This weekend, we put on our second all-night vigil, this time for the feast of Christ the King.
The evening began with mass at 8 pm, in which we heard a wonderful homily about the Blessed Sacrament and how adoration strengthens us and prepares us to proclaim the good news. At the conclusion of mass, the Blessed Sacrament was immediately exposed, and utter silence filled the chapel at the end of Adoro te devote.
This silence remained almost entirely unbroken throughout the whole evening, with the exception of a midnight recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries (in Latin!). It was truly an amazing spectacle: amidst all the hubbub of a typical Saturday night at the college, there was a small pocket of silence, reverence and awe, as we knelt in silent adoration of Our Lord. Silence in today's world is a rare gift, and that night there was an abundance of it.
There is no doubt that this was truly an enriching experience for everyone who came. With several priests offering confession for first hour of the night, anyone who wished was able to receive the sacramental grace of God's forgiveness, and then proceed to adore Him, made present in the Eucharist. The chapel was never empty, and even in the wee hours of the morning there were always several people adoring. It was wonderful to see students, whom we had never even seen before, coming in to spend a few minutes with the Lord. I firmly believe that He was calling to everyone to come in and bask in His glow.
Adoration concluded the next morning with Benediction and a mass celebrated for the Feast of Christ the King. The homily that morning reminded us of Christ's supreme rule, and how is he is the perfect and just king, an anchor to Truth and the pinnacle of self-sacrificing rule.
The all-night vigil was a wonderful experience for everyone who came; between the beautiful organ and music, the enlightening sermons, and the precious gift of an entire night of prayer with the Lord, all were enriched who came to adore. We sincerely thank everyone who made the vigil possible, and look forward ot seeing everyone again for the Lenten vigil next semester!
Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament... There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that: Death. By the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste -or foretaste- of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man's heart desires. -J.R.R. Tolkein
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