, how much I long for Thee! Come, Thou of all friends the best; Come and dwell within my breast. Empty is all worldly joy, Ever mixed with some alloy; Give me my true Sov’reign Good; Jesus, thine own Flesh and Blood. On the Cross three hours for me, Thou didst hang in agony; 206
I my heart to Thee resign, O what rapture to be Thine! Comfort my poor soul distressed, Come and dwell within my breast, Oh, how oft I sigh for Thee, Jesus, Jesus, come to me! ANGELUS SILESIUS Jesus, Lord, Be Thou My Own
Jesus, Lord, be Thou my own; Thee I long for, Thee alone; All myself I give to Thee; Do whate’er Thou wilt with me. Jesus, Thou my heart inflame, Give that love which Thou dost claim; Recompense I’ll ask for none: Love is all when love is won. God of mercy, Lord of light, Thy good will is my delight; Now henceforth Thy will divine ever shall in all be mine. ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread
Be known to us in breaking bread, But do not then depart; Savior, abide with us and spread Thy table in our heart. Lord, sup with us in love divine; Thy Body and Thy Blood. That living Bread, that heavenly wine, Be our immortal food. 207
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Hymns of Faith in the Real Presence The Word of God, Proceeding Forth
The Word of God, proceeding forth, Yet leaving not His Father’s side, And going to His work on earth, Had reached at length life’s eventide. By false disciple to be given To foemen for His blood athirst, Himself, the living Bread from heaven, He gave to His disciples first. In twofold form of Sacrament He gave His Flesh, He gave His Blood, That man, of twofold substance blent, Might wholly feed on mystic Food. In birth man’s fellowman was He, His meat while sitting at the board; He died, his ransomer to be, He reigns to be his great reward. O Saving Victim, opening wide The gate of heaven to man below, Our foes press hard on every side, Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow. All praise and thanks to Thee ascend Forevermore, blest One in Three; O grant us life that shall not end In our true native land with Thee. ST. T HOMAS AQUINAS Not in Symbol, Not in Sign
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But in very Presence near, God Incarnate, Man Divine, Under form of bread and wine, Jesus Christ Himself is here. Priest and Sacrifice remaining, By the priests whom He doth send, Christ to God, o’er all things reigning Offers up Himself, obtaining My salvation to the end. Therefore I my heart upraising, Kneel this Sacrament before, Contemplate His love amazing And with saints and angels praising, On the altar Christ adore. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, When on earth we end our days, Not to us, but Thine the merit, That Thy Kingdom we inherit, Through this sacrifice of praise. CAROLINE F. LITTLE O God, Unseen Yet Ever Near!
O God, unseen yet ever near, Thy presence may we feel; And thus inspired with holy fear, Before Thine altar kneel. Here may Thy faithful people know The blessings of Thy love, The streams that through the desert flow, The manna from above. We come, obedient to Thy word, 210
To feast on heavenly Food; Our meat, the Body of the Lord, Our drink, His precious Blood. Thus may we all Thy Word obey, For we, O God, are Thine; And go rejoicing on our way, Renewed with strength divine. EDWARD OSLEY
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Hymns for Those in Need and Distress Be Still, My Soul, for God Is Near
Be still, my soul, for God is near, The great High Priest is with thee now! The Lord of life Himself is here, Before whose Face the angels bow. To make Thy heart His lowly throne, Thy Savior God in love draws nigh, He gives Himself unto His own, For whom He once came down to die. He pleads before the mercy seat He pleads with God, He pleads for thee; He gives thee Bread from heaven to eat His Flesh and Blood in mystery. I come, O Lord! For Thou dost call To blend my pleading prayer with Thine; To Thee I give myself, my all, And feed on Thee and make Thee mine. WILLIAM DALRYMPLE MACLAGAN O Christ, Our True and Only Light
O Christ, our true and only light, Illumine those who sit in night; Let those afar now hear Your voice, And in Your fold with us rejoice. Lord, gently seek [those] gone astray, That they may follow in Your way. Your healing grace let them be giv’n, That they may one day share Your heav’n. Make those in doubt, now share Your word, 212
And teach them to profess it, Lord, Who dare not yet the faith avow, Though secretly they hold it now. Shine on the darkened and the cold, Recall the wand’rers from Your fold, Those now unite who walk apart Confirm the weak and doubting heart. So they with us may evermore Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore; And endless praise to You be giv’n By all Your Church in earth and heav’n. JOHANN HEERMANN O Lamb of God, Still Keep Me
O Lamb of God, still keep me Near to Thy wounded side; ’Tis only there in safety And peace I can abide. What foes and snares surround me; What lusts and fears within! The grace that sought and found me Alone can keep me clean. ’Tis only in Thee hiding, I feel my life secure; In Thee alone abiding, The conflict can endure: Thine arm the vict’ry gaineth O’er ev’ry hurtful foe; Thy love my heart sustaineth In all its care and woe. Soon shall my eyes behold Thee, With rapture, face to face; 213
One half hath not been told me Of all Thy power and grace; Thy beauty, Lord, and glory, The wonders of Thy love, Shall be the endless story Of all the saints above. JAMES GEORGE DECK Abide With Us, Our Savior
Abide with us, our Savior, let not Your mercy cease; From Satan’s might defend us, and give our hearts Your peace. Abide with us, our Helper, sustain us by Your Word; Let us and all Your people to living faith be stirred. Abide with us, Redeemer, O Light, eternal Light; Your truth direct and guide us to flee from error’s night. To Father, Son, and Spirit all praise and glory be, Who were and are forever the eternal One in Three. JOSHUA STEGMANN My Loving Savior! Ah, What Depth of Love!
