"The Eucharist is the center and summit of the whole of
sacramental life, through which each Christian receives the saving
power of the Redemption, beginning with the Mystery of Baptism,
in which we are buried into the death of Christ, in order to become
sharers in His Resurrection, as the Apostle teaches (cf. Rom.
6:3-5). In the light of this teaching, we see more clearly the
reason why the entire sacramental life of the church and of each
Christian reaches it's summit and fullness in the Eucharist"
(Redemptor Hominis).
Jesus Christ, who is in heaven, is also still on earth in our
midst in the Holy Eucharist. The whole of Jesus Christ, the same
Christ that walked on the earth, is truly present Body, Blood,
Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Eucharist
, and offers Himself to the Father during each and every Mass.
In his encyclical, Redeemer of Man, Pope John Paul II states
that our essential commitment in life is to preserve and advance
constantly in Eucharistic life and piety, and to grow spiritually
in the climate of the Eucharist. The Pope called upon the whole
People of God to make Jesus loved in the Blessed Sacrament and
to make the Eucharist the very center of each parish through adoration.
The Holy Father himself began perpetual adoration in the Blessed
Sacrament Chapel of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on December 2,
1981, after receiving petitions for this from around the world.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has a dream. He envisions
Catholics praying around the clock, adoring the Blessed Sacrament
and feeling the great power of Perpetual Adoration on every continent.
"Every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that
this sacrament of love shall be at the center of the life of the
people of God so that through all of the manifestations of worship
due to it, Christ shall be given back "love for love,"
and truly become the life of our souls. The best, the surest and
most effective way of establishing PEACE on the face of the earth
is through the great power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament." The restoring of Christ's Eucharistic
reign in all its power will have the capacity to change hearts,
souls, individuals, families, society and the very structure of
the world. Every man, woman and child experiences a new effect
of God's love and mercy for every holy hour made. Our Holy Father
also says, "Your faith will help you to realize that it is
Jesus Himself present in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting for you
and calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each
week." Your sacrifice of spending one hour each week with
Jesus will help make reparation for the evils of the world and
open up the floodgates of God's merciful love upon all mankind.
God will bless you, your family and the world for this sacrifice
BECAUSE GOD CANNOT BE OUTDONE IN GENEROSITY.
In Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. and James Monti's book
"In the Presence of the Lord", (with permission to use
from Our Sunday Visitor, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN), it is
stated "Among those present in Philadelphia for the 1976
International Eucharistic Congress was the Archbishop of Cracow,
Poland: Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. When on the morning of September
29, 1978, he was informed of the death of Pope John Paul I, he
immediately sought refuge and strength before the tabernacle in
his private chapel; little more than two weeks later he became
Pope John Paul II."
"Less than a year and a half into his pontificate, Pope John
Paul II issued an apostolic letter (February 24, 1980) on the
subject of the Eucharist, Dominicae Cenae ("Of the Supper
of the Lord"). He states in it 'Adoration in Christ in this
Sacrament of love must also find expression in various forms of
Eucharistic devotion; personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament,
hours of adoration, periods of exposition-short, prolonged and
annual (Forty Hours)-Eucharistic benediction, Eucharistic processions,
Eucharistic Congresses… 'The Church and the world have a
great need for Eucharistic worship, Jesus awaits us in this sacrament
of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration,
in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for
the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration
never cease.'" "At the Eucharistic Congress in Seville
during June of 1993, Pope John Paul II stated in his homily at
Seville's Cathedral on June 12: '…the continual adoration-which
took place in many churches throughout the city, and in some even
at night-was an enriching feature that distinguished this Congress.
If only this form of adoration, which ends tonight in a solemn
Eucharistic vigil, would continue in the future too, so that in
all the parishes and Christian communities the custom of some
form of adoration of the Eucharist might take root.'"
"Implicit in the Holy Father's wish that 'our adoration never
cease' is the hope that Catholics will always remain acutely conscious
of the Real Presence whenever they find themselves near the Eucharistic
Species-a consciousness that is expressed in exterior actions
as well as within the recesses of the heart. Only a few months
before the issuance of Dominicae Cenae, on a pastoral visit to
Ireland in September of 1979, Pope John Paul II went out of his
way to stress the intrinsic value of even the smallest or most
routine acts of reverence toward the Blessed Sacrament as professions
of faith and love: 'dear brothers and sisters, every act of reverence,
every genuflection that you make before the Blessed Sacrament,
is important because it is an act of faith in Christ, an act of
love for Christ. And every Sign of the Cross and gesture of respect
made each time you pass a church is also an act of faith.'"
"When under Pope John Paul II the new Code of Canon Law was
promulgated in 1983, it specifically authorized the continued
observation of Corpus Christi processions (with the permission
of the local bishop), and required that throughout the year churches
be open at least part of the day to facilitate the Eucharistic
adoration of the faithful: 'Canon 937: Unless there is a grave
reason to the contrary, a church in which the Blessed Eucharist
is reserved is to be open to the faithful for at least some hours
every day, so that they can pray before the Blessed Sacrament.'
"Pope John Paul II sees Eucharistic adoration as an indispensable
wellspring of spiritual renewal that ought to be found in every
parish and religious community, a practice that fosters and sustains
every state of life in the church: 'I would also like to repeat
my invitation to you to make adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
a habitual practice in all Christian communities, in accordance
with the Church's spirit and liturgy norms…. The values that
must reign in homes will receive new strength to make the family
a meeting place with God, a center that radiates faith, a school
of Christian life. In the Bread which came down from heaven, the
family will be able to find the support that will keep it united
in the face of today's threats and will preserve it as a bastion
of life, steadfast against the culture of death.'
"The Holy Faith is not slow to remind priests that in virtue
of their sacerdotal vocation, which is primarily ordered to the
celebration of the Eucharist, they have a particular obligation
to deepen their commitment to Christ at the feet of their Master
in the tabernacle: 'To priests the Council [Vatican II] also recommends,
in addition to the daily celebration of the Mass, 'personal devotion'
to the Holy Eucharist, and particularly that 'daily task with
Christ the Lord in their visit to the Blessed Sacrament' [Presbyterorum
ordinis, n. 18]. Faith in and love for the Eucharist cannot allow
Christ's presence in the tabernacle to remain alone [Catechism
of the Catholic Church, n. 1418]' …. 'But the hour is coming,
and is now here, when true worshippers will worship the Father
in Spirit and truth'. (Jn 4:23)."
"Pope John Paul II goes on to say: "Adoration of the
Eucharist 'is the contemplation and recognition of the true Presence
of Christ under the sacred species outside the celebration of
the Mass…. It is a true encounter of dialogue….through
which we become open to the experience of God…. It is also
a gesture of solidarity with the needs and the needy of the whole
world.' And through its own spiritual dynamic, this Eucharistic
adoration should lead to the service of love and justice for and
with our brothers and sisters."