Vatican City, Oct 22, 2022 / 08:45 am (CNA).
It is good to “waste time adoring” Christ present in the Holy Eucharist, Pope Francis said on Saturday.
“I urge you to especially devote yourselves to the prayer of adoration — this is important,” he told a group of religious sisters at the Vatican Oct. 22.
“It is good to adore in silence before the Most Blessed Sacrament,” he said, “to be in the consoling presence of Jesus and there to draw the apostolic impetus to be instruments of goodness, tenderness and welcome in the community, the Church, and the world.”
Francis said the world today has lost the sense of what it means to engage in the form of prayer known as adoration or worship; “to waste time adoring.”
“This prayer is not often done: I ask you to do it. Adore, immerse yourself in divine love and give it with full hands to those you meet on your path,” he urged.
Pope Francis met Saturday religious women belonging to two communities: The Comboni Missionary Sisters and the Order of the Most Holy Savior, also known as the Bridgettines.
He said the sisters’ mission of hospitality is improved with time spent contemplating Christ.
“Welcoming, one of the characteristic aspects of your mission, will be more fruitful to the extent in which the prayer of contemplation will make you come out of yourself and focus your life on Jesus Christ, letting him do things in you, letting him act in you,” he said.
“This inner movement,” Francis added, “will make possible a service to others that is not philanthropy or welfarism, but openness to the other, closeness, sharing; in a word: charity.”
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Isn’t this rather “backwardist”?
“It is good to waste time adoring Christ present in the Holy Eucharist” (Il Poverello Papa Francesco).
Poor Francis. Even when he’s in his kindly, insightful best self he gets hammered. Most in our world indeed do consider hours [or an hour as recommended by bishop Sheen for the laity, and many ordinaries for their clergy] consider it a waste compared to activity. Loving intercessory prayer draws grace down upon us and those who most need it.
And as Francesco adds it hones our efforts for the wanting into charity from the heart rather than impersonal ritual.
Considering his history, it is difficult to not be skeptical whether words of wisdom actually originated with him, or that a slipped word of waste might even be a precursor to a future plan to admonish the entire Catholic world to abandon “wasteful” devotions while establishing cover against future criticism by giving his defenders something favorable to quote. His defenders never seem to notice or care when he speaks or acts with contradictory values.
Scripture proves the devil knows scripture. He surely knows the Letter to the Ephesians (5:15) where Paul urges Christians to ‘redeem’ their time: “See how you walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
The bishop of Rome proclaims Eucharistic adoration to be both a waste of time and a valuable devotion. The devil must be salivating at the size of his prize.
I just wish Bergoglio would follow his own advice.
The more time he spends in quiet adoration, the less damage he can do to this poor, suffering Body of Christ.