Question about Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

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FromTheAshes777

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Hey everybody,

I have a rather newbie type question regarding Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. I wasn’t sure if I should post this in Liturgy and Sacraments or in Spirituality, so MODS feel free to move it if you feel it would fit better in Sprituality.

First off, I’m not fully Catholic, although I am finding myself believing more and more Catholic doctrines.

I attended Mass in person for the first time about a month ago (have watched many on TV before then though) and I was completely blown away by the power of Christ physically present in the Eucharist. I of course did not recieve and came forward with my arms crossed to recieve a blessing.

I have hungered since then though to be close to this incredible power and Grace that I felt when Jesus is present physically with us in the Blessed Sacrament. It was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before when I was at Mass.

There is another local Catholic Church nearby me that offers hourly Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. My question is…would it be ok to come in and spend an hour in adoration during a time when someone else is signed up? I would simply just join them in the chapel and stay for the time that they stay.

I know that I should be reverent and respectful, genuflect when I enter and leave, and be quiet and prayerful (planning to bring my Bible and my Rosary). I just wanted to make sure though that it would be ok to spend an hour at the same time as someone else.

Thanks to all, and blessings!

In Christ,
Josh
 
Yes, it’s OK and it’s wonderful!

Our parish offers 24/7 perpetual adoration. We actually have a lovely Adoration Chapel that is separate from church building. It’s open all day to the public, and in the evening hours, you need a code to enter, but you can get the code from the church office.

Recently the newspaper did an article about it, and mentioned that Protestants are welcome.

I know for a fact that Protestants come.

Two personal testimonies:

My husband and I were kicked out of our Protestant church, and for a whole year, I refused to read the Bible. The pastors who had treated us so cruelly twisted the Bible around to justify their actions, and I was actually afraid that if I read the Bible by myself, that I would twist it, too.

But when I discovered the Adoration Chapel, I took my Bible in and asked Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to speak to me as I read and protect me from any misinterpretations. It was wonderful to read the Bible with Jesus!

Second personal testimony:

My older daughter was not Catholic at the time, but she knew where the Catholic churches in her city were because we would also attend when we visited her.

She experienced a heart-rending breakup from her boyfriend, and at 2 A.M. didn’t know where to go or who to call for sympathy and comfort. So she drove to the local Adoration Chapel in her city. The door had a coded lock, so she pounded on the door. A tiny Viet Namese lady opened it–I’m sure she was terrified!–and my daughter entered the Presence of Jesus and literally sobbed for an hour.

She had no idea of the “etiquette.” She just sat there and sobbed. I wonder what that little woman thought!! She was probably sitting there praying, “Please don’t let this madwoman kill me!”

But the time sobbing in the Presence of the Lord Jesus helped my daughter through the crisis. A few weeks ago, my daughter was received into the Catholic Church.

So go be with Jesus!
 
Cat thanks for the reply, it sounds amazing!

I wonder if I should call the church office to make sure I don’t need a code or something to get in to the chapel. I plan on going around 7 PM or so tonight after work.

~Josh
 
You are more than welcome, you’re being called! GO!

You can also make an act of Spiritual Communion, here are a few, although you can use your own words as well:

Spiritual Communion of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice (+ 1751):
Come, Jesus, my beloved, come within this my poor hear; come and satiate my desires; come and sanctify my soul; come, most sweet Jesus, come!

Spiritual Communion of Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (+ 1787)
My Jesus, I believe that thou art truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things, and I desire to receive Thee into my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacrmentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace Thee as if Thou wert already come, and I unite myself wholly to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee.

Spiritual Communion of Saint Francis of Assisi (my favorite):
I believe that You, O Jesus, are in the most holy Sacrament. I love You and desire You. Come into my heart. I embrace You. Oh, never leave me. May the burning and most sweet power of Your love, O Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech You, absorb my mind that I may die through love of Your love, Who were graciously pleased to die through love of my love.
 
Excellent on the spiritual communion prayers! I will definitely print those off and bring them with me. 👍

Ya know I just realized, today is the First Friday of the month. I wonder if there will be something special this evening for Adoration?
 
Definitely, go! The reason they have assigned time slots is only to make sure that someone is there as we cannot leave Jesus unattended. That does not mean that other people aren’t also welcome. The more the merrier!
 
Awesome! I am very excited. Please say a prayer for me as I go experience this form of worship for the FIRST time. 👍
 
FromTheAshes777 said:
…There is another local Catholic Church nearby me that offers hourly Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. My question is…would it be ok to come in and spend an hour in adoration during a time when someone else is signed up? I would simply just join them in the chapel and stay for the time that they stay. …Josh
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Yes. In fact more than one person should be “signed up”.

