Sunday, September 7, 2008

Adoration Chapel

*NOTE that this post was transferred from my other blog. That is why it was written before my first post on this blog.* Sunday, September 7, 2008 Adoration Chapel First and foremost...It's...the Lord's day! So I hope you all are having a very blessed day.Today I will be talking about my religion. About the Adoration Chapel. I know that this subject may deter bloggers away from my blog but, my religion is so much apart of me, and if I'm going to keep it real than I need to be honest with you about who I am. And no I'm not some religious nut. I have been a Catholic for nine years now. I'm not a cradle Catholic which means a person has grown up Catholic. So I am still learning about my religion. And no I don't have all the answers. I fumble all the time! And God let's me know almost daily that I am not perfect in any means.But anyway I want to focus on the Adoration Chapel. My parish is so fortunate to have an Perpetual Adoration Chapel right on our parish campus. Not all parishes have an Adoration Chapel. We have a Perpetual Adoration Chapel which means it stays open around the clock. The only time it is not open is during Triduum. The three days before Easter. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and I believe Easter Sunday it's closed also. Our parish is over 30 years old and our chapel has just celebrated it's 12th year from when it opened.I love to sit in front the the Blessed Sacrament inside the chapel. You come in with all your problems, worries, or whatever is weighing on your mind. As soon as you sit down and your eyes gaze upon the Blessed Sacrament, you just feel such peace. This bible verse: Mathew 11:28-30..."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I just love that verse. That verse also comes to mind when I am sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Not only do I feel peace but I'm also in awe of the mystery of the Blessed Sacrament. That Jesus is really present in the Host. My heart just believes that it's true. That's faith. A gift from God. Fr.Martin Lucia said in this Pamphlet that I have, "Jesus will spend all eternity thanking you and loving you in heaven for your faithful commitment on earth of spending one hour each week with Him in the Blessed Sacrament." I find that comforting. I just love this brochure and I reread it from time to time. And I would like to share it with you. It's a little lengthy, so today I will list the twelve BIBLICAL reasons to visit the Blessed Sacrament for an hour a week. Tomorrow I will list the twelve reasons the CHURCH suggests to sit before the Sacrament once a week for an hour.I will type exactly how the pamphlet is typed out. Again this was written by Fr. Martin Lucia. Here are the twelve BIBLICAL reasons to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament for and hour every week: 1. HE IS REALLY THERE! "I Myself Am the Living Bread come down from heaven." (Jn 6:35) 2. Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament BECAUSE OF HIS INFINITE LOVE FOR YOU! "Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world," because "I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is my affection for you." (Mt 28:20; Jer 31:3) 3. the specific way that Jesus asks you to love Him in return is to spend ONE QUIET HOUR WITH HIM EACH WEEK in the Blessed Sacrament. "Where your treasure is, there is your heart..." "Could you not watch one hour with me? (Mt 6:21;26:40) 4. When you look upon the Sacred Host, YOU LOOK UPON JESUS,the Son of God. "Indeed, this is the will My Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day." (Jn 6:40) 5. Each moment that you spend in His Eucharistic Presence will INCREASE HIS DIVINE LIFE WITHIN YOU and deepen your personal relationship and friendship with Him. "I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly." "I am the Vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with Me shall bear much fruit for without Me, you can do nothing." (Jn 10:10;15:5) 6. Each hour you spend with Jesus will DEEPEN HIS DIVINE PEACE within your heart. "Come to Me all of you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you..." "Cast all of your anxieties upon the Lord, who cares for you." (Mt 11:28; 1Pt 5:7; Jn 14:17) 7. Jesus will give you ALL THE GRACES YOU NEED to be happy in life. "The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water." (Rev 7:17) 8. Jesus is infinitely DESERVING OF OUR UNCEASING THANKSGIVING and adoration for all He has done for our salvation. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor , glory and praise." (Rev 5:12) 9. For PEACE in our country! "When My people humble themselves and seek My Presence, I will revive their land." (2Ch 7:14) 10. Each hour you spend with Jesus on earth will leave your soul EVERLASTINGLY MORE BEAUTIFUL AND GLORIOUS in heaven. "They who humble themselves shall be exalted..." "All of us, gazing on the Lord's glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image." (Lk 18:14; 2 Cor 3"18) 11. JESUS WILL BLESS YOU, your family and the whole world for this hour of faith you spend with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. "Blessed are they who do not see and yet believe..." "Faith can move mountains..." "What is needed is trust..." "Behold I come to make all things new." (Jn 20:29; Mk 11:23; Mk 5:36; Rev. 21:5) 12. Each moment you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament BRINGS JOY, PLEASURE AND DELIGHT TO HIS SACRED HEART! "My joy, My pleasure, My delight is to be with you." (Prov 8:31) Posted Anne at 9/07/2008 12:02:00 PM 1 comments