My loving Savior! Ah, what depth of love Hath made Thee leave Thy heavenly throne above And come to visit me, to be my Food, To make my sinful body Thy abode; To shield me from the world, to make me pure, To give me strength, with patience to endure. Ah, let me with a burning soul draw near, And fondly, with St. John, without a fear, Lean my poor head upon Thy loving breast, And in Thy sacred arms serenely rest. Depart, each earthly care, each worldly smile; Leave me alone with Jesus for a while. 214
Sweet Jesus! By this Sacrament of Love All gross affections from my heart remove; Let but Thy lovingkindness linger there, Preserved by grace and perfected by prayer; And let me to my neighbor strive to be As mild and gentle as Thou art to me. Take Thou the guidance of my whole career, That to displease Thee be my only fear; Give me that peace the world can never give, And in Thy loving Presence let me live. Ah! Show me always, Lord, Thy holy will And to each troubled thought say, “Peace, be still!” R. T RAINER And Now, O Father, Mindful of the Love
And now, O Father, mindful of the love That bought us, once for all on Calvary’s tree, And having with us, Him that pleads above, We here present, we here spread forth to Thee, That only Offering, perfect in Thine eyes, The one, true, pure, immortal Sacrifice. Look Father, look on His anointed face, And only look on us as found in Him; Look not on our misusing’s of Thy grace, Our prayers so languid, and our faith so dim, For lo, between our sins and their reward, We set the passion of Thy Son, our Lord. And then for those our dearest and our best By this prevailing Presence, we appeal; O fold them closer to Thy mercy’s breast; O do Thine utmost for their soul’s true weal; From tainting mischief keep them white and clear, And crown their gifts with strength to persevere. 215
And so we come; oh, draw us to Thy feet, Most patient Savior who can love us still, And by this Food, so awful and so sweet, Deliver us from every touch of ill; In Thine own service make us glad and free, And grant us never more to part with Thee. WILLIAM BRIGHT Jesu, Ever Present!
Jesu, ever present with Thy Church below, In the day of gladness, in the night of woe, From Thy holy altar life divine bestow. There we kneel before Thee, pleading Face to face; There with awe adore Thee, thirsting for Thy grace, That our hearts, O Savior, may Thyself embrace. We are weak and sinful and no love can claim, But withhold not from us, by Thy sacred Name, Light to keep our footsteps from the paths of shame. Strength to fight the battle with the powers of death; Truth to hold us steadfast in Thy holy faith; Comfort to sustain us to our latest breath. Jesu, ever present with Thy Church below, Hear us in our sadness, hear us in our woe; When our souls are hungry, Bread of life bestow. G. H. SMYTTAN
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FURTHER READING The Blessed Sacrament: God With Us. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 2001. Carberry, John J. Reflections and Prayers for Visits With Our Eucharistic Lord. Boston: Pauline, 1992. Eymard, St. Peter Julian. The Eymard Library, vols. 1–9. Cleveland: Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, 1947. ———. My Eucharistic Day: Rules and Practices Recommended by St. Peter Julian Eymard. Libertyville, IL: Franciscan Marytown Press, 1954. Faber, Frederick William. The Blessed Sacrament. Rockford, IL: TAN Books, 1978. Groeschel, Benedict J., and James Monti. In the Presence of Our Lord: The History, Theology, and Psychology of Eucharistic Devotion. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1997. Guernsey, Daniel P., ed. Adoration: Eucharistic Texts and Prayers Throughout Church History. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1999. Hardon, John A. Catechism on the Real Presence. Bardstown, KY: Eternal Life, 1998. Korn, Daniel. Prayers and Devotions for Eucharistic Holy Hour. Liguori, MO: Liguori, 2000. Liguori, St. Alphonsus. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin. Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 2013. Manelli, Stefano. Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love: Eucharistic Life Exemplified by the Saints. New Bedford, MA: Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, 1996. McHugh, Joan Carter, ed. My Daily Eucharist. Lake Forest, IL: Witness Ministries, 1995. ———. My Daily Eucharist II. Lake Forest, IL: Witness Ministries, 1997. Mueller, Michael. The Blessed Eucharist. Baltimore: Kellet & Piet, 1868. Blessed Pope Paul VI. Mysterium Fidei (1965). Pitre, Brant, PhD. The Bible and the Mass: The Jewish Roots of Christian Liturgy. New Orleans: Catholic Productions, 2011. CD-ROM. 217
Reuter, Frederick A. Moments Divine Before the Blessed Sacrament: Historic and Legendary Readings and Prayers. New York: H. L. Kilner, 1922. Thigpen, Paul. Jesus, We Adore You: Prayers Before the Blessed Sacrament. Ann Arbor, MI: Servant, 2001.
