"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it." St. Augustine
I've mentioned before I have a great love of Eucharistic Adoration. The very first time I went to Adoration was at St. Peter's in Rome. I had heard about Adoration when I was in RCIA but my parish didn't offer it and I never sought it anywhere else. I suppose you don't miss what you've never had. After my first year of university my family and I went on vacation to Rome. They were more interested in the pizza and the old Roman stuff but I was into the churches. I love the churches in mainland Europe, they're all so beautiful and elaborate. And all for the glory of God! It's amazing.
"Eucharistic worship is not so much worship of the inaccessible transcendence as worship of the divine condescension, and it is also the merciful and redeeming transformation of the world in the human heart," Bl. Pope John Paul II
England doesn't have the same culture because Catholicism isn't as prevalent and was historically oppressed so a lot of the great beauty was lost. That is not to say there aren't beautiful churches in England, they just tend not to be as ornate as those in Europe. So Rome was like paradise for me, I insisted in going into practically every church I came across. I was so excited to go to the Vatican City especially, and to go to St. Peter's. After all, St. Peter's is probably the most famous church in the world.
"O loving, tender Word of God, You tell me: ‘I have marked the path and opened the gate with My Blood; do not be negligent in following it, but take the same road which I, eternal Truth, have traced out with My Blood.’ Arise, my soul, and follow your Redeemer, for no one can go to the Father but by Him. O sweet Christ, Christ-Love, You are the way, and the door through which we must enter in order to reach the Father." St. Catherine of Siena
St. Peter's is amazing. It's possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. I was in complete awe, I was transfixed by it all. Just outside the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is a little sign telling people that the chapel is only for prayer, to separate it from the rest of the basilica. I remember thinking how much I wanted to be in that chapel. It's funny, even though I said you can't miss what you've never had I knew I wanted to be in that chapel. I sensed something there that moved me.
"If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. The miser would run no more after his treasures, or the ambitious after glory; each would shake off the dust of the earth, leave the world, and fly away towards heaven," St. John Vianney
From there on in I was hooked. I loved it, I couldn't wait to spend more and more time in Adoration. It strengthened my prayer, both when I was in Adoration and in the rest of my life. When I realised that my parish at university had Adoration every Friday I was ecstatic. There's the quiet and peace you normally get from praying in the cathedral but the added presence of the Lord just fills the whole cathedral. Even where from the entrance you can't see Him, you know He is there.
"...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood." St. Francis of Assisi
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