Adoration: heaven on earth

adoration of the Blessed Sacrament..

i'm in awe.. it's SO amazing/unbelievable. in the past, i used to always pray that God would come nearer to me somehow.. i would call out to Him, during praise and worship, i wanted to know Him better, to experience more of Him. but all this time.. He was in the Blessed Sacrament, hidden in the Tabernacle of a little church down the street..waiting for me to discover Him and receive the graces He has prepared. He welcomes anyone who comes.. speaks to them.. when i'm there i don't want to leave..there is nothing sweeter in the world than being near Jesus, even when He is hidden and you dont feel His presence in any way and have to rely on blind faith...it is still better than anything the world offers.. it's not about feelings, it's about knowing you're close to Him - even if you receive no consolations and your prayers feel very dry.. and then at other times its like you're experiencing a bit of heaven - a really tiny bit - but it's still so overwhelming.

i'm just amazed that He loves us this much!! that He would be willing to stay in the Blessed Sacrament, hidden, night and day...for our sake.. to show His love for us.. so often all alone, forgotten about.. :( i'm so glad they have Adoration, so that people can actually come and visit. i with i had the opportunity to go more. it's not something we do for ourselves, but for Him..to offer Him reparation for all the sins and offenses committed against Him. to console His Heart. because out of love for us, He came down to such a level. He has loved us more than His own life, and more than His own glory. even though we hurt Him with our sins.. and unbelief.. and lack of trust. i'm really guilty of all these things.
but when i'm at Adoration...i receive so much grace. i'm convinced it's the best time spent on earth. i remember one of the first times i went to Adoration, it was at "lift Jesus higher". it was "praise and worship" adoration, so people were singing to Him.. and i saw a lot of people were on their knees, and i felt shy at first but then God made it clear to me that He is really present there. and after that, i felt so uncomfortable standing and knelt too. ever since then, Adoration has been really special to me.

(from St. Liguori's book 'visits to the Blessed Sacrament')

"Saints and the Blessed Sacrament

But let all those devout souls who often go to spend their time with the Most Blessed Sacrament speak: let them tell us the gifts, the inspirations which they have received, the flames of love which are there enkindled in their souls, the paradise which they enjoy in the presence of this hidden God.

the servant of God and great Sicilian missionary, Father Louis La Nusa, was, even in his youth and as a layman, so enamored of Jesus Christ that he seemed unable to tear himself away from the presence of his beloved Lord. such were the joys which he there experienced that his director commanded him, in virtue of obedience, not to remain there for more than an hour...

To St. Aloysius it was also forbidden to remain in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament; and as he used to pass before it, finding himself drawn, so to speak, by the sweet attractions of his Lord and almost forced to remain there, he would tear himself away with the greatest effort, saying with an excess of tender love: "depart from me, O Lord, depart!" there it was also that St. Francis Xavier found refreshment in the midst of his many labours in India, for he employed his days toiling for souls and his nights in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament. St. John Francis Regis did the same thing: and sometimes finding the church closed, he endeavored to satisfy his longings by remaining on his knees outside the door, exposed to the rain or cold, that at least at a distance he might attend upon his Comforter concealed under the sacramental species."

wow!!