St. Teresa of Calcutta, advocate for Eucharistic adoration – Sept 5

 

St. Teresa of Calcutta strongly advocated for Eucharistic adoration, describing time spent with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as the “best time you will spend on earth”. She believed it deepened one’s union with Christ, leading to greater glory and beauty in Heaven and contributing to everlasting peace on earth. She encouraged spending time in His Presence, listening to Him, and allowing Him to transform one’s heart.

Key points about St. Teresa’s view on Eucharistic Adoration:
  • Best time on earth:

    She emphasized the profound joy and benefit of spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist.

  • Deepens union with Jesus:

    Adoration is a way to grow closer to Christ, fostering a deeper relationship with Him.

  • Transforms the soul:

    By spending time in His presence, individuals can allow Jesus to transform their hearts and minds.

  • Brings peace and strength:

    Adoration provides a source of personal peace and strength, helping individuals to face life’s challenges.

  • Essential for mission:

    St. Teresa believed that her work with the poor was made possible by her daily hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

  • Floodgates of mercy:

    She saw Eucharistic adoration as a way to open the floodgates of God’s merciful love upon the world.

  • He thirsts for you:

    She highlighted Jesus’s desire for a relationship with each individual, emphasizing that He thirsts for our love and attention.

Eucharistic adoration quotes of St. Teresa of Calcutta:

“Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity!” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“In order to convert America and save the World what we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration helps to bring everlasting peace to earth.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“During a Holy Hour our love for Jesus becomes more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, and our love for the poor more compassionate.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“A Holy Hour of adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament opens up the floodgates of God’s merciful Love upon the world.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth!” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“Eucharistic Adoration will make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

Two words Jesus wants you to hear – by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

Jesus wants me to tell you again how much love He has for each one of you beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus—one to one—you and Jesus alone.

We may spend time in chapel—but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus—not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?

Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying “I thirst” in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person—not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say “I love you”—impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead—meditation, only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him—speaking in the silence of your heart.

Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The Devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes—to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more—He longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don’t feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes—He is the one who always accepts you.

My children, you don’t have to be different for Jesus to love you. Only believe—you are precious to Him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest.

You all know in your mind that Jesus loves you—but in this letter Mother wants to touch your heart instead. Jesus wants to stir up our hearts, so not to lose our early love. That is why I ask you to read this letter before the Blessed Sacrament, the same place it was written, so Jesus Himself can speak to you each one.

Jesus Himself must be the one to say to you, “I thirst.” Hear your own name. Not just once. Every day. If you listen with your heart, you will hear, you will understand.

“I thirst” is something much deeper than Jesus just saying “I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you—you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for him.

SOURCE: The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, Manual for Eucharistic Adoration, (Charlotte, NC: TAN Books, 2016), 129.

ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA’S REFLECTIONS ON ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Every holy hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it will be recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity. It opens up the floodgates of God’s merciful Love upon the world.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth. It will make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven. A Holy Hour of adoration helps bring everlasting peace to your soul and in your family. It brings us personal peace and strength. It brings us a greater love for Jesus, for each other, and for the poor. Every holy hour deepens our union with Him and bears much fruit.

Nowhere on earth are we more welcomed or loved than by Jesus in Eucharist. When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now. This is why we need Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in every Parish throughout the entire World.

What will convert America and save the world? My answer is prayer. What we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer.

On the Cross Jesus said “I thirst”. From the Blessed Sacrament Jesus continues to say to each of us “I thirst”. He thirsts for our personal love, our intimacy, our union with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

When the Sisters are exhausted, up to their eyes in work; when all seems to go awry, they spend an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This practice has never failed to bear fruit: they experience peace and strength.

If you are looking for vocations, as a community have adoration often every day if possible. Once the Missionaries of Charity started daily adoration, their vocations doubled.

I know I would not be able to work one week if it were not for that continual force coming from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament (during my Holy Hour of Adoration). To be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the Greatest Gift of Love – the tender love of Our Father in Heaven.

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration offers to our people the opportunity to join those in religious life to pray for the salvation of the world, souls everywhere and peace on earth. We cannot underestimate the power of prayer and the difference it will make in our world. Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there.

If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration. Our hours of adoration will be special hours of reparation for sins, and intercession for the needs of the whole world, exposing the sin-sick and suffering humanity to the healing, sustaining and transforming rays of Jesus, radiating from the Eucharist. Each one of us is a coworker of Christ – we must labor hard to carry Him to the hearts where He has not yet been known and loved… But, unless we have Jesus, we cannot give Him; that is why we need the Eucharist. Spend as much time as possible in front of the Blessed Sacrament and He will fill you with His strength and His power.

Perpetual adoration is the most beautiful thing you could ever think of doing. People are hungry for God. Imagine for a moment that we are living in Jesus’ time and He has invited us to visit with Him and spend some quiet time getting to know Him better. Being aware who He was, we would be humbled and honored by such an invitation. The good news is that Jesus is here with us TODAY – body, blood, soul and divinity – in the Holy Eucharist. Although Jesus comes to us under the appearance of bread and wine, His presence is as real to us NOW as He was flesh-and-blood-real to His disciples when he walked this earth. He can perform miracles, heal us, teach us, and love us. We can talk to Him and He can speak to us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit I who lives in us through our baptism and confirmation.

Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration.

– Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Feast Day is September 5th)

Sources