The last Friday of every month our parish does Eucharistic Adoration. For you non-Catholics, that means that the consecrated host, which we believe to be the true body of Jesus, is exposed in a monstrance, which is a special, fancy holder so that folks may come and pray before Jesus, whom we believe is present in the Host. It is a solemn and holy observance. Since we believe in the real presence of Jesus, someone must be in the church the entire time the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, which is 24 hours in our case. So, we have a sign-up sheet, and people sign up for one hour time periods. Some ambitious folks even sign up for more than one time slot. I used to do Eucharistic Adoration every month before I had my daughter, but lately I haven't done it as much. So, when they made the announcement at Christmas mass for Eucharistic Adoration on the 30th, I thought it would be a great time to start up again, and a wonderful way to start the new year. Just me and Jesus, talking and planning and praying about the coming year. So, I left my kids home with Dad and off I went. It is awe inspiring to be the only one in the whole church, sitting there before Jesus. It's quiet, it's peaceful- it's a special time. As I was sitting there praying and reading scripture and thinking, I was admiring the beautiful nativity scene. Trying to imagine what was going through the minds of Mary and Joseph and the shepherds as they gazed upon this little tiny baby who was somehow special, though they did not know just how yet. That's when it occurred to me- the crib and surrounding trees sit in front of where the statue of the Sacred Heart usually is. So, I had to get up and check it out. Was the statue there or did they put it away somewhere? I got up, peeked behind the crib and guess what? The Sacred Heart was there. He was covered up with a cloth, but He was there, hidden behind the tall trees. That was when it hit me...Jesus the Sacred Heart, shrouded in black cloth but ever shining in our hearts. Hidden, but ever-present in our lives. Always there if we only just pull aside the branches and SEE HIM. I decided there was a lesson there. Let 2012 be the year you remember to ask Jesus to be there for you. Ask Him into your life. Let 2012 be the year you "see the forest for the trees."
GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!
The Prayer of St. Anselm
I seek not to understand in order that I may believe; rather I believe in order that I may understand.
