The Confraternity of Priest Adorers of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus

From Fr. Mark:

The crisis that continues to shake the Church and to burden the hearts of priests with sorrow and uncertainty, requires a powerful spiritual antidote. Our Lord is calling His priests to tarry in His presence. He invites them to abide in the radiance of His Eucharistic Face, close to His Heart. There they will recover the joy of their youth and the certainty of being loved by Christ with an everlasting love.

Eucharistic adoration is a wellspring of priestly happiness. It is by daily adoration that the priest begins to say, in all truth, with the psalmist: “To be near God is my happiness” (Psalm 72:28) and, “My happiness lies in Thee alone” (Psalm 15:2). There is a correlation between happiness and holiness. A priest faithful to his daily hour of adoration will, like Saint John the Baptist, be a friend of the Bridegroom, “rejoicing with joy” (John 3:29) because of the Bridegroom’s voice, and capable of winning souls for Christ.

The centrality of the Eucharist should be apparent not only in the worthy celebration of the Sacrifice, but also in the proper adoration of the Sacrament, so that the priest might be the model for the faithful also in devote attention and diligent meditation — whenever possible — done in the presence of our Lord in the tabernacle. It is hoped that the priests entrusted with the guidance of communities dedicate long periods of time for communal adoration and reserve the greatest attention and honour for the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar, also outside of Holy Mass, over any other rite or gesture. “Faith and love for the Eucharist will not allow Christ to remain alone in his presence in the tabernacle”. (Congregation for the Clergy, Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, 31 January 1994)

The 19th and early 20th centuries saw, in fact, the birth of a number of movements for the promotion of Eucharistic adoration, reparation, and priestly holiness. The best known of these is, without doubt, the Association of Priest-Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Saint Peter Julian, and canonically erected in Rome on 16 June 1887.

The second half of the last century saw many of these fine movements fall into decline, leaving a void in the spiritual life of new generations of priests. The Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by Saint John Paul II in 2004, and the Year of the Priesthood proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 were an invitation to rediscover and refresh the benefits that accrue to priests who commit themselves to prayer for and with one another, and in particular, to Eucharistic adoration.

In his Encyclical Letter of Holy Thursday, 17 April 2003, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Saint John Paul II drew the eyes of the Church to the Face of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. He coined a new phrase, one not encountered before in his writings or in the teachings of his predecessors, “the Eucharistic Face of Christ.” Thus did Saint John Paul II share with the Church his own experience of seeking, finding, and adoring the Face of Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. The human face is a mysterious icon of the heart. It signifies, among other things, a personal presence open to relationship with another. In the Sacrament of His Love, the Face of Christ, the Human Face of God, is turned towards those who seek Him, ready to draw them into a healing and life-giving communion of love with His Sacred Heart. (Read more.)