Are there any nighttime eucharistic adorers here?

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If so, I really need your words of wisdom.

I’ve done adoration in the past, usually in the evening at 9 PM, but I recently shifted to 1 AM Saturday mornings because there was an urgent need for an adorer then and I am having a hard time adjusting to the new schedule. Here are the problems:
  • I simply am not a napper – it can take me up to an hour to get to sleep sometimes and then I sleep for hours. That means that on Fridays I am up for close to twenty hours by the time I finally get to bed Saturday morning sometime around 2:30 AM. The good news is that I can sleep late on Saturday morning, but that doesn’t change my utter weariness the night before.
  • To combat my fatigue, I take a book that will keep me awake. Usually it is a novel or a non-religious nonfiction book that I know will keep my attention. Naturally, I feel badly about this because it is not a spiritual book, but taking something that keeps my attention focused and my brain clicking is an important stimulant to staying awake. I tell myself that I am at least keeping Jesus company, but I hate not being able to give him more of my attention. I do try to open and close adoration by spending some time in personal prayer.
    I’m really starting to worry that if I don’t get the hang of nighttime adoration soon, I’m going to have to bow out. I’d feel bad about that because the trouble it takes to go to nighttime adoration has really sharpened my awareness of Christ’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Why else would men and women all over the world head off to church in the middle of the night to spend an hour in a chapel, often alone but for the Sacrament in the monstrance, unless it truly was God for whom they made the sacrifice?
Any ideas and experiences would be greatly appreciated!
 
Not everyone is called to those late-night/early morning hours, so don’t beat yourself up over this. God knows your weaknesses, and I’m sure He is glad that you are at least making an effort. I used to do 1 a.m. on Wednesdays, and the guy who was supposed to come in at 2 would often be late and sometimes wouldn’t show, so I’d wind up staying until 3. But I was working third shift then and that was my night off, so it wasn’t so hard for me. When I went on second shift, I found myself falling asleep, so I had to switch hours. But while I was still doing the 1 a.m. hour, I found that it helped for me to have a cup of coffee around 11 p.m. and to dress in layers, so if I started to get warm (which would make me drowsy), I’d take off my sweater or outer shirt. I loved having the Adoration chapel to myself, with just me and Jesus, and I don’t get those “private visits” when I go in the morning. :o
 
My parish does not have regular nighttime adoration, but we are having 40 Hours Devotion this weekend. I always go at a late time every year when we have this. It does not really bother me because I am usually awake and on-line here well past midnight. I would have a difficulty similar to yours if I had to go to adoration early in the morning.
 
not any more, since construction has begun on our road DH does not want me driving late at night to the next town where the chapel is. Very unsafe, poorly marked, lots of accidents already. when we have scheduled vigils at our parish I usually take on of the unpopular night hours. Most nights I wake for a while anyhow so it is no big deal.
 
I do 11 pm to 1 am once a week. I take along my bible and books on the faith, Usually something with a short devotional, my favorite is the Imitation of Christ and another book of some writings on the faith, currently I’m reading JPII’s Theology of the Body. I rotate between silent prayer and reading as I feel moved. The only fiction I ever took to read was the Father Brown mysteries, but it just didn’t seem right to be reading for entertainment. The time goes by so fast, sometimes I feel like I’m not volunteering enough of my time.
 
I am also a 1am-2am adorer. I chose those hours because my small kids don’t notice I’m gone and the parish desperately needed men for the late hours to volunteer.

I can say that people sleep in adoration all the time, even during the day.

Secondly, I started bringing a Thermos of coffee or soda with me. I sneak out of the chapel for a few moments to take a sip when I’m particularly drowsy.

I cannot say the rosary at that hour. I usually end up reading the Psalms or saying the Jesus Prayer.
 
I do the 2-3am every Tuesday morning. I did it because I felt I needed to something uncomfortable to help grow in my sprituality. It has been both difficult and absolutely wonderful. I also did it at that time, so that I could do something which not a lot of people would know about to help with my prideful nature. I still get very tired the next day so I may not be as cheerful at work which I am working at. So many of the saints gave up much more of their precious time, I should be able to handle one hour a week without complaint. I do my office of reading and morning prayer during that time, sometimes a rosary, sometimes the stations of the cross. I always leave some of the time to just be quiet and be in the presence of my Lord. Good luck and enjoy.
 
I know what you mean about it being hard to stay awake but I really suggest not reading secular books in Eucharistic adoration. Try to find some other way to stay awake so you can pay attention to our Lord and pray. Try drinking coffee a few hours before or maybe give napping another try. Peace,
Sarah
 
I chose to do adoration from 2-3 am every Thursday because that was the only early morning slot that was open which was having trouble getting filled. It was my way of making some kind of sacrifice given that I am not a morning person.

I’ll read something religious e.g. bible, apologetics, Catholic doctrine and/or say the Rosary, or simply just sit in silence.

There have only been a few times in the 2-3 years doing this where I had trouble staying awake. It was so bad that I would just set the alarm on my cell phone and lay on the floor in front of the monstrance and sleep. I know that sounds awful but I know He watches over me during my hour of weakness.
 
I am off to do a 1am - 2am right now. Its my first time so wish me luck at work tomorrow 🙂

Also, remember to keep in mind that the greater the sacrifice, the greater the merit.
 
Tabby,

Late nights just aren’t for everyone.

I love late night adoration. Because it is so difficult to find others who want those slots, I am often alone in the chapel, which I find more comfortable. I usually take spiritual books with me to read, but most of the time, I never crack the covers. I just go and talk with Him about my week, pray a Rosary, then kneel quietly. The hour is usually over before I feel like I’ve been there 30 minutes. However, I am often awake at those hours anyway, and have a tendency to nap during the day. And it makes it easy to go off to the adoration chapel without worrying about the little ones and what they are doing to my house or my husband while I am away. Others I know that adore at those times go to sleep and set an alarm, then return to bed when they get home.

