Adoration

SIGN UP BELOW FOR A ONE HOUR SHIFT | 24 HOUR ADORATION
Monday, October 7, 2024

SIGN UP FOR OCTOBER  7 ADORATION

We must ensure at least one (but ideally more) person is committed to be present for an hour in the Chapel continuously during the Hours of Adoration. Even if not signed up for a specific time, you are welcome to come by any time during the 24 hour period to spend some time with Our Lord.

In order to ensure the appropriate reverence, the following must be strictly adhered to:

For those signed up for a specific hour:

• Arrive promptly at your designated start time as a courtesy to the person before you. 
• Do not leave until your replacement comes to fulfill their hour. The Eucharist may never be left unattended.
• Please sit in one of the two front pews so the person following you knows precisely who they are replacing, or who is replacing them. This is particularly important if there are multiple people in the Chapel.
• Life happens. If something comes up and you have to cancel your shift, please do so at least 72 hours in advance, if possible, to provide ample time to find a replacement.

For everyone in attendance:

• Genuflect before the monstrance when you enter and leave.
• Remain silent at all times.
• Sitting, standing or kneeling are all appropriate.
• Prayer books and silent digital prayer apps on your cell phones are acceptable.
• Try to have at least two persons in the Chapel at all times in case of medical emergency to ensure at least one person remains present if one needs to leave for any reason. This may not be possible for those early morning shifts.

Things to do during Eucharistic Adoration:

Fr. Benedict Groeschel points out in “In The Presence of Our Lord: The History, Theology, and Psychology of Eucharistic Devotion” that there are 'four kinds of prayer most appropriate in the presence of the Eucharist, namely adoration and praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and trusting intercession.'

Here are suggestions for what to do during private Eucharistic Adoration:

• PRAY THE PSALMS, OR THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS
  • Whether you are praising, giving thanks, asking for forgiveness, or seeking an answer, you will find an appropriate Psalm. The ancient prayer of the Church called the Liturgy of the Hours presents an excellent way to pray through the Book Of Psalms throughout the year.
• RECITE THE JESUS PRAYER
  • Say 'Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner,' repeatedly as you quiet your heart and mind.
• MEDITATE USING SCRIPTURE
  • Choose a passage from the Bible. Read the words, and ask God to let the passage speak to you. Pay special attention to anything that strikes you, and ask God what He wishes for you to draw from that passage.
• READ THE LIFE OF A SAINT, AND PRAY WITH HIM OR HER
  • Most holy men and women have had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Eucharist. Therese of Lisieux, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Peter Julian Eymard, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Baroness Catherine de Hueck are just a few. Read about them, and pray their prayers before the Blessed Sacrament.
• POUR OUT YOUR HEART TO CHRIST, AND ADORE HIM
  • Speak to Jesus, aware that you are in His presence, and tell Him all that comes to your mind. Listen for His response. Pray the Prayer that St. Francis instructed his brothers to pray whenever they were before the Blessed Sacrament: 'I adore You, O Christ, present here, and in all the churches of the world, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.'
• ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, AND INTERCEDE FOR OTHERS
  • Think of those who have hurt you, and request a special blessing for them. Ask God to forgive you for all the times you have neglected or hurt someone else. Bring before the Blessed Sacrament all those who have asked you to pray for them. Ask the Lord to address their concerns.
• PRAY THE ROSARY
  • Pope John Paul II reminds us, '...is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ, and cradled Him in her arms, that unparalleled model of love, which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic Communion?' (The Church and The Eucharist, 55). Ask Mary to join you as you gaze on Christ in the Eucharist, and as you pray the Rosary.
• SIT QUIETLY, AND JUST 'BE' IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
  • Think of a visit to the Blessed Sacrament as coming to see your best friend. Sit quietly, and enjoy being in each other’s company. Instead of talking to the Lord, try listening to what He wants to tell you.

Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is a very old devotion in our Church. It highlights the fundamental mystery of the Holy Eucharist -- that Our Lord is truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament. (From Old Mission St. Ines in Solvang). This is an extension of the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament which occurs in every Mass:

'Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
 Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.'

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament flows from the sacrifice of the Mass and serves to deepen our hunger for Communion with Christ and the rest of the Church. (From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB).

St. Pope John Paul II said about adoration:

'The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us
 in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease.'

Adoration enables us to share in holy moments, which in turn makes us better spouses, parents, children, friends, co-workers, and citizens. Matthew Kelly, Founder and President of Dynamic Catholic, whose organization’s catch-phrase is "Be Bold. Be Catholic” says this:

'Holy Moments are the solution to the world’s problems. This great collaboration between God and humanity is the untested solution to our problems. Unholy moments got us into this mess and only Holy Moments will get us out of it. Some moments are holy, some moments are unholy, and we get to decide. Set off a domino effect of goodness today with your Holy Moments.'

Be Bold. Be Catholic. Be face to face with your Lord at least some time each month.

Please contact any of the following if you have any questions.