By Gregory Lewis
“There is nothing greater on this earth than the Eucharist: for Jesus Christ is no longer passible as during his mortal life, but resurrected, glorious and triumphant” – St Peter Julian Eymard
As the city of Melbourne slept, the seminarians of Corpus Christi College, along with a number of the faithful from across the Archdiocese, stood vigil with the Blessed Sacrament as the weekend of prayer commenced at Sacred Heart Church.
Despite the sun not being risen, the church doors remained open, with a clear line from the street to Our Lord exposed in the monstrance. Many a curious early morning riser chose to look in and see why a church which is normally closed at this time would be open and bathed in the light of the Eucharist. This seemingly natural curiosity can only be put down to a divine whisper that seems to have been heard by many a passer-by as evidenced by the number of visitors during these hours.
This time of prayer ended with a well-attended Mass served by the first-year seminarians and so this simple joy, of spending time with the Blessed Sacrament, particularly in the early hours of the morning, ended.
All those who stood watch overnight agreed that the earliness combined with a sanctifying sense of tiredness allows for a much simpler conversation with God to be had, free from the distraction of the impending day and its tasks, allowing a much deeper sense of the presence of God at work within our lives and our vocations.
