Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

"I experienced Eucharistic Adoration for the first time when I converted to Catholicism. The thought of being able to sit before my God and my Savior was unbelievable, amazing and at the same time frightening. It was an experience and an opportunity I did not want to miss. At that time, it seemed as if my heart and soul were seeking something this world could not provide. My heart and soul were uneasy, restless and not at peace.  Seeing the Blessed Sacrament before my eyes was a humbling experience and it reminded me of how unworthy I am to benefit from the great sacrifice God made on my behalf. I was initially saddened because of my sins. Sitting there the tears rolled down my face as I prayed for forgiveness, my needs and the needs of others. Then these thoughts came to me - to be still and open myself up to God and let Him examine me. As I sat there my prayer changed. I asked God to lead and guide me, to allow His light to shine through me and to teach me how to love unconditio...

" My Adoration time is spent in an Adoration Chapel at a local parish in the town next to where I live. I have been a committed Adorer for many years now. Although I also go at other times and to other churches for Adoration, my committed time is early on Wednesday mornings. I go there to be with my creator, my Lord and Savior, my friend, my brother and my beloved.  I go to Adoration for many reasons. One of the main ones is because I choose to take time away from the distractions of my day, to pray, just as Jesus did. I find this time to be recreating and renewing. In this quiet, there is a salve for my spirit, a remedy for my aches. It is there that I am really able to surrender myself, my life, my family both given and chosen, those committed to my prayers that remain in my mind and in my heart. I pray for His Kingdom to come and His Will to be done, for the glory of the Father, the salvation of souls and the conversion of sinners. I pray for the crosses the Lord has given me. ...

[What follows is one of the 175 Eucharistic Reflections in Godhead Here In Hiding Whom I Do Adore - Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration  that will grab your heart and stir your soul.]  "There is a place in the human heart that can only be filled by You, Lord. Try as we might to fill that space with glittery goods or flatterers, it remains nothing but a vacant apartment, an echo chamber, without You.  It is a place at the core of my being; I am empty, lonely, without You there. At Adoration, everything changes. If I let You in, You fill that insatiable yearning place.   You melt my iciness; my heart begins to glow.   In a mystical moment, I am warmed and satisfied in a way both quieting and yet passionate. Adoration is my private door that I can open to you. Immediately, You sweetly and lovingly permeate every corner of my emptiness.   By a treasured grace, I learned of this door as a child.   In my long ago, my parents took my hand l...

When you take the time to read the following reflection written by one of my Lay Dominican sisters, you will have no doubt that its author loves God and He her - as He does all of us.  This reflection is longer than most that I have shared on my blog - just one of 175 stirring Eucharistic Reflections you will find in Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore - Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration .  It is well-worth reading and savoring its every word and the images and experiences they will bring to mind. There is a place in the human heart that can only be filled by You, Lord. Try as we might to fill that space with glittery goods or flatterers, it remains nothing but a vacant apartment, an echo chamber, without You.   It is a place at the core of my being; I am empty, lonely, without You there. At Adoration, everything changes. If I let You in, You fill that insatiable yearning place.   You melt my iciness; my heart begins to glow.   In a mystical m...

As I have acknowledged previously,  Father Ignatius John Schweitzer, O.P gave birth to Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore – Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration  two years ago, when he invited the Lay Dominicans of the Province of St. Joseph to share their thoughts on the Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration. He did this not knowing how many would respond or in what genre they would write. As a result of Father’s invitation, we now have a symphony of diverse reflections – from the simple to the sublime. Each reflection is a gem in its own right. Each one an invitation to a greater belief in, and reverence for, God’s Presence among us. Photo by  Eric Mok  on  Unsplash Try this gem on for size:                                                             In the Presence of the Lord  “Come out of ...

God is love and He loves each of us more than anyone can. And what does He want from us? Love! When you love Him, you become like Him and you are united together as one! When you grow to love Jesus more, you will feel a very special and deep closeness with Him and a growing awareness of His presence in your midst. When a soul feels His love, it will be overflowing with love, peace and joy. It will be drunk on the love of God. Stay still with the Lord. Just as the baby falls asleep in his mother's arms, fall asleep in the presence of the Lord. Instead of gossiping, bring Jesus all your worries and concerns. Tell Him, instead of your friends! God is my best friend! He will never leave me or forsake me. He loves me unconditionally! In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, You Lord have left us a memorial of Your Passion. Help us, we beg You, to so reverence the Sacred Mysteries of Your Body and Blood that we may constantly feel within our lives the effects of Your redemption. You wh...

(Photo by  Eric Mok  on  Unsplash )   "O my sweet Jesus, You are calling me to come aside to the quiet, to spend time with You. I come to You eagerly. I long to be with Magdalene, sitting at Your feet, listening to the sound of Your voice. With John, the beloved, may I place my head upon Your shoulder, for I hope one day to fully embrace You in Your kingdom. In this uncertain world, the one thing that I have always known with certainty is that You love me. It is my earliest memory, perhaps a gift of Your grace to guide me and bring me to the path that You were placing before me. I was never distracted by the drama around me, because the one thing I knew with every fiber of my being was Your love for me. Your love has carried me, and it now carries me into Your Eucharistic Presence, so that I may spend time with You, my Beloved. Here in Your Presence, the world outside ceases to exist. I bring the needs of my brothers and sisters to place before You, believing and tru...

"Blessed opportunities to be with our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration are the best hours spent when it comes to healing a broken heart, a wounded soul. I find that when I am in my darkest hours, I run to the Adoration Chapel. There is no other comfort our earthly home can provide to soothe my soul when I am wounded. It is truly a privilege to be able to just go to the Chapel, where God resides, and be able to “stop in” for a visit, any day, any time, and find my dearest and best Friend waiting for me. Who could ask for anything more? Time in Adoration is also the best place to go when discerning God’s providence. I find myself going there automatically when I need to know what God wants of me when I am making big decisions in life. It is an anointed time to be with God. He can reach my heart and mind in a way that breaks through the distractions I encounter when I talk to Him most anywhere else. It seems to me that He leads my mind in directions I cannot seem to go an...

"Smile upon me, face of God, and know You Christ, Love Incarnate, are loved by my puny heart. Make my will show that love in all circumstances that present themselves after I depart from You in this Holy Tabernacle. Know that I long for eternity but willingly and patiently wait and finish the earthly work You have given me. I am grateful for Your unrelenting excessive Trinitarian love for us all. I am grateful for Your excessive forgiveness for us all. I continue to be fascinated by the orderliness of Your creation and by your enduring patience with all as the future unfolds and races toward the end of time. I am sorry that it took me so long to understand the richness before me in Jesus Christ, the God-man. I pray that my offspring will be quicker to comprehend the gift of Love Incarnate in Christ. Smile on me, face of God. When I am able to see Your Face in eternal life, I think I will still keep my head bowed. Proximity to Love Incarnate will be enough for me....

From a fellow Lay Dominican of the St. Joseph Province - an early example of how this book is already bearing fruit in the lives of readers : “A dear friend had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was in high school with my husband, and at times, has been lukewarm in his practice of the Faith. I had bumped into him a short time ago and talked about the Church being a family and coming back home. The Lord laid it on my heart to send him a copy of the book. He told me that he was going to read it while he was having chemo. Here is his complete response after starting to read the book.” “I am impressed and moved by your ability to express the Light of God in a way that opens a reader’s heart. Each of the sections allowed me to better understand the reality of the love Jesus has for each of us, even when we have become distracted by other bright lights and shiny objects. Sometimes it is good to be reminded that being Catholic and Christian requires more than lip service. The ...