Adoro Te Devote Series: Vol. 5 Invitation to Adore (Part 2)
“God only on the Cross lay hid from view; But here lies hid at once the Manhood too: And I, in both professing my belief, Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.”
-Saint Thomas Aquinas, Adoro Te Devote
A couple months ago, I was faced with an uncomfortable decision that terrified me. Nothing serious, but still, my indecisive nature was making a HUGE deal out of it.
And any time I’d attempt to find clarity in prayer, I was pelted with so many worries and anxieties, I really wasn’t leaving any room for God to speak. This went on for about two weeks…Any time I’d take this matter to prayer, the “what-ifs” in my mind screamed louder than any other words I’d pray.
As I reflect on this experience, I’m realizing that the real problem wasn’t the decision I was having to make…the problem was how I was approaching God in prayer. I was seeking to follow His will (a good thing), but I had NO IDEA what His will was because of how I was praying about it.
So once again, God had to speak to me through my children.
When I overcomplicate matters….He makes them simple.
And what better way to make things simple than through the eyes of a child? Or in this case…a children’s book….
Every day at lunch, I read to my kids from a 1950s book series called The Catholic Children’s Treasure Box. Each book includes a sweet little story about a guardian angel named Wupsy.
Well, one day, Wupsy the Angel encounters a problem while performing his guardian angel duties on earth. And what does he do when faced with this problem?
He prays, of course.
But instead of immediately asking for God’s advice…he starts off his prayer by “loving God as hard as he could.”
Think about that for second.
Wupsy had a problem.
But instead of saying, “Hi, God! Here’s my problem…
He simply…
loved
God
as
hard
as
he
could.
I cried right there at the lunch table when I read this. What a relief! I may not have known God’s will in this decision…but I didn’t have to figure it out like it was some jigsaw puzzle.
I simply had to love Him.
And in doing so…with time…His will became clearer in my troubled heart.
Friends, this is how we should approach Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration…
We are invited to Love Christ in the Blessed Sacrament as hard as we can.
By all means, bring your troubles, bring your worries, bring your sorrows to his feet. He does want to hear them.
But first…simply love Him.
“Adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion. To adore God is to acknowledge Him as God, as the Creator and Savior, the Lord and Master of everything that exists, as infinite and merciful Love.”
Here’s another example…
I have a friend who I only get to see once every few months. When we do get together, I feel like I always have some sort of hardship/trial I’m wanting to share with her. The thing is, I don’t always immediately blurt it out first thing upon seeing her.
First, I greet her with a hug.
Because she is my friend. And I love her for so much more than her ability to listen to my complicated life. So, I hug her first and let her know that I am SO happy to see her. All while trusting that our conversations will naturally build up to the mentioning of hardships.
Let’s take the same approach with Jesus!!!
Glory be the the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
These words are meant to be said in adoration.
Kneel before Him. Acknowledge all the beautiful beautiful things He has done for you.
And then when you, like a child, have loved him as hard as you can, tell Him of your troubles and seek forgiveness for your failures.
By adoring him in this way, you are not only glorifying Him, but you are also preparing your heart to receive what He so wants to give you.
“To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name (Lk 1:46-49). The worship of the one God sets man free from turning in on himself, from the slavery of sin and the idolatry of the world.”
Consider this your invitation to love Jesus at Eucharistic Adoration this week!
I used to worry if I was “doing” Eucharistic Adoration correctly. As if I were going to stick out like sore thumb.
So, for those of you have never attended Eucharistic Adoration before, don’t worry. You aren’t going to stick out as if it were your first Mass.
All that is expected of you is to simply go and love Jesus as hard as you can. Everyone else will (hopefully) be doing the same.
I included a link to a guide on Eucharistic Adoration last week…And I will include it again in case you missed it!
I know I said I was going to talk about how Eucharistic Adoration is not idolatry. But I’m out of room again.
It’s coming, I promise. These emails are not pre-planned and entirely at the whim of the Holy Spirit!
Our Lady of Tenderness Update:
Another sneak peak…It’s been a few years since I’ve attempted painting faces with oils, and I’m definitely feeling rusty. I have about 2 layers of the faces complete and am probably going to need to add 1-2 more layers before they are where I’d like them to be.
I’ve decided to be brave and move Christ’s hand up to Our Lady’s cheek.
This is how I originally envisioned this painting, but when I couldn’t get our 16-month-old to lovingly place his hand on my cheek for a reference photo, I gave up the idea for a bit. However, I can’t help but feel that the placement of Jesus’ hand entirely changes the painting…
The traditional icons of “Our Lady of Tenderness” often show Jesus’ hands wrapped lovingly around Mary’s neck. Since I am taking a more realistic approach, I am hoping to relay a similar feeling of “tenderness” but with a more natural placement of hands. So while I may not have the perfect reference photo for baby-hand-on-cheek, I’d be silly if I didn’t at least try to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead on this!
Thanks again for reading!
Your Friend in Christ,
Haley Dessauer
**Disclaimer: I try very hard to make sure the content of these reflections align with Church teaching…but I am still human and fallible (and may need occasional help from my brothers and sisters in Christ!) If you read something in one of my emails that does not align with Church teaching, please let me know! Likewise, when in doubt, seek out more information and contact your parish priest.
