The Greatest Adventure
Down in Adoration Falling
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash
“This the truth each Christian learns, bread into His flesh He turns, to His precious blood the wine…”
Several years ago, having experienced a spiritual reawakening of my Catholic faith and desiring to learn more about the treasures of Church teaching, I enrolled in a distance program in Christian Tradition with a Catholic college. Most of my classes were taught by wonderful, faithful professors. Then, for a required on-campus session, I chose an Ethics class, hoping to explore the rich ethical teachings of the Catholic Church in depth.
It turned out that the class was taught by a secular, non-Catholic professor. I was disappointed to discover our assigned textbook was The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels, an ethicist known for his decidedly utilitarian viewpoint, a promoter of euthanasia and animal rights. Hardly a hopeful sign…
The first day of class, the professor presented us with a short film. The filmmaker focused on the tabernacle in a quiet Catholic Church, while the slightly mocking voice of the narrator questioned why, if Catholics really believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, were there not adoring crowds in every Catholic Church?
I was troubled that this professor seemed to have chosen this film to plant doubt in the minds of his students, but also by the fact that there is some truth to that question. If we really believe Jesus Christ is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in all the tabernacles in the world and at every sacred celebration of the Mass, we should give bold witness to this miraculous truth in the sight of an unbelieving world.
Seek out an Adoration Chapel in your community. If there isn't a parish offering perpetual adoration, visit the tabernacle in your parish and spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist. If there is a perpetual adoration chapel, and you haven’t already done so, sign up to spend an hour with the Lord - it will change your life!
For the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, many public Eucharistic processions are scheduled, especially during this year, which is dedicated to Eucharistic revival. Check your parish bulletin and join one of these celebrations! Be a witness to the miraculous presence of Christ among us, in every word you speak, every action you take, and every time you pass by the tabernacle!
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About the Author
Born and raised in a faithful Catholic family, I wandered far from my faith for nearly two decades. Through the infinite mercy of Christ and His Church, I found my way back home to the Catholic Church in the early 90s, and began a path of rediscovery of the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, eventually earning a Bachelor's degree in Christian Tradition. A stay-at-home Mom for many years, my Church ministries grew to include teaching Catechism and First Eucharist classes, writing and facilitating retreats for healing after abortion, and becoming active in pro-life work with our local 40 Days for Life campaign in the Tri-Cities, Washington as an organizer, participant, speaker, and writer. My desire to share the greatest gift of my life, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and His Divine Mercy, has found expression in my writing. My articles have been published locally in the Tri-City Herald's Spiritual Life and editorial columns; in the Carmelite Digest; Celebrate Life magazine; and recently in the National Catholic Register.
Links to these articles and more can be found on my blog at http://www.catholicethics.blogspot.com/. My Catholic Ethics page is on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/CatholicEthics.
