An Essay:

Some Thoughts on the Practice of Eucharistic Adoration

by Geraldine Miller. OFS

"And one of the Pharisees desired that He (Jesus) eat with him and Jesus went into the house of the Pharisee and sat with them reclining at table to eat.

A certain young woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned the Jesus was at supper in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster jar of expensive ointment. And standing behind at Hiis Feet, she began to wash His Feet with her tears which sprang forth in abundance, and afterward, wiped them with the hairs of her head. Without ceasing she kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment.

And the Pharisee who had invited Jesus, seeing her do this, spoke within himself saying "This man, if he were a prophet, would surely know who and what manner of woman was touching him, that she is a sinner."

Jesus knew what this man was thinking and presented a parable in answer saying, 'I have something to say to you. A certain creditor had two debtors one owed 500 talents and the other 50. Neither had the means to pay and so the Creditor forgave the debt of both. Since both were forgiven, which debtor was more grateful and loved him more?

Simon answered, "The one who had the greater debt forgiven."

You have judged correctly, said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, and speaking to Simon the Pharisee, he said, 'Do you see this woman?'

I entered into your house you gave me no water to wash my feet but she with her tears has washed my feet and with her hair has wiped them dry.

You did not kiss me on entering your home but since she has entered, she has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head, you did not anoint with oil, but she with the ointment has anointed my feet.

Therefore I say to you many sins are forgiven her because she loves much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loves less.

Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven you.

Then the guests and all who sat at table and were eating with Jesus thought to themselves, 'Who is this man who forgives sins also?

Then Jesus said to her your faith has saved you. Go in peace.' "

This is a paraphrase of the story in the Gospel of Luke 7:36-50. Let us consider this event in Jesus' ministerial life in the context of visiting Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. We are in the season of Lent and preparing for the greatest events in Christianity, the Holy Week of Jesus's Sacrifice of Love and His Resurrection at Easter. I adjure you to prepare your hearts for this great gift of love through the practice of Eucharistic Adoration. But what is Eucharistic Adoration? How do we practice it and how does it relate to the gospel passage above?

Eucharistic Adoration holds a special place in my heart. It is very different from other liturgies and prayers of the Church. For once the priest has exposed Jesus in the monstrance and the O Salutorus is sung, Eucharistic Adoration is a Liturgy of the Silence of the Heart where one patiently awaits for Jesus to speak to the heart and reign in & over it as our King.

These words sound very lofty, but what do they mean? In the passage, Jesus is invited to a home to visit. Eucharistic Adoration is just like visiting someone's home. Here at Eucharistic Adoration, Jesus is the host, both literally and figuratively. He has invited us as His guests to be His intimate friends and come and visit in His House. So once invited, what do we do to participate in Adoration?

At Easter, we will be invited to homes of family and friends to share our love and faith with one another. This is what we do at Eucharistic Adoration. When we arrive at the house, in this case, it is the House of God to which we are invited. We enter and express our thanks for the invitation and the opportunity to be together. We sit down and relax, being so glad to be with our friend again, and we share with one another all that has happened since we last saw each other.

We love much!

Our host, Jesus, greets us with His Love and Gratitude that we have accepted this station and are eager to be together for our special time with one another. With open arms and heart is He, our Host, welcoming and loving towards us. Through this close bond of love both guest and host share in intimacy with one another. We tell that which is most pressing on our hearts. We confide our regrets and seek advice and sometimes ask Him for and we receive His Forgiveness. We love deeply as intimate friends.

We are not like the Pharisee, who was not seeking love or friendship of Jesus, but only wished to satisfy his own agenda thus overlooking all the rituals of hospitality with which Jesus should have been offered by the host  as an honored guest. Rather, we are like the woman who washed His Feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She anointed Him with ointment and the tears of her love.

