Devotion for today: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)

“Above all things and in all things, rest, my soul, in my Lord God, for He is the eternal rest of all angels and saints.” (Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ)

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Are you tired because of the burden of your duties, because of frustration due to unsuccessful projects, because many misunderstand you? Are you heavy laden with guilt from past sins? Are you trying to find hope and meaning in life? Do not lose heart! Abandon yourself to Jesus in this "Sacrament of Love": He will refresh you!

The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you will come away feeling renewed and healed. Miracles of conversion, peace, discovery of vocations, answers to prayers, physical healings, and many other wonderful things happen where and when the Lord Jesus is adored in the Blessed Sacrament. They are the "gifts" that point to the Almighty Giver and testify to His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament...

Let us love being with the Lord! There we can speak with Him about everything. We can offer Him our petitions, our concerns, our troubles, our joys, our gratitude, our disappointments, our needs and our aspirations. Above all we can remember to pray: 'Lord send laborers into Your harvest! Help me to be a good worker in Your vineyard!'

When asked, "What would save the world?”... Mother Teresa replied: "My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in holy hours of prayer." http://www.catholic-church.org/kuwait/eucharistic_adoration.htm

One form of Eucharistic Adoration is to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, present in every tabernacle of the world. I have started a new habit of going to daily Mass a half an hour early to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Although troubles still fill my days, and the world still seems to be going crazy at a very fast rate, I cannot describe the peace and tranquility I find in that time. The church has many people in it who are doing the same thing. Some are praying rosaries; others are quietly praying the Liturgy of the Hours; others are just sitting and gazing at the home of their King and Savior, and others have their head in their hands, obviously grieving and yet coming to the only place where they will find true solace. I now stop by the church in the afternoon as well, just for 15 minutes as I rush from one responsibility to the next. It is a different scene at this time. The church is so quiet, so I go up really close to the tabernacle, thinking it is just God and me. It has never once just been God and me. Someone else is always in the Church, praying, gazing, crying, or basking in the glory of God. I feel so renewed and peaceful, so filled with the presence of God that I am able to carry that feeling into the rest of my day. This practice has changed my life, and I love it. Try it yourself. The world can become so depressing these days, but unloading our burdens on the One who offers us “rest” is the best answer there is.

I will offer prayers every day to use in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Soon, you will have enough to fill a solid holy hour! Some people told me they have trouble finding words to simply praise and adore God. Here is a lovely prayer from Thomas a Kempis in his book “The Imitation of Christ”:

You, Lord God, are most good, most high, most mighty, most sufficient and most full of goodness, most sweet, most consoling, most fair, most loving, most noble, and most glorious above all things. In You all goodness is together, perfectly and fully – has been and will be. Therefore, whatever You give me, beside Yourself, is little and insufficient to me, for my heart cannot rest, or be fully brought to peace, so that it may ascend above all gifts and above all manner of created things, save in you. O my Lord Jesus Christ, most loving Spouse, most pure Lover and Governor of every creature, who will give me wings of perfect liberty, so that I may fly high and rest in You. Oh, when shall I fully tend to You and see and feel how sweet You are? When shall I recollect myself so perfectly that I shall not, for Your love, recognize myself, but You alone above myself and above all physical things? You will visit me in such manner as You visit Your faithful lovers.