To look up to God and know He is lovingly watching over us is a joy and a comfort at any time, but especially now when so many of us can’t even enter a church to pray in the presence of His Real Presence. In our parish, we went through phases of how we could still let individuals come into the church and pray near the Lord in the Tabernacle after the public celebration of Mass was suspended. We roped off big sections of the church, because we didn’t have enough sanitizer or appropriate wipes to regularly clean the entire church. We made great efforts to monitor where people went, and which pews they touched with their hands or what candle lighter they used in order to know where to sanitize after each individual.
So, when Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM Cap. made it possible for people to adore Our Lord from their cars, we jumped at opportunity! The instruction states: “Priests are able to place the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament in the window of the rectory if it is feasible for those to pray and view the monstrance only from their cars in the Church parking lot. A priest must be present in the rectory while the Eucharist is displayed but I give permission in these cases for the Eucharist to be exposed without an individual immediately present.”
We now have daily Eucharistic Adoration from the top floor rectory window at morning (8-9:30am), noon (12-1pm) and night (9-10pm). There are a few cars there each time, but it is by night that He is easiest to see and most beautiful to behold! His true beauty surpasses what we can see with our human eyes, but even what is visible is suitable for contemplation. Take a moment even to pray while looking at these beautiful photos of Our Lord watching over us. God bless!
Fr. Seán Maher (MA)
Here you see the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church with the rectory in the background, with Our Lord illuminated in the top floor rectory window:
In the following photos, the reflection of light from the monstrance is striking, as well as the reflection of the monstrance itself in the rectory window:
Finally, here you can see some cars lined up for people to adore Him!
Photos taken by Páraic Maher, Father Seán Maher and Jerry Serra.
Stay Tuned for Part 2!
I like it! Such a good idea, thank you for sharing and please pray for us, so we can find a good window somewhere in the rectory!
God bless you Fr.! Thank you Jesus for bestowing upon your preistly servant the creativity to think differently so as to allow Adoration for those who desire your true presence.
The Holy Spirit is such a source of inspiration! Thank you for listening to Him
Amén! I love it! Thank you for doing this and for sharing it with us. It’s very moving