“I am met with His gaze of love.”

The Eucharist has profoundly impacted my life, especially through my experiences with Eucharistic Adoration. For the past three years, I have been a regular Eucharistic Adorer, but the desire to spend quiet time adoring our Lord began with an increasing tug from the Holy Spirit. Before I had a regular scheduled time, I often felt pulled to adore at random moments throughout the day. These unplanned visits have led to some beautiful encounters. 

One particularly memorable experience happened when I was driving home from work. The Holy Spirit moved me to go to church for Adoration. When I arrived, there was only one other person inside. Within ten minutes, a wave of priests began entering the chapel. As I learned later, it was our deanery's monthly holy hour for our priests. It brought tears to my eyes witnessing so many priests adoring together. I was filled with a sense of their sacrifice and at the same time a profound sense of gratitude for all of our priests. 

During Eucharistic Adoration, peace often floods my heart. I am met with His gaze of love, which makes me feel small and overwhelmingly thankful. Eucharistic Adoration has been a source of healing and transformation, filling me with God's love, comfort, peace, and a sense of joy. 

Five years ago, just days before Christmas and four months after my mom had passed away, I felt a deep sense of loss in my heart. One afternoon, I had an overwhelming tug to go to Eucharistic Adoration. When I arrived, I poured out my heart to Jesus, sharing my grief and longing. While I was there, someone outside of the chapel began playing "Silent Night" on the piano. The music in the context of Adoration unlocked a flood of tears, and as I cried, I began to feel a deep sense of peace and closeness with my mom. The emptiness in my heart began to fill with love. Then, as the music changed to "Joy to the World," my heart was filled with a tremendous sense of joy. My mom played the piano and her favorite holiday was Christmas, and I felt like the moment in Adoration was a Christmas gift coming straight from heaven. My heart was flooded with a deep sense of love, where I felt God's love not only for me but also for my mom and our family. 

Eucharistic Adoration allows me to focus on the holy Face of Jesus that brings important silence to my soul. It is through the presence of the Lord that I experience the truth to know the love God has for me and for the whole world.