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NOTES 1. For a more detailed survey of the history of Eucharistic adoration, see Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., “The History of Eucharistic Adoration: Development of Doctrine in the Catholic Church,” © 2000 Inter Mirifica, Inc., http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/history.htm. 2. “Adoration,” in Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary (Bardstown, KY: Eternal Life Publications, 2000), 13. 3. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, Inc.— Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1994, 1997), par. 1378–80. 4. Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, trans. H. J. Schroeder, O.P. (repr., Rockford, IL: TAN Books, 1978), 76. 5. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5, in The Documents of Vatican II, ed. Walter M. Abbott, S.J., trans. ed. Joseph Gallagher (New York: America Press, 1966), 543. 6. Pope St. John Paul II, Incarnationis Mysterium: Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee Year of 2000 (1998), 11. 7. Pope St. John Paul II, Dominicae Cenae (1980), 3. 8. Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Mediator Dei (1947), 127. 9. Pope St. John Paul II, Letter to Priests (2005), 6. 10. Pope St. John Paul II, Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003), 25. 11. Letter to Priests, 6. 12. Mediator Dei, 131. 13. Pope St. John Paul II, Message for World Mission Day (2004), 3. 14. Pope St. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Europa (2003), 75. 15. Blessed Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Mysterium Fidei (1965), 67. 16. Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Mirae Caritatis (1902), 13. 17. Mirae Caritatis, 14. 18. Mirae Caritatis, 15. 19. Mirae Caritatis, 9. 20. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 11. 21. Pope Benedict XVI, Homily for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, L’Osservatore Romano, May 22, 2008. 22. Pope Benedict XVI, L’Osservatore Romano, March 18, 2009. 23. Pope Francis, Homily on Pastoral Visit to Cassano All’jonio, June 21, 2014. 24. Pope St. John Paul II, Homily at the 45th International Eucharistic Congress, L’Osservatore Romano, June 23, 1993. 25. Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, “Instruction on Prayers for Healing” (2000), 5, quoting Rituale Romanum, Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II instauratum, Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, De Sacra Communione et de Cultu Mysterii Eucharistici Extra Missam, Editio typica, Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1973, 82. 26. Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, “The Priest and the Third Christian Millennium: Teacher of the Word, Minister of the Sacraments, Leader of the Community” (1999), 2, quoting Second Vatican Council, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, nn. 5, 6. 27. Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, “Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests” (1994), 5, 50; see C.I.C, can. 929; Missale Romanum, Institutio Generalis, nn. 81; 298; S. Congregation for the Divine Cult, Instruction Liturgicae instaurationes (September 5, 1970), 8c: AAS 62 (1970), 701. 28. Sacred Congregation for the Clergy, “Priesthood: A Greater Love” (1995).
