Adoration and Advent

 Adoration and Advent Do Go Together

Advent is that beautiful time of year that helps us focus on the spiritual preparation for Christmas and on the coming of Our Lord.  It’s that time of year when every Christian publication we subscribe to, every Christian radio station listened to, and perhaps every homily heard, will all be encouraging us to “prepare” for Jesus’ coming into the world and to remember the real meaning of Christmas.

One of the best ways to “prepare” is to pray.  And one of the best ways to pray is Eucharistic Adoration.  A popular definition of ‘prayer’ is ‘relationship with God’.  Have you ever been able to establish a relationship with someone, or improve upon a relationship, without spending time with them … of course not.  Same holds true with God.

Advent presents an opportunity to start or improve your ‘relationship’.  And our beautiful Adoration Chapel is the perfect place for more “face time” with God.

You don't need to be a scheduled adorer - you don't need an appointment - simply drop-in and spend time with God.  If you find the visit improved your relationship with Him why not schedule a weekly appointment to be together in a special way.  He would like that!

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 Both Society And Our Church Need Us!

St Peter Julian Eymard underlined the urgency of Eucharistic Adoration for the renewal of our parishes and of the world:

"Today solemn exposition of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the grace and the need of our time.  It is the sovereign grace.  Exposition is the powerful weapon at the disposal of the Church and of the faithful ... We are not afraid to say: the Worship and the Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament is the need of our time ... This worship is necessary to save society.  Society is dying because it has no center of truth and charity, but it will be reborn in full force when all its members gather around the life of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Go back to the source, to Jesus - especially to Jesus in the Eucharist ... It is well known: a civilization grows or decreases according to its worship of the Blessed Eucharist.  This is its life and the measure of its faith, its love, its virtue.  What the reign of the Eucharist will bring to pass!  Impiety and ingratitude have reigned on earth for long enough.  Thy kingdom come!"

Keep Asking

 

Don’t Be Afraid To Keep Asking

Sometimes we feel God doesn’t listen … That’s not true … God hears every word that comes from our lips.  The Church teaches that every prayer is answered - so why doesn’t something happen?

Maybe God delays His response to build our faith.  Maybe God answers us, but it isn’t the answer we expect so we ignore it. Maybe the answer is ‘no’.  Maybe God gives us something better but we don’t recognize it because it’s not specifically what we asked for.

So what’s a person to do?  Remember the story in the Gospel of Luke (11:5-13) about perseverance in a request?  Your neighbor comes over in the middle of the night and asks for a couple loaves of bread to feed unexpected company.  You say “go away, don’t bother me it’s the middle of the night”.  The point is that the neighbor is so persistent you do get up and give him what he wants just so he stops bothering you.

Sometimes we need to take the same approach in our prayer requests.  The lesson is: ask repeatedly, ask earnestly, ask increasingly, even shamelessly.  And then put all your trust in God and let Him do what He knows is best.

You’re encouraged to go to the Adoration Chapel; kneel in His Real Presence; look Him in the eye; and make your request.  That’s a good way to let Him know how earnest you are.  And don’t be afraid to go back often.

Experience God's Love Through Adoration

St John Paul II for World Day for the Missions in 2004 wrote: "To evangelize the world, we need experts in the celebration of, in the Adoration of, and in the contemplation of the Eucharist".  Through Adoration, parishioners are experiencing God's love.  This leads them to become involved in their parish community, which gives them the Eucharist.  In their mission, they are at the same time supporting the Church and interceding for the world.  In other words, their Adoration becomes Trinitarian: in adoring the Son, they are led to the Father.  In this dynamic, they receive a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit which leads them to involve themselves in the Church and the world.

Invest in your Heavenly Retirement - become a regular Adorer!

Souls in Purgatory Need You!

 Souls in Purgatory are Counting on YOU! 

November has been a month dedicated to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. A community of sisters known as the Visitation Order had a mystic amidst the Annecy community who had a special mission to these Holy Souls. She was Sister Marie Denise de Martignat, of the Visitation, who died in the Convent at Annecy, in 1653. From her experiences we can be reminded of this “state of soul” after our passing and that of those for whom we pray.

Sr Marie Denise told a superior of a soul from purgatory who had visited her and had talked about the continuance in the pains of Purgatory for a longer period of time than had commonly been thought.  Sr Marie teaches there are four reasons souls are detained in suffering; first, because of the inconceivable purity which the soul must have before it can present itself before Him who is essential sanctity and purity, and who receives no one into His glorious city who is not as pure as the city itself.  Secondly, because of the innumerable multitude of venial faults which we commit in this life, and the little penance which we do for the mortal sins we have confessed. Thirdly, because of the inability of these souls to help themselves; and, fourthly, because of the lukewarmness and negligence of the greater part of Christians in praying and doing good works for these souls, as the dead fade from the memory of the living almost as soon as they have vanished from their eyes; while true charity will follow those it loves, through the flames of Purgatory till the joys of Paradise.

So let’s not forget family and friends who have died and may still be in need of our help.

You can gain on behalf of the souls in Purgatory special indulgences* for every half hour spent in the Adoration Chapel.  Don't wait ... go today ... go often!

(*know the prerequisites for gaining indulgences - display the Page entitled "The Gift of the Indulgence" listed in the left column)

“To Love God is to Love what God Loves”