Transcript
The Eucharist is powerful. Glorious. Divine. Amazing. Inviting. Are you a pilgrim or a tourist?
Mother Teresa is one of the most beloved women of all time. She emerged as an icon of goodness in the modern world. She was a steadfast voice of faith and love in a world going mad with materialism and hedonism. Contrasted against the unbridled materialism of the modern world, the simplicity of her life caused men and women in all states of life to reflect upon the way they were choosing to live their own lives. This Catholic nun intrigued the hearts, confounded the minds, and inspired the spirits of people of every faith and nation. She was truly a remarkable woman. Her faith wasn't a speech. It was living and breathing. She saw each moment as an opportunity to love. Every individual person mattered to her. She said, "I believe in person-to-person contact. Every person is Christ for me. And since there is only one Jesus, the person I am meeting is the one person in the world at that moment. Those who spent time with her would often comment, "For that moment you were with her, there was only you and her. It was as if nothing else existed to her except you."
When I reflect on the life of Mother Teresa, the questions I ask myself are: where did her power to love so deeply come from? What was the source of her strength to serve so selflessly? How was this woman able to inspire so many people to give their lives to God? The answers to these questions are also deeply embedded in her life. Before everything else, Mother Teresa was a woman of prayer. Each day, for decades, she spent time in prayer before the blessed sacrament. Her power to love, her strength to endure, and her gift to inspire others were all born from the Eucharist. This woman believed in the centrality of Jesus Christ. She knew His centrality in history and eternity, and she trusted His centrality in her own life. There is the source. Jesus in the Eucharist. She placed Jesus at the center of her life and everything else flowed from that. Eucharistic adoration was one of Mother Teresa's primary spiritual habits. Spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist was an essential part of what made her who she was. It is a habit she shared with almost every saint who has ever lived. The world was obsessed with the power and magnetism of Mother Teresa's goodness. And yet the world ignored the source of the holiness she manifested everywhere she went. It would have been easy for her to lose herself in the enormous fame the world lavished upon her. Why didn't she? The media is full of stories about famous people who have been chewed up and spat out by fame. Why didn't fame affect Mother Teresa in the same way? She spent the first hour of each day before the blessed sacrament in adoration. As the impact of her work grew, some of those closest to her asked her to reduce this to 30 minutes, pointing out that every minute she spent with people bore tremendous fruit. This may have seemed reasonable and rational to those proposing the change, especially in light of all of Mother Teresa's other daily spiritual practices. So did she capitulate? No. She increased her time of adoration to two hours each morning and reminded those closest to her that Jesus was the source of all the fruit their work was bearing. Later, as her legend grew, she increased her daily adoration to three hours. Our lives change when our habits change. What problem are you trying to solve in your life right now? Do you see how the habit of adoration would help you solve that problem? Do you see how the habit of adoration would have helped you avoid that problem to begin with? How would your life change if you spent an hour each day before the blessed sacrament? Now, before your mind gets down that road, try not to dismiss the question. I realize that for most people, this is not possible, but consider it for a moment anyway. How would your life change? Get lost in that reflection for a few moments. Think on it as you go about your day today.
If you spent an hour each day before the blessed sacrament, how would your life change? Now consider this. What is possible? An hour a day might not be possible. What is possible? One hour a week? One hour each month? 10 minutes each day? Because whatever is possible, you should grasp it and allow the power of the Eucharist to pour into your soul. Follow Mother Teresa's advice. She said, "If I can give you any advice, I beg you to get closer to the Eucharist and to Jesus. We must pray to Jesus to give us that tenderness of the Eucharist." That tenderness of the Eucharist. Have you ever thought of it that way? And how does someone think of it that way? Only by spending time with Jesus intimately in the Eucharist? The French novelist Leon Bloy once wrote, "The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint." While becoming a saint is the primary goal of the Christian life, most people never seriously consider it a possibility. Is it possible? Yes. How do we begin? By adopting the spiritual habits that the saints shared in common. You need the habit of adoration. How often? I don't know. For how long? I don't know. That's between you and God. But it was central to the lives of the saints. And I encourage you to make it central to your life, even if it is only for one hour each month. It has been observed that people emulate the five people they spend most time with. For better or for worse, we become like the people we hang out with. Make Jesus one of your five people. Spending time in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist will transform you and your life in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. Trust, surrender, believe, receive. Become a member of the International Society of the Eucharist today.
And let's take this bold vision out into the world and share it with as many people as possible. And we'll send you a free copy of 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, a copy of the children's version, a copy of the limited-edition Journal, which includes an amazing Holy Week Retreat. Click the button below to learn more and join. Have a great day, and remember, be bold, be Catholic. We are people of the Eucharist.
Jesus, I believe that you are truly present
In the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist.
Every day, I long for more of you. I love you above all things.
And I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally at this moment
I invite you to come and dwell in my heart.
May this spiritual communion increase my desire.
For the Eucharist.
You are the healer of my soul.
Take the blindness from my eyes.
The deafness from my ears.
The darkness from my mind.
And the hardness from my heart.
Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage.
To do your will in all things.
My Lord and my God.
Draw me close to you.
Nearer than ever before.
Amen.
Consecrate America to the Eucharist.
Bye-bye.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Come on.
Have a great day.
Hey, Isabel. One simple way to be mindful of God's presence in the world is to know where the nearest Tabernacle is. So while we've got a couple of minutes, I thought we might work on your geography a little.
Sounds good, Dad. You're always coming up with something.
If I was at latitude 32.41 and longitude of negative 80.65, where would the nearest Tabernacle be?
St. Peter's Beaufort, South Carolina.