I received a note yesterday from my mother. She mentioned that she had visited the parish of my teenage years, which I attended over thirty years ago. At that time, the parish had just erected a new building, offered many programs, and consisted of a large number of families. After moving out of state, I'd heard that as the years passed, the initial luster of a new church building wore off, and numerous parishioners had transferred to other parishes, for whatever reasons. When I occasionally visited the parish for Mass while on vacation, people commented that it seemed the life was slowly fading out of the parish.
About a decade ago, this parish made a commitment to eucharistic adoration. Over time, it evolved into perpetual adoration, 168 hours a week. My mother writes: "Boy, has that parish changed. It's packed; there are lines at Confession; people are in the adoration chapel, etc. The Holy Spirit is alive and well there."
Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life (Jn 6:35). He alone is Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6). Life means Jesus (Phil 1:21). Jesus, the Bread of Life, gives life to us and to our parishes (Jn 6:33). Without the eucharistic Jesus, we have no life in us (Jn 6:53). The eucharistic Jesus promises: "Indeed, this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day" (Jn 6:40).
Adore Jesus regularly in the Eucharist. Gaze on the Lord Jesus and be transformed into a new and glorious life (2 Cor 3:18).
| PRAYER: | Jesus, forgive us for trying to pump life into the Church with our ideas while ignoring Your life-giving body and blood. |
| PROMISE: | "No one who comes to Me shall ever be hungry, no one who believes in Me shall ever thirst." –Jn 6:35 |
| PRAISE: | St. Fidelis faithfully devoted himself to a life of prayer and penance. This lifestyle prepared him to joyfully accept the gift of martyrdom. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College