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29. Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, “Essential Elements in the Church’s Teaching on Religious Life as Applied to Institutes Dedicated to Works of the Apostolate” (1983), 23, 29, 39. 30. From “A Letter to the Entire Order” in Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, trans. Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., and Ignatius C. Brady, O.F.M. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1982), 58. 31. From “The Admonitions” in Francis and Clare, 26–27. 32. From “The Prayer Inspired by the Our Father” in Francis and Clare, 105. 33. From “A Letter to the Clergy” in Francis and Clare, 50. 34. From “A Letter to the Entire Order” in Francis and Clare, 57. 35. From “The Parchment Given to Brother Leo” in Francis and Clare, 99–100. 36. From “A Letter to the Entire Order” in Francis and Clare, 61. 37. From “The Testament” in Francis and Clare, 154. 38. From “The Earlier Rule” in Francis and Clare, 133. 39. Thomas Celano, St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies, trans. Raphael Brown, Benen Fahy, Placid Hermann, Paul Oligny, Nesta de Robeck, Leo Sherley-Price; ed. Marion A. Habig (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1983), 523. 40. From “The Third Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague” in Francis and Clare, 200. 41. From “The Second Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague” in Francis and Clare, 197. 42. From “The Fourth Letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague” in Francis and Clare, 204. 43. Rene-Charles Dhont, O.F.M., Clare Among Her Sisters (St. Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute Publications, 1987), 23. 44. From “The Versified Legend of the Virgin Clare” in The Lady—Clare of Assisi: Early Documents, trans. ed. Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap. (New York: New City Press, 2006), 299. 45. The Lady, 225. 46. From “The Legend of St. Clare” in The Lady, 304. 47. From “The Acts of the Process of Canonization of Clare of Assisi” in The Lady, 177. 48. From “The Acts of the Process of Canonization of Clare of Assisi” in The Lady, 174. 49. From “The Legend of St. Clare” in The Lady, 300. 50. The term annihilation in this context does not mean the total destruction of the individual soul as taught in some forms of Eastern religious thought. Rather, it points to the goal of the spiritual transformation summed up concisely by St. John the Baptist when speaking of Jesus: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). 51. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “Our Thirst for Jesus’ Cup,” excerpted from the Varanasi Letter (March 25, 1993). Used with permission. Excerpted from her letter to the members of her religious family (March 25, 1993). The writings of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, © The Mother Teresa Center, exclusive licensee throughout the world of the Missionaries of Charity for the works of Mother Teresa. Used with permission. 52. Adapted from Rev. Francis Aloysius Spencer, The Little Grain of Wheat, and Other Suggestions of Devotion (Boston: Thomas Noonan, 1891), in Rev. Francis Xavier Lasance, Prayer-Book for Religious: Prayers and Devotions for the Use of the Members of All Religious Communities (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1914), 608. 53. Copyright © 1996 Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All world rights reserved. Used with permission. 54. By a Benedictine Monk of Perpetual Adoration, Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland. Used with permission. 55. By a Benedictine Monk of Perpetual Adoration, Silverstream Priory, Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland. Used with permission.
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56. Written by St. Peter Julian Eymard, the founder of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers. This litany is ecclesiastically approved for liturgical use: Nihil Obstat: Very Reverend Peter J. Kenny, D.D., Diocesan Censor; Imprimatur: Most Reverend Denis J. Hart, D.D., Titular Bishop of Vagada, Vicar General. May 18, 2000. 57. Lasance, 648. 58. Adapted from the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration Community Prayer Book (Kottayam, India, 1985). 59. Lasance, 634. 60. Congregation for the Clergy, Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests and Spiritual Maternity (Rome, 2007), 3. 61. St. John Vianney, quoted in Magnificat Year for Priests Companion (Yonkers, NY: Magnificat, 2009), 44. 62. Pope St. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992), 23. © Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. 63. Pastores, n. 32, and Redemptoris Missio, n. 67. 64. Pastores, n. 27. 65. Pastores, n. 25. 66. Pastores, n. 23. 67. “A Scriptural Rosary for Priests” is from Kathleen Beckman, Praying for Priests: A Mission for the New Evangelization (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2014), 180–88. Used with permission. 68. “On the Eucharist,” in Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary (Bardstown, KY: Eternal Life, 1999), 73. 69. Lasance, 638.
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Index Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents How to Use This Manual Part One: Preparing for Eucharistic Adoration 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
2 4 6 8 10 12
A Matchless Mystical Medicine The Mystery Revealed Patterns of Adoration Eucharistic Adoration Through the Ages Guidelines for Adoration
13 16 24 28 34
Part Two: Aids in Eucharistic Adoration
41
6. Church Teaching About Eucharistic Adoration From the Catechism From Church Councils From Papal Teaching From the Sacred Congregations 7. The Eucharist and Adoration in Scripture The Holy Eucharist Foreshadowed and Prophesied in the Old Testament The Holy Eucharist Fulfilled in the New Testament The Lord Is Worthy to Be Adored 8. The Saints and Other Spiritual Writers on the Eucharist Adoring Jesus Christ With St. Francis St. Clare of Assisi, Seraphic Lover of the Blessed Sacrament Other Saints Other Spiritual Writers 9. Words From the Founders of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration 10. Eucharistic Meditations, Devotions, Prayers, and Hymns Eucharistic Meditations Eucharistic Devotions: Chaplets Eucharistic Devotions: Litanies Prayers for Adoration 222
42 42 43 45 64 69 69 74 79 92 92 98 103 132 147 150 150 154 167 177
Interceding for Priests Devotions for Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction Making a Spiritual Communion Hymns for Eucharistic Adoration Hymns for a Longing Soul
Further Reading
180 193 197 199 205
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