We live in a highly function-driven society. This has its proper place. We have tasks to perform for the common good in which we need what others have to offer and others rely upon what we have to contribute.
In our function driven world, we can slip into the tendency to come across to one another in such a manner that we always have an agenda for the persons with whom we associate and they have an agenda for us to meet. Being overly function driven can be hurtful both to ourselves and to the persons with whom we interact. On the one hand, we can become cynical when someone wants to see us. Under our breath, we utter: “what does she/he want from me now?” On the other hand, we can be reluctant to just stop by or drop in to see others because we sense that those whom we would stop by to visit may wonder what we have up our sleeves for them to do. In other words, why is she/he stopping by to see me?
What a blessing our families can be for us in a highly function-driven world! At home, we don’t have to have an excuse or an agenda to be with one another. We just enjoy being in the presence of one another. We don’t even always need to have something specific to say. We can ride for miles and miles in our vehicles with persons whom we love and not feel uncomfortable when we run out of things to say.
Over a period of time, we take on mannerisms of persons with whom we enjoy just hanging out. When we are separated from the mere presence of persons who mean a lot to us, we feel their absence very deeply. There is thus that which is very affirming and life-renewing when we hit it off with others in the manner just described.
Let’s apply this to our relationship with the Lord. At times, our prayer life illustrates that our relationship with the Lord is highly functional. To a certain point, this is as it should be. The Lord wants us to come to Him with our needs and concerns. It pleases the Lord when we pray for others and for their needs. What can easily happen as we have no pressing needs is that we can drift away from communing with the Lord until another need for which we need His help comes along.
Before the Lord does for us, He always is there for us. In the exposed Blessed Sacrament, the Lord offers simply to be there for us in a uniquely distinctive manner. Coming to Eucharistic Adoration offers us a special opportunity just to be there with the Lord. We don’t have to bring an agenda with us.
To express in words a spiritual disposition that is pleasing to the Lord, when we come to Eucharistic Adoration, we might want to pray the GLORIA, which begins “Glory to God in the highest…” In this exalting hymn, we simply praise God for Who He is and not because of what we want to get from Him. Even as over time, we come to take on mannerisms of persons with whom we enjoy just hanging out, this can happen to us in our relationship with the Lord as we take advantage of opportunities to just hang out with Him in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament. Opportunities to just hang out with the Lord in the exposed Blessed Sacrament are listed in the bulletins of each parish. As we develop the habit of making time to spend in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament, we will more and more take on mannerisms of the Lord in regard to how we think, speak and act. Is there any greater way that we can love and serve others than by growing in this way?
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Nelson Beaver – Pastor