MANILA, Dec. 1, 2015 – A priest has underscored the value of frequenting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, stressing it is one sure way current and aspiring “fishers of men” can draw strength for their various undertakings.
Fr. Sanny C. de Claro, parish priest of Santo Niño de Pandacan, stresses how Blessed Sacrament devotion helps strengthen one's apostolate. (Photo: Raymond A. Sebastián)
“The Lord said, ‘Come after me.’ So, go to Jesus. Spend time with Him. Enjoy His company. Go to Jesus. Be friends with Him. Talk to Him. And then you will see you will accomplish everything,” said Fr. Sanny C. de Claro on Monday, the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, at the chapel of the Arzobispado de Manila, Intramuros.
Self-review
According to him, spending time praying before the Blessed Sacrament is one of the many ways the faithful can express their love for the Lord.
In line with this, De Claro invited members of Catholic communities to make Eucharistic Adoration a habit, encouraging them to look within and review their lives before Jesus, and to share with one another experiences in their ministries, even their struggles.
The head of Santo Niño de Pandacan went on to remind the faithful that the first thing Christ did on meeting His would-be disciples was not to send them at once abroad to to evangelize, but to invite them to follow Him and be with Him.
Always God first
“‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Please take note the first word of Jesus to His disciples … Your first duty is to be with the Lord. To be with God. That is your first call,” he stressed.
De Claro further pointed out that an apostolate will lose its meaning without people who are committed to filling their lives with the Divine presence.
“This is the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our preaching, teaching catechism. This is the source of our very own existence in this group,” he added. (Raymond A. Sebastián / CBCP News)
