By Renae Kranz
As Catholics in the United States gear up to begin the three-year National Eucharistic Revival as a way to return our attention to the importance of our Lord in the Eucharist, a quiet group of religious sisters in our own diocese devote their entire lives to serving others by adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament—the Perpetual Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Mother Angelica Morales, who was elected mother superior of the order in February of this year, says their charism is totally centered in the holy Eucharist and everything they do throughout the day is a continuation of the Mass.
“We are called to be witnesses of his Real Presence among us in the most Blessed Sacrament,” Mother Angelica says. “Each one of us expend time in prayer and adoration day and night, in total gift of self for the good of the Church and of all humanity. In this way, our desire is to correspond to the great love with which God has loved the world in giving us his only Son for our salvation.”
The sisters are expecting many blessings during the Eucharistic Revival. Mother Angelica says we must all be open to receiving those blessings. “It will be an opportunity for all of us to renew our faith, love and devotion to the sacred mystery of the holy Eucharist and to let our souls be fed by the heavenly food,” she says.
She points out that the angels have the great privilege of being able to contemplate God face to face and are sustained by that. We, on the other hand, need to be nourished through our bodies during our time on earth with healthy food and with the “unsurpassed banquet placed before us each single day in the holy Eucharist” she says.
“If we reflect for a moment on this reality, is there anything greater that we can long for?” Mother Angelica says. “This predilection and love of God for us cannot be expressed in human words but only by faith.”
The faith of these sisters who are devoted to Jesus in the Eucharist is evident in Mother Angelica. She professed religious vows on August 25, 1993, at Saint John the Baptist Monastery in Coscomatepec Veracruz, Mexico. She was elected to lead the sisters for the next three years, and she was humbled by their confidence in her as a leader.
“I know that this is a big privilege that I do not deserve,” Mother Angelica says, “and at the same time it is a big responsibility before the Lord because a superior is not elected only to serve in earthly matters but to also serve the sisters, guiding their souls as servants of the Lord, encouraging the community to remain faithful to the call that we have received as Adoration Sisters.”
The presence of the Adoration Sisters in the diocese is not about them as individuals, Mother Angelica says, but is really about them as a community being dedicated to offering their lives to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the “good and salvation of the souls.”
“We always say that we want to go to heaven not alone but taking with us all the souls entrusted to our care in prayer,” she says.
Another way the sisters care for us in their service is by receiving daily prayer requests from around the diocese and bringing them before Jesus in the Eucharist. “This is how we are united spiritually to the joys, sufferings, worries and needs of all our brothers and sisters during their daily journey,” Mother Angelica says.
“Our ministry has been possible because of the generosity of the parishes and all people who have been inspired by the Lord to share the gifts given to them,” she continued. “I think they are planting seeds on earth to harvest blessings in heaven. That is my prayer.”
Mother Angelica makes one last thing very clear: we are all always welcome to come to Mater Ecclesiae Monastery to visit the gift shop and come to the chapel to pray with them.
“You are always welcome to come and spend time before Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament,” she says. “He is always waiting for you.”
And what can we do for the Adoration Sisters? We can pray for them and we can support them.
“We beg for your prayers so that we remain faithful to the Lord,” Mother Angelica says, “living the charism given to us and serving in joy and happiness to all who need our humble service of prayer.”