Faith teaches us that under the veil of the Sacred Host, Jesus is fully God and fully Man with a heart both fully Divine and fully human which beats with love for Souls. In Holy Eucharist, Jesus is just as alive as you and me. We can talk to him as we speak to one another. This is the great Sacrament that Jesus has left for us to fulfill his promise " I will be with you always even until the end of time." His gift becomes an even more profound, loving and humble act in the knowledge that Our Lord and Savior wishes to wait, with an inexhaustible patience, for us to approach Him in Adoration, Holy Communion, and in His Sacrifice at the Consecration of Eucharist, the Holy Mass. In all of these ways, Eucharistic Jesus chooses to be with us and to be as concerned about every aspect of our lives as if they are His own. Through our Communion with Him, He desires to transform us by His Divine Sacramental Grace dwelling in us.

Wow! That all seems too much to bear for a human being! We think, "I'm just a lowly sinner and this is too much for me!" Like Peter, we wish to say 'Depart! Depart from me Lord for I am but a sinful Soul!

Still, Jesus calls because He desires  the salvation of our soul & our love. He has sacrificed Himself and every drop of his Precious Blood for us and none of the sacrifice should be wasted. He loves us as if we were the only one he ever created. He desires that we show our love for Him and with this love He transfigures us.

He showed the Glory of His own Transfiguration to Peter, James and John so they, and we, may hope in His Love and that which he desires for us - to be like Him! These three are the same Apostles to which Jesus asks "Can you watch for one hour with me?"

Will you and I be the souls who answer this call? Will we approach his Divine Heart to comfort his human heart? Jesus' Sacred Heart is fully human and fully Divine. It loves infinitely, beating within Him, it pounds without end, "Love souls, love souls, love souls!"

Yet, so few actually hear the beat of His Sacred and Wounded Heart. The humanity of that Heart calls to be comforted in His loneliness by us, His Precious Creation. As Prisoner in the Tabernacle of Love, He longs to shower Souls who come to Him with His Indescribable infinite and Immeasurable Love and to give all the choicest Blessings of His Holy and Salvific Will, transfiguring souls into His Love.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus tells the woman her sins are forgiven because she has loved much. In other passages, we learn Mary, who sits at the feet of Jesus because of her great love, has been permitted to remain there for she has chosen the better part. Further on in Christ Ministry, Peter is forgiven of his denials, and; as Jesus hangs on the Gibbet of His Love, the thief, who has spent his life in sin, is forgiven and through Jesus's Sacrifice his sins are forgotten. The thief is assured, "This day you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus waits in Eucharist for us. He wants us to join Him in an intimate relationship and He wishes to be in an intimate relationship with all souls whom He loves so much and without end. He wishes to transfigure us from sinner to Saint. By being in His Company and offering our time in thanksgiving, prayer and Adoration to Him, He permits us to participate in His Redeeming Sacrifice to the Father for the sin of the world which continues to attack His Mystical Body the Church and the souls which make up its members.

Eucharistic Jesus is Calling! Will you answer the Master's Call to be in his Eucharistic Presence and love much? He is ready to guide the hearts of souls. We need only to come just as we are, into His Real Presence. It only takes a little prayer to stir the Divine Movement in our hearts. Our willingness to be in Jesus company gives Eucharistic Jesus the opportunity to work in us. In Adoration, prayers, our prayers and our tears, are the holy balm that washes the Wounds of Jesus who suffered for sin and the salvation of souls.

From Isaiah we learn "He collects all our tears in a flask" and when we are with Him in Eternity He will show us the good they have accomplished.  So let us be willing to seek Eucharistic Jesus in Adoration and Prayer and in the sacraments of Eucharist and Confession.

Jesus we love you and we adore you truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament and we beg of you the conversion of poor Sinners Amen

Let us pray; May everything we do begin by Your Divine Inspiration. Continue through Your Saving Help and come to completion & a fruitful conclusion through Your Divine Ordaining Will. We ask all things in the name of Jesus Our Lord and Savior.

In Adoration may we hear our Lord sing to us:

Heart Of Jesus Hears

Come softly and rest on my Sacred Heart,

Never, oh never, will I let us part,

I hear my loving children's prayers,

Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus hears.

Heart of Jesus, Heart of Jesus heals.

+JMJ+