Pope Benedict XVI comments on Eucharistic Adoration stated,
“Adoration means entering the depths of our hearts in communion with the Lord, who makes Himself bodily present in the Eucharist. In the monstrance, He always entrusts Himself to us and asks us to be united with His Presence, with His risen Body.”
The publication “Our Sunday Visitor” described Eucharistic Adoration as “…the act of worshiping God as He is present in the consecrated Eucharist.” It further stated that the purpose of Adoration is to highlight the presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist, and “Spending time before the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer and devotion, is exactly the same as spending time before the living God.” The following are some of the suggestions by the publication for what we may do during private Eucharistic Adoration:
- Meditate on passages from Sacred Scripture.
- Read the life of a saint and pray with him or her.
- Pour out your heart to Christ and adore Him.
- Ask for forgiveness and intercede for others.
- Pray the Rosary.
- Sit quietly and just “be” in the presence of God.
We can take to heart the words of Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God, supreme among the nations, supreme on the Earth.”
As we kneel or sit in His presence, we can allow Him to speak to us in the silence of our hearts. He can ease our burdens and allay our concerns, and provide us with the spiritual peace we seek.
We strongly encourage participation in Eucharistic Adoration, which drives the spiritual vitality of our faith community. It helps to foster vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life, and also helps to foster outreach to the sick, the marginalized, and others in need. It has enhanced and strengthened the spiritual life of many of our parishioners and visitors.
During His Passion, the Lord wanted Peter to keep watch with Him for an hour. He invites us to spend time with Him. Many of us are busy with family, work, and other concerns. Spending one hour with the Lord can bring a healthier spiritual perspective to our busy lives. Guardians willing to spend one hour a week in Eucharistic Adoration in our Day Chapel are needed, especially during the evening hours. One of our parishioners recently described Eucharistic Adoration as “God’s gift to me, my gift to myself.” We invite you to prayerfully consider taking some time away from your “busyness” and spend just one hour each week in Adoration. Our Lord welcomes your presence.