19th Sunday, Perpetual Adoration

 In the Gospel Jesus said, “This is the bread come down from heaven. So that a man may eat it and not die…Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.” Jesus also said, “My flesh is real food. My blood is real drink.” These are not symbols but reality.

The Church describes the Eucharist as the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. In another words, everything of His divine nature is present and everything of His human nature is present in the Eucharist. To put it frankly, the Eucharist is Jesus in His resurrected body. It is not Jesus in the bread. That is what non-Catholics believe. No, Catholics believe the bread and wine are totally changed into the living person of Jesus.

Holy Communion is the most special time we have on earth with God. We are united to Jesus and He is united to us. We can’t have Communion all day, saints tell us the Holy Communion lasts from 10 min. to 30 min., but Jesus remains here with us in the tabernacle. The remaining Hosts are placed in the tabernacle for the sick and home bound. The tabernacle is also here so people may spend time with Jesus and adore Him. Over the centuries, a consecrated Host was placed in a metal object called a monstrance, so people can gaze upon and look at the Host with eyes of faith. It is really Jesus. Its called Adoration because we adore Jesus with love, who is hidden beneath the appearance of bread.

The lay practice of adoration formally began in Avignon, France on September 11, 1226. To celebrate and give thanks for the victory over the Albigensians, King Louis VII of France asked the Bishop of Avignon to have the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The throng of adorers was so great the bishop decided to have the adoration continue day & night. Adoration chapels began to keep watch with Jesus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So that someone is always gazing upon and adoring Jesus with love.

Then in 1264, the feast of Corpus Christi was established due to a Eucharistic miracle, when a Host began to bleed in the hands of a doubting priest in Bolsena, Italy.

But It was not until after the Council of Trent in the 1500's, when adoration chapels began to spread all over the world. During the Protestant Rebellion, church lootings and desecrations of the Blessed Sacrament were common. Faithful Catholics made reparation to God by keeping a loving vigil before Him, around the clock. This is what is needed today with so many who receive the Eucharist sacrilegiously.

At La Crosse, Wisconsin, there is a convent that has had Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for 140 years. Through fires, floods and war, adoration has continued. In 1923, the convent caught fire and sisters in the chapel continued to pray in adoration despite the raging fire outside. The fire was rapidly spreading, but when it got to the entrance of the chapel, the fire suddenly stopped. One of the sisters had placed a statue of St. Michael at the entrance of the chapel and prayed he would protect the chapel.

Most large parishes in the diocese of Wichita have perpetual adoration. Our parish is too small to have continuous adoration for 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. But we can have continuous adoration all day and night for 1 to 2 days depending upon how many sign up.

In our parish starting in Sept., Jesus in the Eucharist will be on the altar in a monstrance beginning every Sunday after Mass and parishioners will have the opportunity of signing up to spend an hour with Jesus. It will be your own personal hour. And this will continue every week throughout the year. One person will be with Jesus for an hour from 9am until 10am. Then from 10am until 11am another person will come to adore Jesus. And this will continue day and night until the last person is finished. Jesus is never left alone. 

We will come before Him to thank Him, to pray for our needs and the needs of others, to make reparation and to just sit and love Him. 

More graces are poured out during the night hours then any other. I like to tell people, those who adore Jesus at night are His “specials” and He takes care of them in a special way.

There will be a sign-in book with phone numbers of each adorer. If you need to be away you can switch with someone or ask a family member or friend to take your place. I have seen non-Catholic spouses substitute and then later become Catholic.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori…wrote: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. St. John Vianney said, “We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity!”

Pope St Paul VI said, “Perpetual Adoration extends its influence far beyond the individual adorers, touching their homes and families and reaching out to the parish community and beyond!” Just imagine, when someone is adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, not only does Jesus touch the heart of person adoring Him, but also touches their home, their family, the parish and the entire world. How awesome is that?

St. Peter of Alcantra said,”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!” My parishioners, isn’t there something you want to ask Jesus? Our Lord wants to answer your prayers, but He wants you to come in faith and ask Him while you gaze upon Him.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “In order to convert America and save the world, what we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer!”

We see the terrible strife our country and the world is enduring. The horrible rioting last year, the fear of covid, abortion, euthanasia, murders in large cities. Government policies taking away our freedom. Drugs and broken families.

But adoration will convert hearts. Jesus revealed to St. Faustina at Adoration that “beneath these rays (from the Eucharist) a heart will be warmed even if it were like a block of ice; or hard as rock.”

We also see turmoil in our own Catholic church, with bishops against bishops and confusion. But Pope St. Paul VI said, “You should take up as your own cause a Holy Hour of Adoration so that Peace and Unity can be brought about in the Church!”

Here at Holy Trinity, we are working on making adoration safe and easy for anyone who wants to come. You can pray the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, read the bible, and pray to Jesus in silence pouring your heart out before the Lord who listens to you, loves you and can answer your prayers.

The group from our parish organizing Eucharistic Adoration has set a tentative date for Sept. 12^th sign-up day and Sept. 19^th when Eucharistic Adoration will begin in our parish.

Listen to the words of Pope St. John Paul II who said, “Jesus Himself is calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each Week!” Will you respond?

Immediately after Mass, come to the parish hall for a 30 min video on Perpetual Adoration and enjoy coffee and doughnuts.