The alarm clock goes off at my house at 4:00 a.m., every Friday morning and it has done so for the past 21 years. My husband, Fred, like many of the faithful in our parish, keeps a weekly appointment, a Holy Hour of prayer. The Catholic Church teaches that the consecrated Host, which remains in the church for adoration by the faithful, is the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. If we approach contemplating this belief, it is impossible not to desire periodically to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus is present and He waits for each of us to come.

It has been said that sitting before the Blessed Sacrament does for the soul what sitting in the sun does for the skin. Just as being exposed to the sun changes the one’s skin, sitting before the Son of God changes one’s soul.

I am inspired by my husband’s commitment to prayer. I am convinced his commitment to his faith is an important reason my own faith is sustained. A wonderful by-product of our own deepening of faith is that it does spill over into the lives of others.Angels_Adoring_Jesus_in_Monstrance_001

Prayer is not a duty to Fred, it is a joy he anticipates eagerly. He has built a relationship with the source of Joy and he looks forward to spending time with Jesus. His Holy Hour has been transformed from an original commitment begun years ago, to a personal time of praise and worship he rarely misses. He tells me that he often begins with the rosary, then because he is completely alone in the church he feels free to sing out loud! “Glory and Praise to our God,” “Gift of Finest Wheat,” “Hail Holy Queen,” "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at anytime of the year, and “I have loved you with an everlasting love...” are a just a few songs he likes to sing during his time of giving adoration and thanks to God.

Please do not think I am bragging about my husband. He is a person who struggles, fails, and falls frequently just like the rest of us. But, all glory be to God, he is a man of faith, a man who has learned how to obtain and keep a really nice Spiritual Tan.

Copyright 2015, Celeste Zepponi

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