"It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not to be one. It is good to teach, if he who speaks also acts." - St. Ignatius of Antioch
“In order to lead the
soul to a high degree of virtue, God grants it the grace of deeper
recollection. This incontestable truth is little known or appreciated even by
persons of piety, who too often act on the belief that progress in holiness
consists in external religious practices or in a greater enjoyment of God.
Yet it is certain that
the grace of recollection, by bringing us nearer to God, nearer to the divine
fire of love, does increase our light and fervor. That is why we comprehend
certain truths so clearly when we are in a more profound state of recollection.
We discern them, in fact, by the very lights of God. Then it is that we have a
peace we never knew before, a strength which astonishes us; we feel we are with
God.”
For nearly 30 years I have been joyfully getting up in the early morning hours each weekend to adore and worship our loving Lord.
It was heart-wrenching when, without any discussion or exploration of alternatives, our Chapel of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (and others) was summarily closed in the stampede of fear and lack of trust in God that overtook our Church.
Our Adoration Chapels and Churches should never have been closed. Instead, our Bishops should have urged us all to come and spend time on our knees before God making acts of reparation for our unfaithfulness and asking for His mercy, assistance and protection.
We acted then, and in large measure continue to act, as if He is powerless and/or unwilling to do so.
But this abandonment of our Lord imprisoned in the tabernacles of His Churches was well in place prior to the pandemic, since so few Catholics (relatively speaking) actually believe that Jesus is really, substantially and physical present in the Sacred Eucharist.
Since the closing of our Chapel, with the exception of a ten day to two week period when no one was permitted to enter any of the Churches in our Diocese and a few times when the unheated Church was just too cold, I tried to remain faithful to my weekly Holy Hours by sitting in front of the tabernacle by myself in the main body of the Church. This weekend I was prevented from visiting Him. I was unable to unlock the Church's door - the combination lock either malfunctioned or the entry code was changed.
My heart aches.
If the heart of this sinful soul aches from being separated from our Lord, can we humans even fathom the anguish and pain our absence, lack of trust, belief and love in Him causes to His Most Sacred Heart?
I share the following brief trailer with you, not to promote my book, but in hopes that it might encourage more Catholics to look at their relationship with our Lord through His eyes and not from the pit of human fear:
Oh, that we would have the courage to cast out fear and place our trust completely in Him!
Let us run to be with Him. Let us quench His Thirst to be loved!
O Sacred Heart Thou Lovest! Yes, dearest Lord, we have no
doubt of this. How ardently Thou didst long to die for us – to remain with us
in Thy Sacrament of love. How ardently didst Thou long for the love of Thy
poor, suffering, sinful children!
Ah, sweet Jesus, may we satisfy the thirst of Thy sacred
Heart by loving Thee with a strong, enthusiastic, faithful love. Oh, let us
ever abide by Thy love. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou lovest! Alas! Then comes
the unfortunate part, O dear Lord – Thou are not loved! Alas! This is but too
true.
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