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Una tarde, yo era una entre muchas personas en la capilla de adoración. A decir verdad, no me esforzaba mucho por evitar las distracciones. Al mirar el reloj en la pared, me preguntaba cómo conseguiría terminar la hora.

Justo entonces, me llamó la atención un niño pequeño que estaba junto a su madre en el reclinatorio delantero, cerca de Jesús en la Eucaristía. Vi cómo tomaba un papel de la pila que había sobre la caja de las intenciones y agarraba un bolígrafo.

Lo que hizo a continuación me impresionó. Dibujó corazones por toda la hoja de papel y la colocó dentro de la caja de intenciones.

J.R.R. Tolkien, autor de los libros de El Señor de los Anillos, dijo que la Eucaristía era "la única gran cosa que amar en la tierra".

Jesús está aquí, en los sagrarios y capillas de adoración en Miami. Pero estoy segura de que no soy la única que lo subestima la mayor parte del tiempo.

La clave está en despertar el asombro. Cuando comprendamos, tanto con el corazón como con la mente, que Jesús está aquí con nosotros, entonces veremos la vida como una aventura, una historia épica de amistad con Dios.

¿Cómo podemos redescubrir, o quizá descubrir por primera vez, la maravilla de la Eucaristía?

Para empezar, veamos la oración desde la perspectiva del cielo. ¿Sabían que Jesús ve la conversación con nosotros como una tertulia? Él le dijo a Gabrielle Bossis, una francesa común y corriente que escuchó que Jesús le hablaba: "Hazme compañía cada vez más. Nunca sabrás lo que significa para mí ser tratado como un amigo íntimo. Es tan raro. Me deleito en esto como un ser humano". (Bossis, Gabriela. Él y Yo. Traducido al inglés y condensado por Evelyn M. Brown, Pauline Books & Media, 2013).

Todo se trata de la amistad con Dios, y de que debemos comprometernos, como ocurre con cualquier amistad. Dios nunca deja de ser nuestro amigo. Él nos ama de igual manera cuando tomamos decisiones que nos acercan a él, o nos alejan. Pero si no hablamos con Dios, ¿cómo crecerá nuestro amor por él?

No siempre tenemos ganas de acudir a la adoración. Y no debemos sentirnos mal si nos sentimos así. Eso no significa que estemos haciendo algo mal. Simplemente perseveremos en ir.

Hace años, cuando vi al niño que dibujaba corazones en el papel para Jesús, me sentí muy conmovida. Ese niño, sencillamente, estaba con Jesús. Colocó su corazón dentro de aquella caja de intenciones. Al traer su corazón, le trajo a Dios su vida entera y las vidas de otros, incluso la de una desconocida.

Jesús dijo a Gabriela Bossis: "Para algunos soy un desconocido. Para otros, un extraño, un maestro severo o un acusador. Pocos acuden a mí como a uno de la familia amada. Y, sin embargo, mi amor está ahí, esperándoles. Así que diles que vengan, que entren, que se entreguen al amor tal como son... Yo los restauraré. Los transformaré. Y conocerán una alegría que nunca antes habían conocido. Sólo yo puedo dar esa alegría".

Comments from readers

Dolores Hanley McDiarmid - 04/11/2023 01:00 PM
Emily, thank you for the lovely and inspirational article about Eucharistic Adoration and developing a friendship with Jesus. If any relationship is to grow, we need to spend time together, talking and listening to one another. That's what we do at Eucharistic Adoration. Building a relationship with our Lord takes time and requires patience and persistence. I am pleased that you mentioned the powerful and inspirational book "He and I" that provides us with an example of one persons (the author's) intimate relationship with Jesus. When I read this book more than 20 years ago, it created a strong desire in my heart to grow closer to Jesus. I wanted to have that same intimate relationship. I went to Adoration in various chapels, I entered in and gave myself to Jesus just as I was and to this day He continues to transform me as we regularly spend time together at adoration and in daily life. I pray that your beautiful message touches the hearts of many and that they will accept Jesus' invitation to visit Him. He is waiting for us! He thirsts for us! God bless you, Emily.
Sharon M Utterback - 04/10/2023 10:30 PM
Thank you, Emily for the beautiful story. It brings to reality in a very simple and inspiring way a message that we all need to hear and be reminded of. How Jesus loves us and He asks only for a little of our time and we receive so much in return.
Valli Leone - 04/10/2023 06:56 PM
Emily, I love your article and especially the phrase you used: “awakening the wonder!” Your encouragement to just show up to spend time with Jesus is, in my opinion, exactly what we need. Too much analysis always brings paralysis, but when we can just abandon ourselves to being in his presence, He comes. When I was writing a book about his love, entitled “Supernatural Joy,“ most of the inspiration came while sitting in front of the Holy Eucharist. Truly amazing grace pours out from his heart of love when we forget about ourselves and concentrate on Him. Of this I am certain, and I pray that every Catholic church will one day have a perpetual adoration chapel, so that the wonder of our God can be awakened in his presence everywhere. ✝️⚓️💜
FRANK VOEHL - 04/10/2023 12:30 PM
JITOA = Jesus is the ONLY answer! Jesus is the answer to our broken relationship with God. When God created Adam and Eve, they enjoyed perfect fellowship with Him. But Adam sinned by disobeying God, thereby bringing death into the world (Genesis 3:8–19; Romans 5:12; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22). We need to remember that a significant part of that death is spiritual death. Humanity’s relationship with God is broken. God provided a covering for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) and promised a Redeemer who would defeat Satan and reconcile God and man (Genesis 3:15). The Old Testament narrative gradually reveals God’s plan to save people. The New Testament shows us that Jesus is the promised Redeemer. Jesus atoned for our sin and restores the possibility of relationship with God. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ). Jesus is the answer—the only answer—to our broken relationship with God. Apart from Him there is no salvation (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5–6). The biblical term for God’s act of making peace with sinful humanity is reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:18). Romans 5:10 reminds us that, in Christ, God’s enemies were made His friends and given life: “If, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Jesus is the answer to the problem of our estrangement from God. It is Jesus who makes it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be children of God (John 1:12–13). It is Jesus who mends our relationship with God so that we can fellowship with Him during our lifetimes as well as eventually live with Him for eternity. Jesus is the answer to our guilty consciences. Even after we are saved, we still sin and experience the temporal consequences of sin. Sin keeps us from fellowshipping with God fully.
Evelyn - 04/10/2023 11:49 AM
Well put. What a great reminder. Thanks Emily.
Esther - 04/10/2023 11:32 AM
Teary-eyed at the beauty and tenderness of this post! May it move us all, young and old, to embrace the friendship of our risen Lord in every Adoration Chapel. Let’s challenge ourselves this Easter to commit to a Holy Hour each week individually or with a friend(s) or family.
Rafael María Calvo Forte - 04/10/2023 10:30 AM
Orar es tratar de amistad con amigo que bien sabemos nos ama. ( Sta. Teresa de Jesús) Y los niños muchas veces nos sorprenden desde su sinceridad espontánea…

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