Eucharistic Adoration for February

I am becoming rather last minute as far as preparing the First Friday meditations is concerned. The poster was ready on schedule - have just finished the meditations for the Holy Hour. I still have to edit them for the Children's Adoration.

I haven't been able to resist my favourite piece from St Catherine of Siena. It appears very holy to be doing all this organising for the Adoration, but it does provide a tremendous opportunity for self-indulgence!

Christ the Bridge

I told you that I have made a bridge of the Word, my only-begotten Son, and such is the truth ….

I want you to look at the bridge of my only-begotten Son, and notice its greatness. Look! It stretches from heaven to earth, joining the earth of your humanity with the greatness of the Godhead. This is what I mean when I say it stretches from heaven to earth - through my union with humanity.

This was necessary if I wanted to remake the road that had been broken up, so that you might pass over the bitterness of the world and reach life. From earth alone I could not have made it great enough to cross the river and bring you to eternal life. …… Your nature had to be joined with the height of mine, the eternal Godhead, before it could make atonement for all of humanity. Then human nature could endure the suffering, and the divine nature, joined with that humanity, would accept my Son’s sacrifice on your behalf to release you from death and give you life.

So the height stooped to the earth of your humanity, bridging the chasm between us and rebuilding the road. And why should he have made of himself a roadway? So that you might in truth come to the same joy as the angels. But my Son’s having made of himself a bridge for you could not bring you to life unless you make your way along that bridge….

And how was heaven opened? With the key of his blood. So, you see, the bridge has walls and a roof of mercy. And the hostelry of holy Church is there to serve the bread of life and the blood, lest the journeying pilgrims, my creatures, grow weary and faint on the way. So has my love ordained that the blood and body of my only-begotten Son, wholly God and wholly human, be administered….

Those who follow this way are children of truth because they follow the truth. They pass through the gate of truth and find themselves in me. And I am one with the gate and the way that is my Son, eternal Truth, a sea of peace.

But those who do not keep to this way travel below through the river - a way not of stones but of water. And since there is no restraining the water, no one can cross through it without drowning.

PS: I was trying to use the writings of St Paul to give me my theme for this "first Friday", based on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Can you spot the slip on the poster?