The Eucharist is the focal point of the Catholic faith because it is Jesus present with us here on earth today. In the Eucharist, Jesus prolongs His presence on earth and most completely fulfils His words: “Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Mt. 28:20)
The Eucharist is Jesus’ greatest expression of His love for us. Jesus expresses His love for us in three ways in the Eucharist: by re-presenting His sacrifice of the Cross in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, by uniting His life with ours in Holy Communion, and by giving us the gift of continual presence in the Blessed Sacrament. This is another way of saying that the Eucharist is a threefold sacrament, i.e,. it confers grace in three different ways. We will focus here on the third way. Prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is efficacious, and it is the way to secure the graces necessary to put an end to abortion in the world. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “ If people spent an hour a week in Eucharistic adoration, abortion would be ended.”
Of the many graces received by prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the greatest by far is the sanctification of the adorer. Young people should be encouraged to spend time before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. In that way they will fortify themselves against temptations against chastity, which when succumbed to, often lead to the sin of abortion.
Pope Paul VI said that Eucharistic adoration cultivates in the soul “a ‘social’ love by which the common good is given preference over the good of the individual.” This heightened social conscience makes one more aware of the immense dignity of every human person; it allows one to see clearly that every human person is uniquely created and specially loved by God. Such a sensitised conscience finds abortion abhorrent and could never hold a “pro-choice” position.
Pope John Paul II, in a recent letter commemorating the 750th anniversary of the first celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi, said, “through adoration the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world.” This is a powerful statement that affirms the awesome power of Eucharistic adoration, the power that will transform our “culture of death” into a culture of life. Eucharistic adoration is the most powerful means one can employ to win graces for the conversion and salvation of those involved in abortion and other sins against human life. Blessed Dina Belanger was told by Jesus in a vision that a multitude of souls were saved from the fires of hell by her Eucharistic holy hours of prayer.
The heart of the apostolate of every pro-life worker should be a weekly Eucharistic holy hour dedicated specifically to the end of contraception, abortion and euthanasia throughout the world. It is necessary to pray first for the end of contraception because abortion and euthanasia are logical and natural consequences of contraception. If man dares to usurp God’s prerogative and determine when life begins, it follows that he will also dare to determine when it ends.
Putting an end to abortion is just one of many reasons why every parish should have perpetual Eucharistic adoration. Perpetual Eucharistic adoration is the “devotion of devotions.” It provides an easy and convenient means for everyone in the parish to spend at least an hour a week with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I urge all Catholic pro-lifers to encourage their pastors to start perpetual adoration in their parishes.
[Sign up to commit to an hour of Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament for the work of the Good Counsel Network, once a week. You can fulfil this in any Church of your choice.]
© Rev. Victor P. Warkulwiz, M.S.S., National Director of the Apostolate for Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. For more information contact:
APOSTOLATE FOR PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
MISSIONARY PRIESTS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
P.O. BOX 1428, BENSALEM, PA 19020, USA. PH:215.244.9211 FAX: 215.244.9211
E-MAIL: apea@webtv.net
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