By
George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney.
Printed in L'Osservatore Romano, 2002.
The Eucharist is at the heart of our life a Catholics and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continues to be a wonderful source of grace and support for all who seek to follow Christ faithfully. “I the Lord Am With You Always” is an excellent collection of prayers, meditations and reflections on the reality of Our Lord in the Eucharist.
This treasure of Eucharistic devotion is meant to be used for prayer, uniting that prayer to the heart and mind of the Church. All the richness of a tradition of prayer and living Eucharistic faith is made available from a remarkable range of sources.
Our Lord in the Gospel speaks of the householder who brings out of his treasure-house both new things and old. In these Prayers and Meditations for Eucharistic Adoration will be found extracts from recent Conciliar documents and Papal Exhortations, intertwined with instances of Eucharistic piety from all ages and many rites, the liturgies and teachings of the Church, prayers and meditations of saints and scholars, hymns and poems that have risen from the hearts of believers across the centuries. Doctrine and devotion here find harmonious expression. At the centre of it all is the living Lord Jesus, offered, received and adored in this sacrament of His love.
With the aid of these Prayers and Meditations we can bring to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament our joys and our sorrows, speak to Him about the needs of those around us, and ask for that deep conversion of heart and mind that will make us one with Him.
A revival in Eucharistic faith and devotion has gathered strength across the world over the last two decades. By word and example Pope John Paul II has vigorously promoted adoration of the Eucharist. Shortly after his election in 1978, he established perpetual adoration in Rome. His initiatives to promote Eucharistic adoration have been taken up by many lay people who have come to realise the centrality of the Real Presence in their daily life, prayer and active involvement nourished by contemplation. I am sure this book will be a great aid to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
At present this book is published in English. There are plans for translations. While it is a matter of personal satisfaction that it was compiled in my own Archdiocese, its themes are those of the Universal Church. I commend it to prayerful people everywhere and my brother bishops.
+ George Cardinal Pell
Archbishop of Sydney