I was 21 years old when I first experienced adoration. It was a moment I will never forget.
Jesus looked at me and I looked at Him. I don’t just mean in a physical sense, but our souls gazing at one another. My whole being had been searching for Him, yet He had always been right there. I was so thirsty for Him, and there He was waiting and willing to quench my thirst in Adoration.
One of my favorite books that has helped me grow in love and understanding of Jesus in Adoration is In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart, the Journal of a Priest at Prayer. This book has been highly praised and consists of conversations between Jesus and an anonymous Benedictine monk. Even as a layperson, I have found it very helpful to approach Adoration with simplicity, love, and joy.
Jesus’ words are very encouraging and He seems to pull back the veil of the mystery of Adoration, in that our presence in His presence is enough. Jesus says, “It is enough for Me that you are here. I do not ask anything else of you. It is your adoring, loving presence that My Heart wants from you. In this way, you will console Me and make reparation for so much coldness, ingratitude, and indifference” (p. 68).
It is enough. It is so simple. Adoration is such a reminder that Jesus is God and we are not. And yet with our presence, He can do so much!
Jesus also tells us, “My angels can not replace a single human heart in My presence…Only a human heart can make reparation for a human heart” (p. 210). This struck me deeply. The angels adore Jesus constantly in the Blessed Sacrament and how much He’s grateful for that, but it is the human heart that they cannot replace.
I was so moved by Jesus’ gentle beckoning to His presence as intercessors that I was inspired to compose two prayers. Both are offered in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Both intercede for a struggling person. The first is for a struggling mother and the second is for a struggling priest. I do not know the breadth and depth of the power of these prayers, but I trust in the power of intercessory prayers, the graces available in Adoration, and the blessing of Mother Church through the imprimaturs and nihil obstats.
May we all run to Adoration with such fervor and love knowing our presence with Him is enough!
Prayer for a Struggling Mother
offered in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament
O Jesus, as your Mother stood at the foot of your cross,
so now, I meditate on your passion
as I kneel before You in the Blessed Sacrament.
Please use my own heart united to Mother Mary’s as a means of obtaining grace
for one mother in need of your meekness and tenderness.
Amen.
Recite one Memorare.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Michael L. Zimmerman, S.T.L.
Imprimatur: +Seán P. Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Boston
Date: December 19, 2023
Prayer for a Struggling Priest
offered in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament
O Jesus,
as St. John rested his head on Your chest at the Last Supper,
so now I rest spiritually on Your heart
as I contemplate Your presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Please use my own heart
as a means of conversion, healing, and reparation for
one of Your priests in need of Your love and mercy.
Amen.
Recite one Our Father.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Michael L. Zimmerman, S.T.L.
Imprimatur: +Seán P. Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Boston Date: October 8, 2020
