Spending time with our Eucharistic Lord is essential

I remember quite clearly my first discernment weekend with the Sisters of the Resurrection. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I was also very curious about the Sisters … What were they like? What did they do all day? What did they do for fun? What is life in the convent like?

One of the highlights for me that weekend was time spent with the Sisters in the chapel during Eucharistic adoration. It was during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament that I sensed a particular quiet peace and stillness that, until then, I had never experienced before. I remember thinking, “These Sisters are so lucky to have Jesus living with them all the time!”

During our times of adoration, we come before Our Eucharistic Lord, who is truly present in His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We spend time with Jesus, praying for various needs and intentions, asking Him to be with us throughout the day and night, and thanking Him for His many graces and blessings. We also try to spend time in quiet so that we can listen to His voice, which can only be heard with the ears of the heart. The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we get to know Him. The more we get to know Jesus, the better we are able to follow Him and be faithful to the vocation He has given to us.

One aspect of the vocation to the consecrated life is that of relationship. If you want to have a relationship with someone, you must strive to spend time with them. In order to get to know that person, you have to be quiet to listen and to better understand them. To deepen the relationship, you need to spend time alone together so that, as heart speaks to heart, a strong bond develops and is maintained. This is why spending time with Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament is essential for those of us who have responded to His call to the consecrated life. Even though much time has passed since that weekend, that memory has stayed with me. It always brings a smile to my face, and my heart is filled with gratitude for the gift of a vocation to the consecrated life. Currently, I live with 17 other Sisters and we gather each day in our chapel before Our Eucharistic Lord. Spending time together before the Eucharist is essential for us to be faithful to our vocation as consecrated religious. Just as a plant will flourish when it receives proper nutrients, so does our vocation thrive the more time we spend in Eucharistic adoration.

Sister Laurie-Marie Parisi, CR, is coordinator for Religious Life for the Diocese of Albany.