Once upon a time, a six year-old started first grade in her parish school. Her mother had taught her over the summer to kneel by her bedside each night before going to sleep and recite a number of night prayers. One night in mid-October, she hopped into bed without first kneeling in prayer. Surprised by this, her mother challenged her with the words: “Don’t you pray anymore?” Her reply: “No, I don’t. My teacher at school told us that we are not supposed to pray. She said that we’re supposed to “talk to God” … and tonight I’m tired and have nothing to say!” And her mom said, “What if God has something to say to you?”
Eucharistic Adoration (offered here at Holy Cross on Thursdays from 8:30am to 8:30pm) is a wonderful way to enter into the experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.” (Luke 24, 31) In light of the story of the first grader above, we might add “and their ears were opened, too.” The simple yet profound truth is that generations of holy women and men have found that honest, persevering prayer before the Blessed Sacrament has helped them to open their eyes and their ears, to accept God’s grace more deeply and respond to it with greater generosity.
At both the Mass and in Adoration, Jesus is completely present, inviting us to see more clearly and listen more attentively … and to become more generous disciples and more wholehearted “living signs” of His liberating Good News.
Let us pray. “Lord, open our eyes, help us to see your face. Open our ears, help us to hear your voice. Open our hearts, help us to love like you. Amen.”
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Siendo el pan una comida que nos sirve de alimento y se conserva guardándole, Jesucristo quiso quedarse en la tierra bajo las especies de pan, no solo para servir de alimento a las almas que lo reciben en la Sagrada Comunión, sino también para ser conservado en el sagrario y hacerse presente a nosotros, manifestándonos por este eficacísimo medio el amor que nos tiene.
En toda forma de culto a este Sacramento hay que tener en cuenta que su intención debe ser una mayor vivencia de la celebración Eucarística. Las visitas al Santísimo, las exposiciones, y bendiciones (por ejemplo, aquí en la parroquia los jueves desde 8:30am hasta 8:30pm) han de ser un momento para profundizar en la gracia de la Comunión, revisar nuestro compromiso con la vida cristiana; la verificación de cada uno ante la Palabra del Evangelio, el asomarse al silencioso misterio del Dios callado. Esta dimensión individual del tranquilo silencio de la oración, estando ante Él en el amor, debe impulsar a contrastar la verdad de la oración, en el encuentro de los hermanos, aprendiendo también a estar ante ellos en la comunicación fraternal.
Oremos. “Oh Dios, que en este admirable Sacramento nos dejaste el memorial de tú Pasión, te pedimos nos concedas venerar de tal modo los sagrados misterios de tu Cuerpo y de tu Sangre, que experimentemos constantemente el fruto de tu redención. Tú que vives y reinas por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.”
Extra – Oraciones al Santísimo Sacramento: https://www.aciprensa.com/Oracion/jpadoracion.htm
