Devotion for today: come, watch with me

Scripture for meditation: Philippians 3:7-11
But those things I used to consider gain I have now reappraised as loss in the light of Christ. I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For his sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my wealth and I may be in Him, not having any justice of my own, based on observance of the law. The justice I possess is that which comes through faith in Christ; it has its origin in God and is based on faith. All I want is to know Christ Jesus and the power flowing from his resurrection; likewise to know how to share in his sufferings by being formed into the pattern of his death. Thus do I hope that I may arrive at resurrection from the dead.

Christ asks us: Matthew 26:40

"Could you not watch one hour with me?"

St. Peter Julian Eymard tells us: Adore and visit Jesus, abandoned and forsaken by men in His Sacrament of love. Man has time for everything except for visits to His Lord and God, who is waiting and longing for us in the Blessed Sacrament…. Sympathize with Jesus Who is betrayed, insulted, mocked, and crucified far more ignominiously in His Sacrament of love than He was in the Garden of Olives, in Jerusalem, and on Calvary. Those whom He has the most honored, loved, and enriched with His gifts and graces are the very ones who offend Him the most by their indifference. Offer up for this intention all that you have suffered during the day or week that Jesus may be loved and adored by all. Because we ourselves are unable to atone for so much wrong, we unite ourselves to the infinite merits of our Savior Jesus. Receive His diving Blood as it mystically flows from His Holy Wounds, and offer it to the Father in perfect atonement for the sins of the world. Take His sufferings and His prayer on the Cross, and beg the Heavenly Father for pardon and mercy for all. Unite your reparation to that of the most Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross or the altar, and from the love of Jesus for His divine Mother you will obtain everything (Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Martin Vincent Lucia, Apostolate for Perpetual Adoration, Mt. Clemens, MI)

Prayer: Prayer Reflection on Philippians 3:7-11

Jesus, You are the Living “Vine” in this Sacrament of Your love, giving divine life to all the “branches” of humanity. Apart from You, nothing good can be done. With You all things are possible. I adore You, and acknowledge that I am completely dependent upon You, whom I love with all my heart, mind and strength. Beget in me a holy desire to be single-hearted in everything I think, say and do, from a pure motive of whole-hearted love for you. Transform my lazy mediocrity into a burning quest for sanctity – giving me a new heart and renewing Your own spirit within me (Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Martin Vincent Lucia, Apostolate for Perpetual Adoration, Mt. Clemens, MI).

My thoughts: The invitation from Christ to “watch one hour with Him” is fulfilled so beautifully by spending one hour in Adoration. Many churches offer Perpetual Adoration, where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed twenty-four hours a day. If this is not possible, then sitting in front of the tabernacle in church is a wonderful way to spend an hour with Christ. We can transfer The Agony in the Garden into our own lives by taking time to isolate ourselves for one hour, and be with Christ. We unite all of our sufferings and trials to His in the Garden; we make reparation for sin by offering all of our loving thoughts, words and deeds to Him for the forgiveness of sin (ours and the world’s) and we pray, silently, with Him, that all men may be united with Him in heaven. A plan for a Holy Hour could be to start with the Rosary, meditating on the mysteries as we pray. Next, we could do a reflection, like the one offered today. Study a scripture passage, and form a prayer which makes it your own. You can then spend time in silence, allowing God to speak to the inner recesses of your heart. Then, ask Mary to present your prayers to her beloved Son, and end with a good Act of Contrition, pledging to bring the love you found sitting before Christ, out into the world.

Our prayer to God: Consider making this act of love a part of your Lenten program of prayer: by spending one hour with Christ, once a week for six weeks, you will find peace, respite from your cares and woes, and a new relationship with Christ. Please, watch with Him one hour.