The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-10-26
BENEFITS OF HOLY HOUR.

The spiritual values of the Holy
Hour are countless. Living in an age
of indifference and materialism, the
Holy Hour will serve to draw our
thoughts from worldly cares and
anxieties and set them on that more
lasting city where we shall dwell in
endless alteration of the Most High.
In becoming an adorer of Jesus Hostia
the faithful Catholic is permitted to
be enrolled among Jesus friends.
What greater gift than a friend? But
to have God for our friend! Who can
fathom this immeasurable prodigal-
ity. "You are no more strangers and
foreigners; but you are fellow citi-
zens with the saints, and the domes-
ties of God" (Eph. 2, 49,.
The fruits derived from an hours
communion with jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament are numerous. Just as
we cannot be near a fire without feel
ing its warmth, so when near the
altar we receive an increase of faith,
hope, charity and all the graces and
gifts which are necessary for our
spiritual life A few considerations
on that period of alteration, more
Familiarity known as the Holy Hour,
will form the burden of this article.
To seek the origin of this devotion,
one must look back through the vista
of nineteen centuries and picture four
men climbing up the heights of Olivet
which lay over against the city OF
Jerusalem. Christ has just consum-
mated the first Mass. He, the first
priest of the New Law, has just dis
tributed to the faithful eleven and
alas, to that faithless one, the Holy
Communion Arriving at Geth-
semani's .olive-garden, Christ opens
the first Holy Hour with prayer and
asks Peter, James and John to join
with Him: Watch and pray with
Me-" Surely they will watch with
Christ for He seems to have chosen
them advisely to comfort Him in
His hour of anguish. They had been
| with Him at the TRANSPORTATION; are
| they unmindful of the generous out
| burst of enthusiasm: Lord, it is
good for us to be here?" Have they
| broken their promise: "Rabboni, let
us make a tabernacle for Thee?" On
Tabor Peter, James and John be-
held Christ in His glory Luke 8, 29) !;
but on Mt Olivet they beheld Christ
in His agony. Alas! too soon the
three disciples forgot the scene OF
Mt. Tabor in Galilee, for when the
Master returned after the hours
vigil He found His disciple-priests
asleep. What! could you not watch
one hour with Me?" (Natt. 26. 400
; The purpose of the Holy Hour i!
to render to Our Eucharistic Kin:
fitting homage. Jesus in tn
|, Blessed Sacrament is King. He i
l there a living King. Give Him thel
a royal worship" Though Christ i
King, nevertheless, He is a Prisoner
For nineteen hundred years He ha
:. resided in His Decentralization pc
tiently awaiting to draw all things
unto Himself. Naturally we loathe
r prison; to sustain a conversation wit
s a prisoner even for an hour is RI
e pellant to our feelings. But surel
d an hours colloquy with Our Prisonel
!. King ought not to prove tiresomt
}, "Thy conversation hath no bitterness
n nor Thy company any tediousnes'
d but joy and gladness" (Wisd. s, 16
r For this tiny act of homage God wi
Il bless us. Having established tn
e Eucharistic Kingdom in our ow
It hearts we turn to our neighbor, il
Z structing him by word and exampl
e unto justice. Christ cannot leave Hi
decentralization to awaken Hi
: disciples as He did during the Hol
e Hour in Gethsemani,-th this missio
9 He confides to His guard of honor.
y Sentinel ofthe Blessed Socyement.