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Adoration Chapel Cont.

*NOTE that this post was transferred from my other blog. That is why it's written before my first post of this blog.* Monday, September 8, 2008 Adoration Chapel Cont. Today I will continue on from my previous post. With this second list, the author of the quotes come from different popes. So I will include that. But the list comes from the same pamphlet that I spoke of earlier. So here goes the list. These are twelve reasons why the Church suggests we sit before the Blessed Sacrament for an hour a week. 1. You are greatly needed! "The Church and the world have great need for Eucharistic adoration." (Pope John Paul ll) 2. This is a personal invitation from Jesus to you! "Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love." (Pope John Paul ll) 3. Jesus is counting on you! "Every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that this Sacrament shall be given back 'love for love'." (Pope John Paul ll) 4. Because your hour with Jesus will repair for the evils of the world, and bring about peace on earth, the Church says; "Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him...May our adoration never cease." (Pope John Paul ll) 5. Jesus wants you to do more than go to Mass on Sunday! "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." (Pope John Paul ll) 6. Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because you are the most important person in the world to Him! "Beneath the Sacred Host, Christ is contained, the Redeemer of the world." (Pope John Paul ll)7. You grow spiritually with each moment you spend with Jesus! "Our essential commitment in life is to grow spiritually in the climate of the Holy Eucharist." (Pope John Paul ll) 8. The best time you spend on earth is with your Best Friend, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!" "How great is the value of converse with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, for there is nothing more consoling on earth, nothing more efficacious for advancing along the road to holiness! (Pope Paul Vl) 9. Just as you can't be exposed t the sun without receiving its rays neither can you come to Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament without receiving the divine rays of His grace, His love, His peace. "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." (Pope Paul Vl) 10. If Jesus were actually visible in the Church, everyone would run to welcome Him. But He remains hidden in the Sacred Host, under the appearance of Bread, because He is calling us to faith. "The Blessed Sacrament is the 'Living Heart" of each of our churches, and it is our very sweet duty to honor and adore in the Blessed Host which our eyes see, the Incarnate Word, Whom they cannot see." ( Pope Paul Vl) 11. With transforming mercy, Jesus makes our heart one with His. "Jesus teaches those who come to Him to be like Himself, gentle and humble of heart, and to seek not their own will, but the will of God." (Pope Paul Vl)12. If the Pope himself would give a special invitation to visit him in the Vatican, this honor would be nothing in comparison to the honor and dignity that Jesus Himself bestows upon you with the invitation of spending one hour a week with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. "The Divine Eucharist bestows upon the Christian people an incomparable dignity." (Pope Paul Vl) I love to go to the Chapel. It brings me peace. It makes me feel renewed. The only way I can explain it is that whenever I'm in the chapel I feel so giddy inside. I feel like I have found a treasure. I have found gold or something. When I first became Catholic, I was like "Wow! Does anyone else know about this place?" I still feel like that today. Sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament I know that right before me is a little piece of heaven right here on earth. What moves me to tears sometimes is when I'm alone in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel. Just me and Jesus. What if I didn't go that day. Who would be there? I always think it's a gift from the Lord when I find myself alone with Him at the chapel. During those times I'll pray most fervently or I'll be still, to just feel the peace, of being in the Lord's presence. Posted Anne at 9/08/2008 04:00:00 PM 2 comments