Adoration of the blessed Sacrament is something that I started doing 23 years ago after my husband came into full Communion with the Catholic Church. I was his RCIA sponsor and we enjoyed our Thursdays of free babysitting for our 4 little ones learning and praying together. I wanted to keep a scheduled hour to grow closer to Jesus. I found a time that I could do each week (3 AM) and I haven’t stopped doing that.
Adoration for the children of SHOJ is an important time for us to sit in quiet with Jesus. While it is true that we can pray to God anywhere, the Eucharist holds a privileged place in Christian worship because in it, Christ is fully present: body and blood, soul and divinity (Catechism #1374). Think of it this way: In his love, God wants to be as close to us as possible; this is why he became incarnate—flesh and blood—in Jesus. But even as he was preparing to leave us in that form, he wanted to continue to remain physically, intimately present with us, so he gave us the Eucharist (Catechism #1380). And it is through the Eucharist that we become the Body of Christ, the Church, thus continuing his physical presence and his mission in the world.
We are trying to teach the kids the many ways to pray in front of the Eucharist. Some bring Rosaries, others their Bibles, and others journal. We have also used a flow chart that starts by greeting God, then listing what you are thankful for, what you are worried about, who you are praying for, what’s going on in your life, listing the needs you have and a spot for other stuff to share. There is no wrong way to spend time in Adoration and most importantly we need to do what brings fruit to us.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, Fr. Zarse will do an hour of Adoration for us to experience a guided way of spending time with Jesus. The focus will be on the Eucharist as a Sacred Meal. The one that he presented in October included readings, reflections, songs and silence. This is a great way to experience Adoration. Of course, our chapel is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. To get information on a regular Holy Hour contact Kathleen Whalen in the parish office.
For me, Adoration has been life changing – it is where I heard the Lord answer my question about how He wants to use me, say “Go into Catholic School Administration.”
