One of the most attractive aspects of the Emmanuel Community is the rootedness in the Holy Eucharist, God’s Presence among us. We love this by frequently attending Mass and by time spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, individually and when we are gathered as a Community.
It is a beautiful thing to be called to because this charism of Adoration constantly calls me back to be anchored and rooted in the unchanging revelation of God’s loving nature. For me, it is an interior “space” to be like Mary, with her alabaster jar, at the feet of Jesus. This “space” or disposition when before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration is one of continual deepening repentance which comes from the greater gift of ourselves, as Mary did.
She stands out to me as a witness of this call to prayer because her response was a response to Jesus’s initial, unconditional, accepting love. From this, we have greater self-knowledge and compassion on ourselves and thus are more free to burn with love for God and others.
As the Emmanuel Community’s founder, Pierre Goursat (Servant of God) said, “But am I too wretched to present myself before the Lord? Nothing can or should stop us, not even our sin, nor even our wretchedness. (88-I) The Lord doesn’t ask us to have clean faces. He loves us because He loves us. It is not at all because of our merits. We have nothing to do with it. (77-E27) (Words of Pierre Goursat, 203).
For me, Pierre has been central in guiding me in the Emmanuel Community’s grace of adoration. How so? Simply that the Eucharist is an intimate encounter with the transforming Presence of Jesus’ Sacred Heart. Even though Pierre died when I was still a toddler, his words remain. I’d like to allow Pierre to speak for himself so as to guide us: “That is our vocation. It begins in the graces of adoration because, in adoration, the Lord really speaks to us Heart to heart and instructs us gently as He did with Mary [Martha’s sister]: she had chosen the better part! … Without [knowing this] the Lord has made us choose the better part. (82-E65a) the path of profound union with Jesus is to enter into the meekness and humility of His heart by recognizing and accepting our poverty. We are then able go receive the fire into our hearts. These graces of poverty will be given us in adoration. And our hearts will be set ablaze, ablaze with love for the Lord and for our brothers and sisters. We will be like living torches, we shall be able to set the world on fire…(77-E24, pgs. 207-209)
“So instead let us look at God. […] The easiest way is to ask for the Fire, fire from Heaven, for it to come into us. […] As long as we don’t have this fire, we’ll be never get very far. (75-E09a) if we ask the Lord for this fire, we are set on fire and our sins are burned away as well. But we really do have to ask the Lord for it!…Well, it spreads to us: we will burn like matchwood. But then, if we’re burning with love, it’s quite a different matter! “(76-e14, pg. 204-205)
“He’s there, He’ll show you…it’s quite simple.” (195)
Written by: David (MN)