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Blessed Sacrament Chapels Serve A Need ?
We have recently celebrated the Feast of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and it seems appropriate at this juncture to consider the effects of the Holy Eucharist on the life of the parish community in the light of the huge and continuing exodus of Catholics from the Catholic Church. A thought comes to mind and that is – If Catholics better understood and worshiped the Eucharist – would they - could they leave the Church? For one like me, the answer is never. For if we believe that the Eucharist is “Indwelling Presence” then nothing could divide us from the love of Christ.
Ever since I was a child, I have been very closely drawn to the Holy Eucharist and for this, I am eternally grateful to my dear mother; who the day before my first holy communion, lovingly cuddled me on her lap and spoke these inspired words that were to change the course of my life forever. And I believe they find their culmination in my priesthood - She said : “My son, tomorrow Jesus is going to come into your heart – Keep a nice chair decked around with roses for him to sit on, and also keep twelve stools for his apostles and also deck them round with roses”
One might protest that there was nothing theological about what she said and you are right, but – It was “Mother” become “ child” who has today inherited the Kingdom promised to those who become children. Her words touched my child’s heart and made me realize that Jesus was a “Divine Person” with whom you could dialogue in Eucharistic silence. The Son of God in the Eucharist and Son of Man “Word Incarnate” – who calls us to be apostles. Since then I have related to Jesus as “Personal Friend” and Almighty God.
Some years after my ordination, I shared with my then Zonal Bishop Bosco the call in my heart to spread devotion to the Holy Eucharist. He in turn discerned my calling and associated me with the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Committee (PEACE) and ever since then, I an assistant in a parish, also work with Fr Erasto Fernandez in the mission of promoting Eucharistic Adoration in our Archdiocese. Besides spreading Eucharistic Adoration with the Blessed Sacrament “Exposed,” PEACE also helps to establish Blessed Sacrament Adoration Chapels. To date in the diocese we have around 85 Blessed Sacrament Chapels. It is very edifying to see people flocking to adore Christ in the Eucharist. If all concerned were convinced of the efficacy and blessings of Eucharistic Adoration and Chapels, more people could respond to Jesus’ request: “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” With no claims to superiority, I have compiled information from the CBCI document and also from the Papal Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia (dt 17 Apr 03), high lighting the Church’s teachings on Eucharistic adoration.