THE REAL PRESENCE

CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST

The Challenge of a Daily Holy Hour

By George Francis

When a person spends an hour before the Blessed Sacrament, that hour of precious time is absorbed into eternity. Time given to the Lord becomes eternity. For the person who habitually makes a holy hour before the tabernacle, is no longer absorbed with the things of this world. His heart is filled with fire for eternal truth. In fact, the heart is taken out of this world and transformed into an eternal flame for Christ.

When we give the Lord, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, one hour of adoration, our hearts and souls are remade by him. Our minds and wills, weakened by Temporal absorption, are strengthened by the Sacred Heart of Jesus who gives us the wisdom of eternity.

Inspiration

See how our thoughts are taken away and replaced with his thoughts. See what holy, magnificent inspirations come to us while we "waste" an hour kneeling before him. The apostles spent all night fishing and caught nothing. So many spend each day only concerned with worldly affairs, never lifting but a moment of prayer to the Lord. Jesus comes and stands before the apostles and tells them to lower their nets. Great inspiration awaits us in the presence of the tabernacle. There were so many fish that the nets were overflowing, bursting with a miraculous catch. Only in the presence of Jesus do our thoughts, words, and deeds become his.

Give the Lord a daily holy hour and watch sixty minutes gently tick into eternity. In time, our changed hearts glowing in the Eternal Heart of Christ will automatically, willingly, lovingly be drawn to adore him for one hour each day.

We will not only want to act as he acts, but will desire that others around us do also. Even though most of the time, we will be unaware of the effect our transformed heart is having on others, the Eternal Heart, Jesus Christ, will be working through us, to ransom souls for eternity.

Christ Beckons

In all the tabernacles of the world, Christ beckons each one of us to spend but one hour with him. In return, love of the Eucharist, love for souls will be given to us. Our nets will be full, our hearts caught up with the Lord. A daily holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament is a most effective means for preparing our minds and hearts for eternity. The door of the tabernacle is really the threshold of eternity. What hour wasted away shopping, watching television could ever be compared to an hour spent with Jesus?

What better way is there to consecrate all our activities, our entire day, our whole life? Spend sixty minutes each day before the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity! To know and love God we must spend time with him.

Let each of us spend one hour each day with him, fixing our eyes on Jesus who hides his glory, humbles himself so that we can approach him without fear. Focus your eyes on him but one hour each day and your eyes will see everything through his eyes. We will become more and more like him and people we meet, even though far from him, will know we have been with him. For his love will be radiating through us as we seek to bring others to him, as we desire with all our hearts to see Jesus loved, adored and obeyed.

Love eternal burning brightly but hidden,
If only estranged hearts would listen,
To thy call from the depths of thy tabernacle,
To lost souls who far from thy grace fall,
What ineffable peace and joy
Would swell in men who would desire
Thee loved again and again,
By hearts now aflame with love for thee,
Adoring thy real presence
What burning charity!