The Best Part of the Day

Growing up, my family had a great tradition around the dinner table called “The best and worst part of the day.” Yes, it is as simple as it sounds: everyone would take a turn saying the best and worst part of their day. On vacation, the most popular worst part of the day was typically getting a bad sunburn.

I am now in my second week here at St. John Paul II Seminary, a place I have been looking forward to attending for several years. The joy of Christ radiates through the halls as each afternoon forty-nine men make their way to the chapel for a holy hour. During this hour we kneel in adoration before Jesus Christ, who is truly present in the Holy Eucharist on the altar. So far, my “best part of the day” has been this time in adoration.

As I kneel before the Lord, I talk to him just like I would talk to a friend. I tell him my joys and thank him for all the good graces and moments of my day. I tell him how much I love him and that I want to serve him and spend eternity with him. I bring to him my fears and anxieties, my worries and my sinfulness. The whole time he stares back at me from the monstrance with the merciful gaze of a loving father.

Though my day is full - pages of philosophy and theology to read, responsibilities around the seminary, and conversations with brother seminarians - the hour in adoration is the time where I step out of my busy schedule and experience a taste of supernatural union with Christ. Some days he heals my wounds from the battle of daily temptations and gives me strength to come back fighting even stronger. Other days the Holy Spirit inspires me through a prayerful reading of the Scriptures. Many days, when I am not feeling my best, I stare at him and he stares back at me, slowly healing me with his loving gaze.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). This is Christ’s offer to me. When I rest in Christ, I find true peace that cannot be found in this passing world.  I have learned that forming a relationship with our Creator is not much different than forming one with anyone else: quality time and effort must be put in. And that time and effort will pay off. In just this short time in seminary, I have already glimpsed how the Lord will make me more patient, loving, chaste, obedient, and humble.  He will make me more like himself by simply letting me gaze upon him in the best part of my day.

Mr. Falcone is a College I seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington.