Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Saint Pope John Paul II, in Domicae Cenae (1980), said, of Eucharistic Worship, that it is “….both in the celebration of Mass and in our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament….like a life-giving current that links our ministerial….Priesthood to the common Priesthood of the Faithful…”.
 
As we are now privileged, at St. Bartholomew’s, to be invited to adore Our Lord every day of the week, it is fervently hoped that, gradually, more and more of our Parish Community will answer Christ’s call. Even a brief visit, a reverent genuflection, maybe taking five minutes out of a busy day, can be a source of great Graces and Blessings; with very young children this can gradually be built up into longer visits as they come to appreciate and love God’s presence and never-ending Love for them and their Parents.
 
There is a touching story of a man who, daily, would pop into church, genuflect, saying, “Jesus, this is Jim. I have to be going now. Will you come with me?” and then leave. There came the day when he was involved in a fatal accident. As he lay there, life ebbing away, he heard, “Jim, this is Jesus. I have to be going now. Will you come with me?”. This holds a clear lesson for all; if we are, to the best of our understanding and ability, faithful to Jesus, He will more than repay our love when we die.
 
There is only one day of the year, Good Friday, when Our Blessed Lord is not present in the tabernacle. Even then we would wish to show great reverence in church; how much more, then, should we wish on every other occasion, to show those who see us, believers or not, that we are, truly, in the Presence of God. Bishop Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz, has this to say: “..we should (even) try to be respectful and silent in church after Mass, in consideration of those who may be trying to make their thanksgiving Prayers”.
 
We are very lucky in this Parish as groups of our fellow-Parishioners already pray the Morning Prayer of the Church before each weekday Mass and, afterwards, pray the Rosary. On some days they also pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Why not join them in swelling the river of Prayer, both for ourselves, our Families and for our suffering Brothers and Sisters who may, even today, be killed for publicly showing the Faith we can take for granted!