The Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives as Christians. The Second Vatican Council declared this in the document Lumen gentium, paragraph no. 11. This is important for us who profess to be Christians to know, to understand, and to believe. One of the many things that drew me to discern the priesthood was Eucharistic Adoration and I truly believe that it was that time in prayer before Jesus that led and guided me to find my vocation.
I truly wish that more people would take advantage of the Wednesday evening four-hour Adoration that we have at Blessed Sacrament or the First Friday Adoration at Saint Mary’s. I think that having these opportunities is vital and so, when I was approached by some Blessed Sacrament parishioners about having a Thursday morning Adoration from 9:30-11:30am, I was excited.
I was excited because it was their idea and they wanted to make it a reality. It will be a reality on September 22! They want it to be an opportunity not just for them but also for the Blessed Sacrament school population and with prayer it will grow over time. My friends, this is an example of Christian lay people in action. They had an idea, they came to me, we discussed and it became a reality. This new Adoration time will happen initially during the school year and will take school vacations and the summer off for now, but I believe with discernment and prayer we can grow this special spiritual activity. Join us during the times offered whether it be Wednesday evening, Thursday morning or First Friday and I assure you that you will grow in your prayer life and you will grow your relationship with Jesus Christ. The Lord longs for you. Do you long for Him?
We are fortunate to now have a new youth space-- The Rock-- for our young people to celebrate their faith in a fun, safe environment.A dedicated group of young parishioners came outSundayafternoon to help Jen Duffey, our new youth minister, and other staff members put on the final coats of paint and try out the new air hockey and ping pong tables that were donated by generous parishioners.Coming together on 9/11, on that day of service, was especially affirming.
The Rock, located in the St. Mary lower rectory, will be a place for the young people of both parishes to celebrate our community.I hope you will join me in applauding and supporting their efforts.