Recharging Our Spiritual Batteries

A recent tweet by a priest I follow included the following quotes from Pope Benedict XVI and St. Peter Julian Eymard, respectively: “Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness. Listen to God. Adore him in the Eucharist.” “Eucharistic adoration is the greatest act of holiness on earth.” Although it may seem in the natural realm that during silent adoration we are not accomplishing anything, the time spent before the Blessed Sacrament is a great investment in becoming the people God has called us to be and in drawing us closer to God. I try to go to adoration when the clamor of the world becomes too loud and distracting and I need to be able to hear his voice over the noise and confusion. I am never disappointed when I take time to visit Jesus and adore him in his Eucharistic Presence. It can be difficult to go to prayer, but if we make time for Jesus often, we learn to love and cherish our quiet time with him.

Going to adoration is like plugging into our power source and recharging our battery. Without recharging, we grow weak and eventually begin to lose God’s power and grace in our lives. When we reconnect with the Source of all power, we are renewed and recover our full capacity to live the lives God intends for us to live.  We are given the wisdom to discern God’s will in our lives, the grace to carry it out, and the strength to continue on our journey.

Our devices have become so important to us that we could not imagine life without them. We need to recharge the batteries on our phones and devices regularly in order for them to work. Are we as concerned about keeping our spiritual batteries charged and strong? Going to adoration regularly is one of the best ways to keep us faithful and to help us to persevere. When I charge my phone, I often think about being prepared for an emergency or a difficult situation where I would depend on it to be fully charged and functioning. In the same way, frequent adoration keeps us strong and ready for whatever situations and trials we may face in life.

In Matthew’s gospel, the virgins awaiting the bridegroom are told to “stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matt 25:13) The foolish virgins were unprepared and were denied entrance to the wedding feast. I like to think that frequent adoration makes us like the wise virgins who kept oil for their lamps and were ready for the bridegroom when he appeared. Spending time in prayer with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament keeps us alert and vigilant and waiting for the day we will meet our Savior.

In the words of St. John Paul II, which are quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church,”The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.” (CCC, 1380)

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