Eucharistic Adoration is on
Monday's at 5:30 p.m. prior to the 6:30 p.m.
1. He is really there!
"I myself am the living bread come down from heaven." (John 6:35)
2. Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because of his Infinite love for you!
"Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world," because "I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is my affection for you." (Matthew 28:20; Jeremiah 31:3)
3. The specific way that Jesus asks you to love him in return is to spend one quiet hour with him in the Blessed Sacrament.
"Where your treasure is, there is your heart...." "Could you not watch one hour with me?" (Matthew 6:21; 26:40)
4. When you look upon the Sacred Host, you look upon Jesus, the Son of God.
"Indeed, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day." (John 6:40)
5. Each moment that you spend in His Eucharistic Presence will increase his divine life within you and deepen your personal relationship and friendship with him.
"I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly." "I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him shall bear much fruit because without me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
6. Each hour you spend with Jesus will deepen his divine peace in your heart.
"Come to me all of you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you..." "Cast all of your anxieties upon the one who cares for you..." "My Peace is My Gift to you." (Matthew 11:28; Peter 5:7; John 14:17)
7. Jesus will give you all the graces you need to be happy!
"The Lamb on the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water." (Revelation 7:17)
8. Jesus is infinitely deserving of our unceasing thanksgiving and adoration for all he has done for our salvation.
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, glory and praise." (Revelation 5:12)
9. For peace in our country!
"When my people humble themselves and seek my presence... I will revive their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
10. Each hour you spend with Jesus on earth will leave your soul everlastingly more beautiful and glorious in heaven!
"They who humble themselves shall be exalted...." "All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image." (Luke 18:14; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
11. Jesus will bless you, your family and the whole world for this hour of faith you spend with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
"Blessed are they who do not see and yet believe..." "Faith can move mountains..." " What is needed is trust... " "Behold I come to make all things new." (John 20:29; Mark 11:23; Mark 5:36; Revelation 21:5)
12. Each moment you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament brings joy, pleasure, and delight to his Sacred Heart!
"My joy, my pleasure, my delight is to be with you." (Proverbs 8:31)
Have you ever gone to adoration? Have you tried, but felt defeated like I first did, and occasionally still do? Here’s a list of 5 ways to be successful in adoration:
1. Be Patient - I was recently talking with a group of friends about their experiences of adoration. A lot of them expressed the same frustration—that sometimes, time seems to stand still, 5 minutes seem eternal. Have you ever been out of shape and tried to go for a one-mile run? Suddenly, 5 minutes into the run, you’re huffing and puffing, and you realize you’ve only gone one block. Rather than focusing on the success — you just ran for the first time in months!! — we tend to focus on the defeat. Adoration can be a bit of a work out… for your soul. So, set yourself up for success. If it’s been awhile, or your first time, 5 minutes of sitting with Jesus is a good goal. Slowly increase your time—you’ll be amazed at how God increases your capacity to be with Him!
2. Bring Scripture - Reading scripture is always a good thing but is especially helpful and meditative during adoration. There are many prayer books and apps that contain daily scripture readings. I particularly like reading the Psalms and reflecting on a verse that speaks to me on that given day. As I read scripture I ask myself: How is this scripture speaking to my heart? What changes is God asking me to take? How will I go about making those changes? I make this part of my prayer.
3. Pray the Rosary - The rosary is a beautiful prayer, one that many saints have prayed. St. Louis de Montfort said “’When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer.” What better way to give Jesus and Mary glory than to pray the rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament? There are many guides and apps you can print/download to help guide you through this form of prayer.
4. Listen to Praise and Worship Music/Sing Church Hymns - Listen to praise and worship music on the way to Adoration. Sing your favorite hymn from church inwardly or out loud on your way in.
5. Be Okay with Silence - It’s so easy to go a whole day without silence. We get in the car and turn on the radio, we have our phones, with days’ worth of music, in our pockets, and at the end of the day there’s Netflix. Even if we are in a quiet environment, we are usually accustomed to checking our phones—for a text, the latest Facebook drama, the trending hashtag on Twitter, the newest picture on Instagram, the list goes on.
Don’t get me wrong, I fall prey to every one of those habits. Which is why, when I’m sitting in adoration, I can find it difficult to focus. I’ve become so accustomed to the business of the world, that being truly still, truly silent, can seem uncomfortable, foreign. But that discomfort is ok, good even. St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless untilit rests in you.” I find this sentiment to be so true when I am in adoration. Sure, the first few minutes I am restless as I begin to wind down. But eventually, I am filled with insurmountable peace. Allow yourself to sit in silence and to just be with Jesus.
In an apparition to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus spoke these beautiful words: “I have a burning thirst to be honored by men in the Blessed Sacrament.” Go to adoration, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Jesus desires to be with you, to have you gaze upon Him, as He so lovingly gazes upon you.