Roman Catholic churches preserve consecrated hosts within a tabernacle. Originally this was done to keep a few extra hosts to distribute to the sick and homebound.
Then eventually this tradition took on the aim of enabling a wider devotion to Jesus, who is truly and substantially present in the Eucharistic host. Churches began to keep Jesus within the tabernacle so that the faithful could spend a time of quiet prayer before him.
For this reason many churches remain open during the day to facilitate these encounters, inviting Christians to stop by and adore Jesus in the tabernacle. Pope Francis has often advocated that churches should remain open so that people can stop in to see Jesus.
Here are a few short tips on visiting Jesus in the Eucharist.
1Make time in your schedule
Plan a specific time in your schedule to visit Jesus, or it’s likely you won’t do it. Consider an errand that will bring you close to a church, for example, and make a mental note to stop in.
It doesn’t have to be for long, as even five minutes in front of Jesus can be beneficial to our soul.
St. John Bosco was a major advocate of these visits, explaining how it can fortify our soul against the devil.
Do you want the Lord to give you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to give you few graces? Visit Him rarely. Do you want the devil to attack you? Visit Jesus rarely in the Blessed Sacrament. Do you want the devil to flee from you? Visit Jesus often. Do you want to conquer the devil? Take refuge often at the feet of Jesus. Do you want to be conquered by the devil? Forget about visiting Jesus.
My dear ones, the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil. Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and the devil will not come out victorious against you.
2Keep your visits simple
Sometimes we think that each visit to Jesus needs to be intense, full of specific prayers or spiritual reading.
However, what is often more powerful is simply “sitting” with Jesus.
Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. “I look at him and he looks at me“: this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before the tabernacle. (CCC 2715)
3Make a “visit” when driving by
One of the simplest ways to make an extremely short “visit” is to make a gesture of adoration when passing a Catholic church.
This can be when you are driving or walking by and don’t have the time to stop inside the church. You might make the Sign of the Cross as your car passes by the church.
Whenever St. Francis of Assisi caught sight of a Catholic church in the distance, he was known to kneel down and give praise to God. Often he would say the following words that he passed on to his friars.
We adore you, O Lord Jesus Christ, in this church and all the churches of the world, and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Amen
And today we celebrate...