I understand having difficulty getting up again in the middle of the night and going back to sleep. If you can’t adjust, maybe this just isn’t for you. There is something to be said for sacrifice, but we aren’t supposed to kill ourselves falling asleep while trying to drive home. You should trade it for an hour you can keep. At our parish we have almost as much trouble finding people for late evening hours (like 9, 10, and 11 pm) on week nights because so many people go to work early or have school aged children at home.

Ask the Lord to help you with it-- if He wants you there in the middle of the night, He will give you the strength to do it… If not, perhaps He will show you a new path, like a sudden opening for an hour more suiting to your routine?

Debra
 
I actually love the late night adoration, but I usually do the other end - 3-4. We only have it during 40-hours. Otherwise we only have adoration 8am -10 PM.

Bring a variety of things. I bring my prayer book, some inspirational reading (Maybe a saint’s biography, maybe apologetics), my rosary. Since we have 40 hours in the large church, I have also said the stations of the cross. That got me moving…

I have another adoration question… when I go during the day, I frequently have another person there who leads vocal prayer during my hour. Is there a polite way to ask them not to do this?

also, my parish only allow the chapel to be open if we have a minimum of 2 people. We are supposed to remove the Eucharist back to the tabernacle if their isn’t two people there. Is this common?

Lastly, I recently tried to vist the perpetual adoration chapel near to my job, and found out, they have a lock on the door, and you have to get the combination in advance to go to the chapel… and they change it regularly… kinda cuts into “spending a minute with the Lord” on my way somewhere 😉
 
shellyn said:
my parish only allow the chapel to be open if we have a minimum of 2 people. We are supposed to remove the Eucharist back to the tabernacle if their isn’t two people there. Is this common?
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We try to have two people there, but often have only one for the night-time hours. If for some reason the only person there has to leave, the Eucharist is to be covered with a special cover made just for this purpose (I’m sure it has a name, but I don’t know what it is). This usually only happens if the next person doesn’t show up and the person already there can’t stay.

Just a side note: one day I was driving in the neighborhood of the church on my way home from an errand, and I suddenly felt moved to stop in for a visit. It was a few minutes before the hour, and at the top of the hour, the only person there before me left. Wouldn’t you know, the next person was a no-show. I was amazed and so happy that our Lord called me to come and keep Him company during this time when He would have been left alone! :heaven:
 
CarrieH said:
We try to have two people there, but often have only one for the night-time hours. If for some reason the only person there has to leave, the Eucharist is to be covered with a special cover made just for this purpose (I’m sure it has a name, but I don’t know what it is). This usually only happens if the next person doesn’t show up and the person already there can’t stay.

Just a side note: one day I was driving in the neighborhood of the church on my way home from an errand, and I suddenly felt moved to stop in for a visit. It was a few minutes before the hour, and at the top of the hour, the only person there before me left. Wouldn’t you know, the next person was a no-show. I was amazed and so happy that our Lord called me to come and keep Him company during this time when He would have been left alone! :heaven:
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Last year I took the 2 am to 3 am slot on Saturday morning during the 40 Hours Devotion. The person who signed up for 3 am to 4 am was a no-show, so I stayed until 4 am.
 
One of the biggest “problem” hours we had for perpetual adoration was an hour that was suppose to be filled by our young associate pastor. He seemed to sleep through his hour quite often. Can’t really blame the poor guy, you know how hectic a priests life can be. I say go, and if you fall asleep, the Lord will watch over you. We are only human. God Bless
 
Hi, I’m a first timer at writing, but my husband and I have been adorers for a good number of years now. We used to do the slot at 4 to 5 am on a Wednesday morning and then again at 5 to 6 am on a Thursday. Wednesday wasn’t too bad as we could go back to bed, but Thursday was a killer! Gradually adorers have fallen out as we’re all getting older and the young ones are not coming forward, so we have had to change the times and the Chapel is only open from 8 am to midnight. We now do 10 - 11pm on a Friday night and I also have difficulty trying not to fall asleep - I definitely cannot say the Rosary - that’s fatal! but I read the Bible and ‘Faith for daily living’ or books on the saints. I still tend to nod off and ask the Lord to forgive me for not being able to watch and pray with him. Durban. S.A.
 
I go to adoration at 4am Monday mornings. It is a great way to start my week. I chose this hour initially because I was getting up to study before I had to get ready for work and get my kids going, and because it didn’t interfere with anyone’s schedule (except my own sleep!) but now I am wondering how long I can keep this commitment. I am 25 weeks pregnant and am at that stage where I am so tired all the time. For the past several weeks, while I have wondered how I was going to make it there, I somehow woke up and came out from my hour completely refreshed.

I usually pray the Divine Mercy chaplet - I found I couldn’t keep my attention directed long enough for the rosary. Then I read the Bible (I was going thru the OT for a while) or a book I find in the chapel.

I understand your struggle - keep trying each week and ask God to tell you when/if it is time to change your time. I know there will come a time (I hope I can make it until I have the baby) when I have to bow out for a while.
 
I do the first Friday adoration from 1 to 2 am and I love it. It is so quiet and still. Before I got married, I used to go all the time, but since we started having children, it became very hard for me to justify the time away from the kids and my wife. When I joined the knights of Columbus, they needed volunteers for the first Friday adoration, so I jumped on the chance. I have to say I was like a man dying of thirst who suddenly finds an oasis of fresh water.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.

God bless,
Ut
 
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