By Brother Julian Mary, KHE
This reflection on “Wholehearted Love of Jesus” in the Most Blessed Sacrament is intended to inflame you with devotion to Our Lord and to provide ways to deepen this devotion. This is extremely important because the world needs Jesus to heal us and teach us and love us. This is the time of a Eucharistic Revival!
Adoring and encouraging others to encounter a living relationship with the living Lord Jesus is one of the goals of our community and is essential to our way of life. A Eucharistic and Marian way of life is at the core of a Catholic life! Are you going to remain with Jesus? Are you growing in your relationship with the Eucharistic Lord? How can you help others remain with Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist? How can you bring others to a living relationship with Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist?
Bishop James Conley issued a pastoral letter on Eucharistic Adoration in 2017, “Love Made Visible.” It was an obvious grace, a challenge and a “wake-up call” for all Catholics in the Diocese of Lincoln. And soon we will begin a National Eucharistic Revival.
As a Franciscan order, we take St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to the Eucharist seriously. St. Francis’ first admonition to all his spiritual sons and daughters was about the Holy Eucharist. He says, “let us as we see bread and wine with our bodily eyes and see firmly and believe that they are His most Holy Body and Blood living and true. And in this way the Lord is always with his faithful, as He himself says, ‘Behold, I am with you until the end of age.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear, “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the whole Christ is truly, really and substantially contained.” (CCC #1374) And again from the Catechism, “Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true and substantial manner: his body and his blood with his soul and his divinity.” (CCC# 1413)
In the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6), Our Lord announced the giving of this wonderful gift as a reminder to all his listeners of the great proof of God’s love for his people. This is an astonishing miracle: The Eucharist is the bread which came down from heaven that satisfies our hunger. Jesus wants to heal us specifically through the Most Holy Eucharist. He wants to love us and teach us specifically through the Holy Eucharist which is His very Body, Blood Soul and Divinity.
Many left after Our Lord’s Bread of Life discourse. Nonetheless, there were a few who remained wholeheartedly—not because they fully grasped the mystery of the Eucharist, but because they believed in the word of Our Lord. Jesus says to these devoted few, “it is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail.” (Jn. 6:63)
There are several ways to increase our love of the Eucharist. Here are just a few.
Devotion to the Holy Spirit
In order to have a greater appreciation and wholehearted devotion to our Eucharistic King, I would like to propose that we have a devotion to the Holy Spirit. There are many short and simple prayers to the Holy Spirit in many prayer books. My favorite is “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.”
Another beautiful one is “Holy Spirit soul of my soul, I worship and adore you, enlighten and guide, strengthen and console me, tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that you permit to happen to me. Only show what is you will.”
One may also use any spontaneous prayer from the heart. We must ask the Holy Spirit to instill into our heart a better way of adoring Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Remember that Our Lord says, “the Holy Spirit will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (Jn 14:26)
Devotion to Our Lady
Devotion to the Blessed Mother really helps me better adore our Eucharistic Lord. I love saying a short morning offering to the Immaculate Heart before my morning Adoration. For me it is impossible to attain a wholehearted devotion to our Eucharist King without asking the help of the Mother of God. Remember it was in her womb that the body and blood of Our Lord was first formed.
The Blessed Mother surely can lead and inspire us to what is most pleasing to Our Eucharistic King. Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament will be most pleased and excited to welcome us before the Blessed Sacrament because the Blessed Mother is with us.
Follow the examples of the saints
Be not content with just recounting the deeds, but be inspired by and follow the examples of the saints.
The examples of many saints also help me understand what it means to be wholeheartedly devoted to the Eucharist. Many saints such as St. Francis Xavier found refreshment before the Blessed Sacrament in the evening after laboring much for souls during the day. St. Maximilian Kolbe made frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, often more than 10 times a day.
Even children are capable of responding wholeheartedly to the invitation of Eucharistic Adoration. St. Francisco Marto in his short life responded generously to an angel’s request to console Our Lord in the Eucharist. St. Peter Julian Eymard at the age of 5 climbed the altar, pressed his ear to the tabernacle to pray and to listen to God.
Venerable Antonietta Meo from Italy at the age of 7 wished to be at all times God’s sanctuary lamp before the Blessed Sacrament. These great witnesses showed fervent devotion to God’s Real Presence at a young age. How I wish all of us would follow such an example!
St Francis of Assisi says, “it is a great shame for us servants of God, that while the saints did the works, we wish to receive glory and honor by merely recounting their deeds.” (Admonition of St. Francis on the Imitation of the Lord)
Listening to and following our Shepherds
For me the words of our shepherds are also very compelling when they encourage us to adore Christ in the Eucharist. St. John Paul II says, “The Church and the world had a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of Love.” (Dominicae Cenae # 3)
And Bishop Conley writes, “I encourage all Catholics to make adoration of the Blessed Sacrament a daily part of life and to be committed to a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration at least once a week before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.” (Love Made Visible) I really encourage everyone to read and re-read this beautiful and very timely pastoral letter of Bishop Conley.
St. John Paul II came up with an acronym to help us remember how to make the best use of our time in Eucharistic Adoration: A.R.T.S, which stands for Adoration, Reparation, Thanksgiving and Supplication. It follows the example of St. John leaning on the breast of Jesus (Ecclesia de Eucharistia #25). Spending time with Jesus, leaning on his breast in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament–indeed–these are the arts of Eucharistic Adoration. It’s all about our response to God’s love for you and me. God first loved and died for us. I must, for my part, love and live only for Him. He has loved us to the point of giving Himself up on the Cross and giving himself in the Eucharist.
I am very hopeful that the Eucharistic Revival in America will bring many souls to a wholehearted devotion to Our Eucharistic King.
