ADORATION

“When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel.” —St. Maximilian Kolbe

“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.” – St. Clare of Assisi

“I look at him and he looks at me.” – A peasant of Ars to St. John Vianney

“Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.” – Pope St. John Paul II

History

As Catholics, we believe and profess that Jesus is truly present in body, blood, soul, and divinity in each consecrated host. After Mass, the hosts that are consecrated but not consumed are placed in the tabernacle, a place of repose for Jesus where He waits for us to come and visit Him. Jesus, whose sacrifice on the cross is remembered, made present, and offered to the Father each time we commune for Mass, loves us so deeply that he waits for us, humbly, silently, and patiently, in our churches, in tabernacles across the globe. It was not enough for the Son of God to condescend from His throne in heaven to become one of us in the person of Jesus Christ and to save us from our sins. No. He wanted to draw even nearer to us. He continued, after His death, resurrection, and ascension, to condescend even further, to become eternal physical and spiritual nourishment for all of humankind, and to be consumed by us so that we might come to recognize that He is the bread of life, and that He indeed loves us and desires to dwell within us. Though we cannot always receive Him in the Eucharist, we are never kept from slipping into a Church to say hi to Him, to ask Him for guidance, or to spend time with Him, as we would with a dear friend. In the words of a soon-to-be saint, Carlo Acutis, “By standing before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy.” The devotion of adoration began in the Middle Ages, when people began to adore and worship the host in the tabernacle after Mass. This then led to the opening of the tabernacle doors so people could see Jesus residing there. The Eucharist was later moved out of the tabernacle for adoration and placed in a monstrance, a beautifully adorned display, and situated on the altar for all to see. Born out of love for our Eucharistic Lord, adoration affords us the opportunity to spend time with Jesus, who is really and truly present to us in the host.

Practical Tips

Time needed: 15-30 minutes recommended, but do what you can!

As seen in Zeal, a Reform Wellness publication. Click here for information.

Acknowledge. Begin with this beautiful reality: In this moment, God is with you. He is present. He is already waiting to have a close conversation with you. With this awareness, acknowledge where you are before God. What are you feeling? Name those feelings. What is happening in your life that is causing you to feel that way? We can also ask: What am I thinking right now? What’s moving in my heart? What do I desire? Do not be afraid of your own heart and feelings! You do not have to ignore or justify your anxiety, stress, and fears. Rather, acknowledge that what you are feeling is real so you can face your own heart with Jesus.
Relate. The next step is to tell Him everything! Resist dwelling on your thoughts and feelings; bring them to Him directly, one-on-one, and be radically real. If you’re disappointed with God, or angry, or sad, or fearful, tell Him. We might think that admitting we’re angry or disappointed with God is a sign of disrespect, but there is nothing disrespectful about being honest. Share everything and hold nothing back.⁠ And don’t stick with the bad things; focus on the good things, too. We tell our friends when good things happen to us—so bring that to God too. He delights in sharing in your delight.
Receive. If prayer is like a conversation, it goes both ways. The key to receiving what God wants to share back is to listen. Be still; it could be a subtle voice you hear. Notice what moves in you: new thoughts, fresh desires, memories, lines from Scripture, etc. How is God inviting you to come closer to Him?⁠ If you feel like He isn’t speaking, that’s okay—it’s not that you’ve done anything wrong, or that God doesn’t have anything to share. But God speaks in His way, and in His time. Trust in Him. He is going to give you everything you need, and in this trust, you will receive peace, grace, and the tools to enter into any circumstance.
Respond. What we receive from God through prayer is a gift—and when we get gifts, we show our gratitude. Responding to what God has shared—with joy, with more conversation, with some action, etc.—is how to translate our prayer into spiritual fruit, nurtured through how we live our lives.⁠ It can be as simple as saying “I love you, Lord” at the end of your conversation. This final step in prayer is an invitation to return to God our trust, joy, gratitude, and humility. Let’s respond to Christ by glorifying Him in our thoughts, words and actions. Let’s respond to the invitation you’re receiving at this very moment.

More Tips

You’ll often hear people refer to time spent in adoration as taking a holy hour or a holy half hour. Do not fall into the trap of not going at all because you can’t give a big chunk of time to Jesus. Take a holy 10 or 15 minutes, or just pop in and say hi to Jesus in the tabernacle if that’s all you can muster up. Start small.
If you are new to adoration or are new to praying in general, I do not suggest coming to adoration empty handed, as this can be kind of overwhelming! If you’re not sure what works for you or how prayer feels for you yet, bring a little bag with different options and give them a try! This time of adoring Jesus and spending time with him can look like and be whatever you need it to be. Perhaps you will spend time immersed in the Scriptures, hearing Jesus, the Word, speak to you, or perhaps you will bring your journal and write a letter to Jesus, which might help you to collect your thoughts and keep them from running astray. Maybe you want to bring some sort of spiritual reading with you, such as the lives of the saints, to reflect with Jesus on what holiness looks like for you or you may just want to talk to Jesus about your day and then let Him gaze lovingly at you. It’s also okay to just appreciate being in silence with Him.
The most important thing, friends, and I cannot stress this enough, is to be open to God during this time of adoration. Pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Ask God how He wants you to use this time, and you will be surprised by the ways He shows up in the peace, subtle promptings, clarity, and new ideas.
It should also be noted that we do not have emotional experiences every time that we pray, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t with us or isn’t listening. Sometimes we will have miraculous experiences of God’s closeness or hear Him speaking to us in the silence of our hearts. But more often than not, clarity comes later, as we cannot always witness the fruits of our prayer in the moment.

Need Help? Unsure Where to Start?

Digital Resources on Adoration:

The Veil Removed (What Really Happens at Mass)
What Really Happens in Eucharistic Adoration (Ascension Presents)
What Do We Do in Adoration? (Ascension Presents)
Fr. Mike’s Prayer for Beginners
iBreviary app – for easy access to the Liturgy of the Hours
Hallow app – Holy Hour Challenge, Holy Hour Playlist, Holy Hour Meditation, Holy Hour Collection of Prayers, Holy Hour Adoration, Adoration Hymns, etc.

Print Resources on Adoration:

Children's Resources for Adoration:

Kid’s Holy Hour (Guided Meditation) on Hallow