From Notitiae, September 2006, page 501, “Questions on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament”, quoting a letter to the USCCB of July 1995:
“Every effort should be made to ensure that there should be at least two people present. There must absolutely never be periods when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and there is no one present for adoration.”

The letter is described as: "CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, Responsum ad dubium received by the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy, July 1995, published in Solemn Exposition of the Holy Eucharist, Washington, DC, 1996 (- Liturgy Documentary Series, 11), pp. 36-37.

Instead of reading it in Notitiae, it is question 24 of “Thirty-One Questions on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament” which is at usccbpublishing.org/productdetails.cfm?sku=5-595 .
 
FromTheAshes777 said:
Awesome! I am very excited. Please say a prayer for me as I go experience this form of worship for the FIRST time. 👍
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Wow, FTA777. I am very excited for you!

I am a Catholic returning to the Church after many, many years away, and am unable to receive in communion (married outside the Church and my non-Catholic wife - or should I say not-YET-Catholic wife 😛 (?) is still leary of convalidation). My one solace is being able to spend time at a nearby perpetual adoration chapel almost every weekday during lunch. Even 10 minutes at a time is fine, if that’s all the time you have.

What is the quote from Mother Teresa? “The time one spends in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is the most meaningful time of one’s life.” Or is it “most precious”? Am I close?

Please do let us know how your first time went for you - I am thinking that by the time you post you will have realized just what a wonderful grace you have been blessed with.

In peace.
 
Greetings all :-),

Well some neat things happened yesterday. My entire department got to leave early at about 3 pm due to sickness, so I got out of work much earlier than usual.

I decided since I was off that I would go over around 5 p.m. and sit in adoration until the 6 p.m. First Friday Mass started, attend that, and then head home.

My adoration because of this was spent actually in the main Sanctuary itself, with the monstrance on the Altar that is used for Sunday Mass. It was a beautiful time of prayer. At first I felt a little bit out of place since I had never been to this church before, but as I began to pray I could feel there was something very different about my prayers.

Each prayer that I said, rather in my own words or an Our Father, Glory Be, or a Psalm from my little Bible, were so directed, seemed to be going so straight, to our Lord.

I enjoyed attending Mass as well. Across the isle from me was a Hispanic family who didn’t seem to speak much English when we were giving the sign of peace. I was sitting in back pretty much alone, and their youngest son crawled over and around all of them came quickly across the isle right up to me, stuck his hand out and said in very broken English, “Peace be with you!”.

I think I showed every single tooth in my mouth because I grinned so big when I reached out to shake his hand. 😃 I felt like that was one more way that God was saying to me, “welcome into the physical presence of my Son, peace be with you.”

Anyways, it was very beautiful and I felt spiritually rejuvinated in a big way afterwards.

Here is the church if any of you are interested. Lots of good photos in the tour our church section. I like it because it is a good mix of the contemporary and the traditional. I will definitely go back. Thanks to all for your prayers.

In Christ,
Josh

ourladyoffatima.org/
 
What a wonderful experience, thanks for sharing your story! And honestly, what a wonderful blessing for you to be so receptive to the gifts of adoration. It took me a while to warm up to the experience, due to my own personal anxieties. I hope you go often.
 
Greetings again all!

I went and spent another hour with the Eucharist, this time on a Tuesday night in the Eucharistic Chapel. I went up and talked to both Priests who have a residence next door to the church and they gave me the code to get in the door that leads to Chapel.

Anyways, I had a question.

The Eucharist was in the Monstrance when I entered the room, no one was there but me, so it had the Monstrance Veil (not sure the name for this) over it. I knelt down and prayed as usual, knowing that Jesus was of course just as present as always in the Eucharist. During my prayers one of the Priests came in a removed the veil for me, came over and told me that they would be moving the monstrance into the main Sanctuary for the Spanish Mass once my hour was over, (Mass started at 7 and I came in at 6 so it worked out).

Father thanked me for coming and gave me a pat on the shoulder and smile. 🙂

I left after Father came in and moved the Monstrance into the Sanctuary so it was never alone when uncovered.

My question is, who is allowed to unveil the Monstrance, and also who is allowed to veil it again? Obviously the Priests are, and I would think a Deacon could as well. I obviously didn’t do so since as far as I knew I was not supposed to. Sorry if this has been answered already.

Being near Jesus in the Eucharist is AMAZING!!! 🙂
Thank you all again for your prayers and encouragement!
~Josh
 
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