Adoration Tonight!

The Catholic faith adheres to the belief that the bread and wine at Communion becomes the actual Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.  Anyone who has met me, and spent a brief amount of time in a discussion of faith with me, knows that I absolutely love a devotion called Adoration.  I’ve spoken about it before, but acknowledge I don’t get an opportunity to go too frequently.

The military chapel to which we belong hosts Adoration once a week, in the evening during the middle of the week, for about an hour.  The first couple times I attended, I went sans children.  I wanted to focus solely on Jesus and His presence, and focus on listening to Him through my heart.  I found myself being calmed and centered in a way I hadn’t been in the past few months.  Earbuds (with religious music playing) in, journal out, religious-affiliated book in hand, I was able to tune my life out, and focus solely on my relationship with Christ.

Two weeks ago, however, I took E with me to Adoration.  When we entered the church, one parishioner whisked E away, until she started getting fussy.  Since Adoration is around bedtime, I took E back, nursed her, and then cuddled her from that point forward.

 As I sat there, conversing deeply with Jesus, I realized this was the first time E had ever been to Adoration.  It was her very first encounter with a devotion so special to me.  I immediately felt sorry I had waited so long to take her to sit, and in her case, sleep, in the presence of Our Lord.  I had forgotten what it was like to sit in His presence, with a  sleeping child, allowing me to still focus on Him, while allowing a baby to hopefully slumber amongst the angels by which we are surrounded.

I decided, out of any devotion I do to enhance my relationship with Christ, Adoration is by far the devotion I would love for my children to gravitate toward.  While learning the rubrics and prayers of the church and religion is nice, I want to make sure they feel that intimate, personal relationship with God as He manifests through the Trinity which allows them to be free of worries, fears, and stress.

I want them to know God, know He is love, and be secure in their relationship with Him.  I want them to desire to turn to Him, unload their burdens, and celebrate their successes with Him.

I feel that intense personal relationship when I see Him during our date in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  I feed myself as I sit there, gazing upon Him.  And, I have learned to not just talk to Him, but to also listen to Him.

As St. Josemaria Escriva is credited with saying,

Each time you approach the Blessed Sacrament remember that Jesus has been waiting for you for twenty centuries; for this personal visit from you.

Jesus has been waiting for me!  He has been waiting for all of us!

I want my children to know Jesus has been waiting for them, and He will continue to remain steadfast, loyal, and unwavering in His love and faith for them!

I want them to feel that love, passion, and burning desire to know Him.

Therefore, I will be heading to Adoration tonight with my littlest one, and my oldest will go to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel with me at some point soon.

Let me know if, and how, I can pray for you – if you’d rather send an e-mail, drop me a line at beautifulcamouflagedmess _ at _ gmail!