“I
am not in an audience with our Holy Father, nor am I in the presence of
a saint from heaven, nor with some distinguished personality. Before
me, dear Jesus, You are present under the frail appearance of the host.
With the eyes of faith I believe that You are present as my God, my
Lord, my Redeemer, the Creator of heaven and earth, my all. I believe,
dear Jesus, that You are truly present, body and blood, soul and
divinity, in the most Blessed Sacrament.”
— Reflections and Prayers for Visits with our Eucharistic Lord, John J. Cardinal Carberry
Eucharistic
adoration is a special time in the presence of Jesus. It’s a bit like
spending time with a friend. With any friendship, perhaps those first
visits to adoration might include quiet vocal or mental prayers; but
eventually, we become comfortable sitting in the silence, the same as we
would being with a good friend.
There’s no one way to participate
in eucharistic adoration. Here are some ideas for making the most of
your time adoring our Lord:
Don’t make it complicated.
Just be silent. Enjoy being in the presence of Jesus. To help prepare
your mind for the overwhelmingness of silence, read “The Power of
Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise,” by Cardinal Robert Sarah.
Do some homework.
Before approaching adoration, spend some time learning more about
Jesus, His life, His works here on earth, His institution of the
Eucharist, and His passion and death upon the cross.
Pray the prayers of the Mass, the Psalms, the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus, have mercy on me as a sinner)
Stay focused.
Keep your eyes on the Eucharist as you talk to Jesus and listen to Him.
If it becomes difficult to focus, perhaps bring a journal and write to
Jesus. Fixing your eyes on the pattern of the host in the monstrance can
help with focus, too.
Remember the types of prayer.
Adoration, contrition, supplication, thanksgiving. But as the name
implies, eucharistic adoration should primarily be adoration (love and
proper worship of God solely because of who He is).
Bring something along. Some go-to suggestions include the Rosary or Divine mercy Chaplet, a journal, Scripture readings for a Bible study group, etc.
Further reading
“Jesus Speaking: Heart to Heart with the King,” by Gabrielle Bossis, edited by Sister Maria Grace Dateno, FSP
“Reflections and Prayers for Visits With our Eucharistic Lord,” by Cardinal Carberry
“Visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary,” by St. Alphonsus Liguori
“Prayers and Devotions for Eucharistic Holy Hour,” compiled by Brother Daniel Korn, CSSR
“Eucharistic
Adoration Prayer Book,” from the Daughters of St. Paul; explains how
participate in eucharistic adoration and includes prayers thanksgiving,
reparation, litanies and other suggested readings and resources.
“How to Make a Holy Hour,” by Our Sunday Visitor
These items are available for purchase at Pauline Books and Media, 9804 Watson Road in Crestwood.
This is the last in a six-part series on eucharistic devotion.
In 2019, the following topics were examined:
• Theology of the Real Presence in the Eucharist
• Holy Thursday and the institution of the Eucharist
• 40 Hours devotion
• Visiting the Blessed Sacrament in adoration
• Benediction
• Tips on what to do during eucharistic adoration