An Introduction to Adoration
at
The Parish Community of St. Joseph
Adoration at St. Joseph’s is a very special offering available to all parishioners. On the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month adorers visit the Blessed Sacrament Chapel within the main church and spend about an hour (sometimes more, sometimes less) in the presence of The Lord. Adoration is offered on these days starting at 7:00 PM and concludes at midnight.
Parishioners are also permitted, and invited, to visit the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at anytime, not just the days and times listed above. As long as the church building is open, parishioners may spend as much time as they like in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
However, only during the times specifically reserved for Eucharistic Adoration will the Eucharist be available for viewing in the monstrance. The monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglo-Catholic Churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic Host, during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction. During the times stated above, adorers will have the opportunity to see the Eucharist displayed in the center of the monstrance. Below is a picture of a monstrance.
The setting is one of quiet and prayerful reflection. Every adorer spends time in the presence of The Lord in his or her own way. Some bring a prayer book or small bible. Others pray the rosary. Some simply sit quietly and pray to the Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist is always in the chapel. When not displayed in the monstrance, the Eucharist is locked behind the closed doors of the tabernacle. The picture below shows the chapel where you can see the tabernacle in front of the windows.
The Setting During Adoration
While always a place to be considered among the most revered in the church, the chapel is additionally special when the Eucharist is exposed during adoration evenings. Appropriately candles are lit, spotlights shine upon the Eucharist, and there is always someone present from 7PM through 11PM.
It is required that someone be present whenever the Eucharist is exposed for viewing. Therefore, a St. Joseph’s Eucharistic Ministers (EM), Deacons, or Priests volunteers to sit in adoration for certain hours during adoration evenings in order to have adequate coverage. At least one EM, Deacon or Priest will always be there for each hour.
During the 7:00 hour, the EM assigned will open with a prayer. Anyone present is asked to recite the Opening Prayer along with the EM. (Booklets are available which include the Opening and Closing Prayers and a variety of material that can be used as desired by adorers.) Once the Opening Prayer is said, the EM and any adorers present are free to use the rest of their time as they wish in quiet prayer and reflection.
There are no prayers said aloud during any other hour. Each adorer spends their time as they like. At the end of the night (11PM) the EM assigned will say a Closing Prayer and then returns the Eucharist to the tabernacle. For security reasons, no one is permitted to remain past midnight.
How Should I Spend My Time?
Adoration is a very special time and people find different ways to spend that time in His Presence. Some guidebooks suggest you consider bringing your favorite prayers or the Bible or Rosary Beads. Or, consider that you are there to spend time and visit with Jesus Christ. Treat the time the same way you would if you wanted to just sit with a close friend or relative. There are no rules and therefore it becomes even more personal for each adorer.
The following is provided to offer suggestions, ideas, and other thoughts that may help you determine how you wish to spend your time:
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Adoration evenings are provided on Friday. Has it been a long week? Do you just want to reset yourself and transition from the hectic week before you spend time with family and friends? Adoration is ideal for peacefully transforming us from the burdens we deal with day after day. |
| Have you had some news this week that has caused you anxiety or suffering or pain? Bring yourself to Him and seek the guidance and the strength you and others need. |
| Is someone else in trouble or suffering? Tell Him about it and pray for those individuals. |
| The Bible: Perhaps it has been a goal to read the Bible from cover to cover, or maybe you have favorite passages. What better place than in His Presence? |
| Pray the Rosary. When is the last time you prayed this wonderful prayer? Don’t worry if you don’t know how. The reference table available for adoration has guides to show you how to pray the Rosary. |
| Prayer cards and Prayer books. The reference table also includes pamphlets and material for your use. |
How Long Is Adoration?
There is no time limit placed upon adorers. Stay as long as you like (you just have to be out by midnight). The following are suggestions.
Most times people select an hour for adoration. From 7:00 to 8:00 or from 9:00 to 10:00, etc.. The assigned EMs will arrive at the start of the hour. This usually signals that EM from to previous hour to leave. There is no formal transition and this does not mean that others must leave when the EM does– how long you stay is up to you.
There are no repeated prayers or services that take place at the start of any hour. Therefore if you want to spend an hour, but don’t arrive until twenty minutes after the hour...fine. Stay until twenty past the next hour (or longer). No one is keeping track.
If you can only stay 30 minutes, that’s perfectly OK. You are not obligated to stay for any length of time. Just make sure your time there is spent appropriately so that you get the most out of your visit with Him.
Do I Need To Sign Up In Order To Attend?
No. Just show up unannounced! It couldn’t be easier.
When you arrive at the church you will see a reference table near the hallway that leads to the Chapel. You are asked to make a check mark (name not requested) in a column that shows which hour you attended. This helps us plan for future evenings.
Eucharistic Ministers, Deacons, or Priests who have chosen to be the Assigned EM for a particular hour do use a scheduling system ahead of time to ensure we always have coverage. However, all other EMs, Deacons, Priests can show up at any time like everyone else.
Who Can Attend Adoration?
Because of the time offered, the adoration on Friday evenings is usually attended by people High School age and above. However, anyone is allowed to attend adoration.
It is expected that younger children are well behaved, absolutely quiet, and respectful of the environment at all times. This is not a place for conversation, talking, whispering, or other distractions. No toys, games, or other such items are to be brought into the chapel. Please use your best judgment when considering bringing a child. If you feel they will be unable to sit quietly for an hour, it is probably not a good idea.
Note: We are looking into establishing an Adoration hour specifically for grade school age kids. This may provide a way to introduce them to Adoration.
Older children (6th, 7th, 8th grade and High School) should be encouraged to attend adoration. Pope John Paul II stressed the importance of adoration at any age as long as the adorer understood the purpose and benefits.
Bring friends and family. Many people in our parish frequently have visitors from outside our community. You are invited to bring Catholics who may not regularly attend our church. This may be a nice way for you and your visitors to start your weekend together.
Why Should I Attend Adoration?
Pope John Paul II probably articulates the reasons best. Here are 3 separate statements he made –
"Public and private devotion to the Holy Eucharist outside Mass is highly recommended: for the presence of Christ, who is adored by the faithful in the Sacrament, derives from the sacrifice and is directed towards sacramental and spiritual communion."
(Inaestimabile Donum, #20, 1980)
"The Church and the world have great need of Eucharistic adoration. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and contemplation full of faith. And let us be ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease."
(Dominicae Cenae: Letter to Priests, Holy Thursday, 1980)
"Closeness to the Eucharistic Christ in silence and contemplation does not distance us from our contemporaries but, on the contrary, makes us open to human joy and distress, broadening our hearts on a global scale. Through adoration the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the gospel. Anyone who prays to the Eucharistic Savior draws the whole world with him and raises it to God."
(Letter to the Bishop of Liege, Reported in L'Osserv. Romano, 1996)