The Feast of Corpus Christi can be described in a simple way: a circle of love.

I am not speaking about the circular shape of the Sacred Host itself, although the Sacred Host is truly Love Himself—Our Lord Jesus Christ, really present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Rather, I am speaking about the circle of love that exists between Christ and the soul that seeks Him in the Eucharist.

This circle begins with Eucharistic Adoration.

When we spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, we enter into a deeper relationship with Our Lord. Adoration helps us fulfill the purpose for which we were created: to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. It is contemplative prayer. It is time set aside to be alone with Jesus. It is a moment when heart speaks to Heart—the Heart of Christ speaking to our hearts, and our hearts responding to His.

The more time we spend with Jesus in Adoration, the more deeply we fall in love with Him. We begin to realize how much we need Him, how dependent we are upon His grace, and how empty life becomes when we attempt to live apart from Him. Adoration awakens within us a desire for God and a hunger for His presence.

That desire naturally leads us to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

By ourselves we can adore God, but we cannot offer perfect worship. To worship the Father worthily, we must unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest. At Mass, we join ourselves to Christ as He offers the perfect sacrifice to the Father. There we participate in the highest act of worship possible on earth.

In return, the Father feeds us with the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of His Son. The Holy Ghost fills us with grace and strengthens us to live our baptismal vocation and fulfill the mission God has entrusted to us.

Then, having been nourished by the Eucharist and sent forth into the world, we find ourselves drawn once again to the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We return to Adoration, and the circle of love begins anew.

This is why Eucharistic Adoration is so important.

The Church obliges us to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, but obligation alone is not enough. The Christian life must be motivated by love. Love seeks the beloved. Love desires time together. Love longs for intimacy. Our relationship with Christ is no different. Adoration deepens our love for Him and prepares us to participate more fruitfully in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

This year, as we celebrate Corpus Christi, we also give thanks for the fifteenth anniversary of Our Lady Queen of Peace Adoration Chapel.

Since opening on May 2, 2011, the chapel has provided nearly 47,000 hours of Eucharistic Adoration. That is an extraordinary gift of love offered to Our Lord by the faithful of Holy Ghost Parish.

Consider this: a single adorer who has faithfully kept one holy hour each week since the chapel opened would have spent nearly 800 hours before the Blessed Sacrament—the equivalent of more than a month of continuous prayer in the presence of Jesus.

What a beautiful testimony to the faithfulness of our adorers and to the blessings that flow from Eucharistic devotion.

At the same time, we continue to need committed adorers. If Our Lord is calling you to spend one hour each week with Him, do not be afraid to answer that call. Should illness, vacation, or another obligation arise, we can help arrange a substitute. The important thing is simply to say “yes” to Jesus.

Over the years we have heard countless testimonies of prayers answered through time spent before the Blessed Sacrament.

One mother prayed faithfully for her son, who struggled with alcohol and substance abuse for more than eighteen years. Today he has been sober for months and says that he no longer even desires those substances. That alone is a remarkable grace.

The same man was later involved in a serious moped accident. He suffered seven broken ribs and a severe knee injury. Doctors expected surgery and instructed him to return in six weeks for further evaluation. When he returned, they were astonished. His knee had healed completely. The physician could scarcely believe what he was seeing.

God still works miracles.

Perhaps not always in the way we expect. Perhaps not always according to our timetable. Yet He continues to pour out His grace upon those who seek Him with faith and perseverance.

Do you need a miracle?

Do you need healing, peace, strength, guidance, or hope?

Then enter into the circle of love. Come to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Spend time with Him in Adoration. Unite yourself to Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Receive Him worthily in Holy Communion. Then return again to His Eucharistic Presence.

For as Our Lord reminds us:

“With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)