REAL PRESENCE RENEWAL

A Eucharistic Spiritual Exercise

Week 5

We begin with a quote from Saint Peter Julian Eymard on the sublime nature of Eucharistic Adoration.

“Eucharistic adoration is the greatest of actions. To adore is to share the life of Mary on earth when she adored the Word Incarnate in her virginal womb, when she adored Him in the Crib, on Calvary, in the divine Eucharist. To adore is to share the life of noble souls on earth, whose love and happiness found expression in the long hours they passed at the foot of the Tabernacle to adore therein the hidden God and to glorify and love Him as much as they could. The Tabernacle was their only reason for loving life; they lived only to consume themselves in the flames of His love. To adore is to share the life of the saints in heaven who never cease to praise, bless, and adore the goodness, the love, the glory, the power, and the divinity of the Lamb immolated for the love of men and the glory of God the Father. Eucharistic adoration is the holiest of actions. It is so because it is the perfect exercise of all the Virtues.”

This week’s challenge is twofold.

  1. Let us increase our weekly commitment to Eucharistic Adoration from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Saint Peter Julian Eymard is clear. In the realm of prayer, there is no greater act of private piety than the adoration of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. So far, we have learned about the manifold benefits and graces that we receive from our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. As we grow in love of Him, it is natural then to spend more and more time with our beloved. Let us make love of Jesus and adoration of His Real Presence the beginning and end of all that we do.
  2. If it has been more than three or four weeks since our last Confession, we should prioritize receiving this powerful sacrament again as soon as possible. Holy Communion is the sacrament of the living. You cannot feed a corpse. We must possess sanctifying grace, which is the life of the soul, in order to be nourished by the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. When we receive the Holy Eucharist in a state of mortal sin, we heap condemnation and punishment upon ourselves by receiving the Son of the Living God unworthily. Even if we are only guilty of venial sins, frequent Confession is an indispensable practice that will enable us to further amend our defects and grow in union with God.

Week 5 Challenge Summary

  1. Increase your weekly commitment to Eucharistic Adoration from 30 minutes to 1 hour
  2. Prioritize receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation if it has been more than 3 or 4 weeks since your last Confession (Review Confession Primer)

Primers For This Week

(suggested but optional)

  1. Mental Prayer and Spiritual Reading
  2. The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent Confession
  3. Daily Examen and Predominant Passion
  4. Mortification and Fasting

Readings For This Week

  1. The Real Presence: Profession of Faith
  2. The Real Presence: Profession of Hope
  3. The Real Presence: Profession of Love

Discussion Questions

  1. Have you found that a consistent prayer life leads to an increase in the strength of your faith and the resolve of your will to live according to your faith? What particular struggles have you noticed in your will when you aren’t praying well?
  2. How are you being intentional about professing your faith at home, in the parish, and in the workplace?
  3. Are you mindful of the reverence due to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist when at Mass and Adoration? What changes might you need to make in this regard?
  4. What are some areas of life where you experience temptations to despair, discouragement, or anxiety? 
  5. Why is it a necessity to make acts of hope in prayer frequently, especially when adoring Jesus in the Holy Eucharist?
  6. What weakness do you most fear in yourself, and how has this fear impacted your hope in the Real Presence?
  7. How is love of others connected to love of God, and how does Christianity differ from all the religions of the world in regards to love?
  8. What attitudes or responses do you notice in yourself towards those who are burdensome to you or cause you to suffer?
  9. We profess our love of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist primarily through prayer, practice, and promotion. Which of these areas are strengths for you, and which of these areas do you need to work on?
  10. What is one resolution you might commit to in order to combat your deep tendency towards self-love and self-will?
  11. Do you feel called to this week’s spiritual challenge, and do you have a plan to undertake it?