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| Thanks to wiki for the Melozzi da Forli angel |
I shall pass on what the Sister Angel said to me and showed me.
Firstly, she said to remember that Adoration is like being in an X-Ray machine. God will show one all one's sins and tendencies towards sin. But, one must also remember that one builds up to "radiation", and does not over-do Adoration. She warned me against going for more than a few hours a day, for example, and to ease into being in the Presence of God. The Tyburn nuns usually do not do more than two complete hours per day, although the Divine Office is said in the Presence of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
And hour a day to start with and even broken up into two half hours at a time form a good beginning.
Secondly, we must remember that we have bodies and that we are not pure spirits. Therefore, if we are becoming closer to God in prayer and in Adoration, we must not tire ourselves out, but be aware of human limitations. Most of the time I was in Adoration, Sister Angel was as well. She went more than I did. She obviously had more stamina for Adoration than I did. She said that deep intense prayer needed guidance and she was giving that.
Thirdly, one must remember that silence is best, not reading anything, not singing, nor the rosary, but complete silence. She showed me this by example, and this was confirmed by what another person said to me about the same time. If one needs to say the Divine Office in front of the Blessed Sacrament, fine, but it is better to come to Christ without any distractions. Sister Angel just sat in front of the Blessed Sacrament or knelt. Of course, she said the Divine Office when the nuns did. But, to learn to contemplate Christ is best. He wants to work healing and repentance in us. He wants to speak to us, and this cannot happen when we are reading prayers. She did remind me to do Lectio Divina, which is a hour of meditation on a Scripture passage a day, and which I did as part of the Benedictine Rule. It is interesting that the week I met her, I was reading and meditating on Tobit. Remember, at that monastery, there was twelve hours of Adoration a day available. She was in the chapel most of the day.
Fourthly, we take back out into the world what we become in adoring Christ. She was keen on this aspect of prayer and meditation-to go out and serve those in the world. I think of another great servant of God.
Mother Theresa had a famous saying on Adoration-"I look at Christ and He looks at me."
One must be prepared for the shock of seeing one's sins and imperfections and be grateful for that knowledge. I am glad that Sister Angel reminded me of my physical as well as mental limitations. Being present to Pure Love is purifying and one must cooperate with the purification of the senses and spirit.
BTW, I mentioned that I never saw her eat. In fact, she would give me some of her food daily, which was very sweet, as her food, as a guest, was better than mine, as being closer to what the nuns ate. She thought I needed it.
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