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Tuesday, 08 May 2018 10:47

Parish of Blessed Anuarite: Adoration animated by the SSS Scholastics

By Br. Jean Luc Ephrème Diémé, sss

 

By our life and activities we share in the mission of the Church, so that the Eucharist may be celebrated in truth, that the faithful may grow in their communion with the Lord through eucharistic adoration in the setting of exposition, that they may commit themselves to the renewal of their Christian communities and collaborate in liberating individuals and society from the forces of evil” (RL 3). In this same perspective, the scholastics, in turn, presented the “animated adoration” in the parish church of Blessed Anuarite. The manner in which they presented this was the “Method of adoration of the four ends of sacrifice” – the way of praying that Father Eymard proposed for his religious and, more widely for all the laity.

Why did Our Lord Jesus Christ want to give his love and his gifts through his presence in the Blessed Sacrament? Because he wanted to live among us as a father, as a friend” (cf. Peter-Julian Eymard, Avete l’Eucaristia, Avete tutto (You have the Eucharist, You have everything), Città Nuova, Rome, 1977, p.112).

Truly, worship outside the Mass extends the memorial in inviting the faithful to remain with the Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament: “The Master is here and he is calling you” (Jn 11:28). Moreover, through eucharistic adoration, the faithful recognise the real presence of the Lord and they unite themselves to his act of offering himself to the Father. Their adoration participates in his in some way, since it is through him, with him and in him that all prayer and all adoration rises towards the Father and are accepted by him.

After each morning Eucharist, except on Sunday, in the parish of Blessed Anuarite exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is extended. However, the adoration on “Thursday” takes place until the evening with the vespers, which is usually in the local language “Lingala”. We are aware that in the Eucharist personal and communal healing happens (cf. Lk 8:43-48). This is also a time of personal sanctification (cf. Jn 13:1f.) For this reason the faithful of the parish are invited to find time in the course of this day, Thursday, for a heart-to-heart colloquy with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Today, as in the past, there are many congregations, groups and associations that carry out eucharistic adoration. Nevertheless, we are often asked: “Father, we want to adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. But, we do not have adequate patterns of how to do this, show us ‘how’ to adore.” Truly, “We have a particular grace, a sensitivity and a depth that makes us (us SSS) ‘teachers and guides’ of this particular form of prayer, a prayer that develops the dynamism of the Eucharist.” (Father Fiorenzo Salvi sss, 25 February 2004). For their part, the scholastics by means of “animated adoration” want to highlight how the fruits of eucharistic adoration enter into the spiritual worship of the whole of daily living in fulfilling God’s will.

Finally, as Father Eymard noted in one of his last personal retreats: “The Most Blessed Sacrament has always dominated my life.” Following him, the community of the “Emmaus” Scholasticate is devoted to responding to the practice of adoring the Blessed Sacrament with the scope of enabling the parish faithful to discover the Eucharistic spirituality that enlivened our Father Founder, St Peter-Julian Eymard, “the apostle of the Eucharist”. And this impels us to manifest to all in our life the meaning of being “a Eucharistic community” (cf. RL 21) today wherever we are present.