Can you believe it’s already May?  It’s time for our monthly challenge!  This month, I challenge you to go spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration.

As Catholics, the Eucharist is the “source and summit of our faith (CCC 1324).”  Receiving Jesus in the Eucharist deepens our relationship with Him and our faith in Him.  We believe that during the act of Transubstantiation in the Mass, the Eucharistic wafer truly becomes Jesus Christ- Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  Thus, we can and should worship Him there! 

But don’t take it from me.  Take it from someone who literally wrote the book (well, a book!) on Adoration.  Cynthia Brewer is one of my colleagues in the Catholic Writer’s Guild.  When I heard that she was working on a prayer journal for use during Eucharistic Adoration, I asked her to help me explain how important this practice is and how it can benefit our marriages, too.  Here’s what she had to say…

“Jesus is calling us to visit His Divine Presence in the Eucharist! 

Catholics are so blessed to be able to visit Jesus’ true presence anytime they are at a Catholic Church.  We can spend a few minutes before Him in the tabernacle at our local parish or before His visible Presence in a monstrance at an Adoration chapel. Either way, Jesus is right there, whether we can see him in the Eucharist or not, and he awaits each of us with a loving desire.

Married couples can enrich not only their personal relationship with Jesus through these visits to the Blessed Sacrament but can also strengthen their marital relationship.  Although spouses may need to attend as individuals, as time permits each to arrange a prayer period, I believe Jesus delights in married couples visiting Him together. Since their wedding vows, the two have become one. As they kneel as one before Christ’s presence, they can offer themselves and their marriage to the Lord. 

If a couple’s relationship has been hurting, let them come to Christ, the healer. Let them shed their sorrows, pain, and even anger before the Eucharistic Jesus. He wants us to unload our burdens at His feet. Until we unload them, we’re unable to take His yoke, from which we will learn and be given His rest (cf. Mt. 11:28-30).“

I hope Cynthia’s words have made you as excited about this challenge as they have for me!  To be honest, I haven’t been to Adoration in quite some time, so I definitely need this time with Jesus. If you go (alone or, even better, with your spouse!), let us know how it goes in the comments below!

PS: Last resort option… If you are unable to physically attend Adoration, you may “attend” Exposition virtually through a source like EWTN.   

Last month, our challenge was to pray a novena to St. Gianna Molla.  Chris and I prayed that our upcoming move would go smoothly. It was nice to pray together as always! Hope you enjoyed the novena, too!

Cynthia Brewer and her husband, Greg, live in Victoria, Texas. She was the editor of The Catholic Lighthouse diocesan newspaper for 13 years and has written a prayer journal on the Holy Eucharist. It is currently being reviewed by a Catholic Publishing House; I will let you all know when it is published!