What's Important

 

LECTIO:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

STUDIUM: 

This Lectio is actually the refrain of the hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.”  I recommend that you listen to this hymn while you are in Adoration.  Wear headphones or earbuds, close your eyes and let your heart listen.

The background history is not necessary, but the hymn was written by Helen Lemmel, a Methodist missionary, in 1918.  The title of the hymn is “The Heavenly Vision,” but it is more commonly known by the first line of the refrain.  Here is the entire hymn:

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

 

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more has dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

(Refrain)

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

(Refrain)

 

MEDITATIO:

Lord Jesus, You know where I live and what I do.  I live in the epicenter of the clergy sex abuse scandal.  Eyes on Jesus.  I volunteer in a prison where there were so many priests convicted of sex crimes that the staff jokingly referred to their housing block as “the rectory.” Eyes on Jesus. I know that the Church is a human institution as well as divine.  Priests are human. Eyes on Jesus.

My country is led by a president who advocates killing babies.  Eyes on Jesus. The world is full of violence.  Ukraine and Russia are at war.  The countries south of the Sahara are plagued with terrorists.  The Middle East is rife with insurgents.  India and Indonesia are oppressing Catholics.  The drug problem in Colombia and Mexico is so bad, it is called the Drug War.  And there’re more.  Eyes on Jesus.

All will pass, or not.  What of it?  Eyes on Jesus.

ORATIO:

Beloved, be with me.  Nothing matters, but You.  There certainly isn’t anything else to believe in.  People?  Country?  President?  Pope? Priest?  Only You, my Love, only You.

CONTEMPLATIO:

Eyes on Jesus.

RESOLUTIO:

Remember that all is transitory. Only God abides.