Holy Hour

[KatieRD]

Hi

Was just wondering if many of you on this forum attend Holy Hour.

Besides taking my kids to Mass every week where I find this to be special family/community time together (“where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them”) and receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion, as well as the normal daily prayers, night time prayers, etc., one of the most wonderful times of the week for me is Holy Hour. I go to the church up the road every Tuesday for an hour in the evening where there is exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and this is my very special quality time with Jesus away from any distractions, etc. and it is just so wonderful. Sometimes I read the Bible, or say prayers from my prayer books, or say my own prayers, or say the rosary or just sit quietly with Him and say nothing and just feel His Presence and I just feel the most wonderful wonderful peace – very hard to describe.

I find the following very inspirational in spending time with Jesus:

“Could you not watch one hour with me” (Mk 14:37)
“Come aside to an out of the way place and rest awhile” (Mk 6:31)
“Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:11)
“My peace is My gift to you” (Jn 14:27)

I think that Jesus himself also felt the need to go away to a quiet place and just rest and be with his Apostles just as he sometimes went off on his own to pray to His Father.

Also, I think that if we could all climb into the boat with Jesus (like his Apostles did), no matter how stormy the waters will be (as we travel through the journey of our life on this earth), as long as He is in the boat with us, we will all weather the storm and reach the other side (Heaven) to be with him forever.

For those of you who are interested, there is a wonderful book about spending time with Jesus called “Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament” by Fr Vincent Martin Lucia.

Have a good day everyone.

Katie

 

[jmm08]

Thank you for your post. I’m waiting for RCIA classes to begin.

I wanted to ask how to do a “Holy Hour”. Your post is at least a good hint. I’d like to hear from others also.

Do I need to wait for a special “Holy Hour” as scheduled?

Can I have an unscheduled “Holy Hour” any time the Church is open and nothing else is going on? Since there is a tabernacle somewhere near the little red light. How? Would I need to sit near the red light? Or kneel somewhere?

Would there be any difference?

Does anyone have a “Holy Hour” in their home? To “pray in your closet”, so you wouldn’t be seen by men? Is that possible?

Thanks.

 

[KatieRD]

They have a special scheduled “Holy Hour” at our church every Tuesday evening where there is exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. However, I make my own holy hour at various churches in Cork during my lunch hour and there does not have to be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament to do so.

I could have a Holy Hour in my own home but there are far too many distractions since I have kids.

 

[DJJG]

At our parish, we have a holy hour on the first Wednesday of every month, except during lent it is held every Wednesday.:yup:

We begin with exposition of the Eucharist, followed by evening prayer, from yhe Liturgery of the Hours, then the Deving Mercy Chaplet, prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the rosery, and we end with Benediction.:bowdown:

 

[Pug]

Katie,

It is my very favorite devotion. I sit and look at him. When two people are just married, they like to look in eachothers eyes, sort of gazing. For me, it sometimes almost feels like that. Other times I’m silly and worry that I’ll be stuck there for too long if no one else shows up. I’m still waiting on that holiness order I placed with God a few years ago.

jmm,

You can go sit with Jesus whenever you want. One day I needed to be close to him, but the church was locked, so I pulled into the parking lot and sat there for half an hour. He is always waiting! That is part of what I like. We may fail to be faithful, but he is always faithful.

Typical ettiquette in our parish when making a visit to Jesus is to make a more thoughful than usual genuflection when you go by the monstrance or enter the pew. Many folks go onto both knees. Then they pick a pew and pray. Sit close or far, as you like.

 

[MrS]

We are fortunate to have a Perpetual Adoration Chapel in our parish. The pastor allowed it to be constructed only with donated funds and allows it to continue (into our second year now), but unfortunately he never takes part.

My favorite times are 2-4 and 3-5 in the morning. I’m usually alone…with the Lord of course. Praying is when I talk to God. Meditating in silence is when I “let” God talk to me. Way cool.

At home, now that most of the kids are gone (one left…moves to his own apartment tomorrow),http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon14.gif I have taken the smallest downstairs bedroom and put in only a few chairs, an endtable, and some good books to read. Oh yes, also my accumulation of saints’ relics. No tv, no radio, etc. Sometimes the holy “hour” is much shorter, sometimes longer, and sometimes I fall asleep in the chair. Just following the example of the apostles. http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon10.gif

MrS

 

[Mamamull]

jmm08:

Thank you for your post. I’m waiting for RCIA classes to begin.

I wanted to ask how to do a “Holy Hour”. Your post is at least a good hint. I’d like to hear from others also.

Do I need to wait for a special “Holy Hour” as scheduled?

Can I have an unscheduled “Holy Hour” any time the Church is open and nothing else is going on? Since there is a tabernacle somewhere near the little red light. How? Would I need to sit near the red light? Or kneel somewhere?

Would there be any difference?

Does anyone have a “Holy Hour” in their home? To “pray in your closet”, so you wouldn’t be seen by men? Is that possible?

Thanks.

 

[Mamamull]

jmm08:

Thank you for your post. I’m waiting for RCIA classes to begin.

I wanted to ask how to do a “Holy Hour”. Your post is at least a good hint. I’d like to hear from others also.

Do I need to wait for a special “Holy Hour” as scheduled?

Can I have an unscheduled “Holy Hour” any time the Church is open and nothing else is going on? Since there is a tabernacle somewhere near the little red light. How? Would I need to sit near the red light? Or kneel somewhere?

Would there be any difference?

Does anyone have a “Holy Hour” in their home? To “pray in your closet”, so you wouldn’t be seen by men? Is that possible?

Thanks.

If you make a “date” for your time with Jesus, then you will more likely make the time to be there. If you have a place where there is Eucharisitic Adoration, then there is a set of vounteer adorers that are to be with Eucharist at certain time to be certain that the exposed and vulnerable Lord is not desacrated.

Now, the easiest thing to do, is go to your parish and just pray, read, or journal in the presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle. That is the essence of a Holy Hour.

I do have a regular Holy hour. I am an Hourly captian. I write the newsltetter for our adorers (over 550) and my husband is on the “core” team. We both look forward to our time with Jesus. I have been able to listen more for Jesus than he has. Hard to believe since I am the hyperactive one.

I have been forced to take our six year old son with me too. He couldn’t silent, but we whispered about Bible stories based on the color pictures in a Bible.

If you haven’t learned, a Holy Hour is a good time to learn to pray the Rosary. Any Catholic bookstore should have a pamplet explaining the how to’s. I converted from being a Baptist and it took me too long to understand our Blessed Mother. She is a wonderful help. If you are willing to spend time with her.

There are all kinds of ideas for what to do with a Holy hour. You are the one to decide, though. Prayers of adoration, petition, penance and devotion are all appropriate. Reading Scripture is excellent and so is journalling. I usually never write without a computer anymore, but in the chapel after my prayers, I have a devotion to the Holy Spirit, I can write and edit so much better than usual. It is truly blessed.

I hope you spend some time alone with Jesus in the Tabernacle. He might reveal himself to you in ways you never dreamed of. The graces that stream from Him are like a supernatural suntan.

Mamamull