Should I commit to an hour a week?

[Musician]

After posting about how dismally boring our parish life is, I decided to take matters in my own hands and stop whining about it. We visited a nearby Catholic church that is a little further away in the country, it is really new and has amazing architecture. They are very welcoming and have tons of outreach opportunities, Bible studies, etc.
So my husband and I joined the Marian Bible Study that meets one evening a week, and I am really happy with it.
Here’s the problem!
After we went to our first Bible study, we wandered around looking at stuff and found the Eucharistic Chapel - they have Perpetual Adoration there!!! How lucky could we get, right? So we’re praying and feeling really blessed, and then later the secretary mentions to me that the parish’s biggest need right now is not more volunteers to run around doing stuff, but for more people to commit to an hour for Adoration. Immediately I felt a prickling on the back of my neck like I am supposed to do this, and now I am worried.
What if it is too much to commit to every week? I know I am going to do it anyway, so I don’t know why I am even saying that.
But I feel like God is laughing (almost) and saying, “Aha! You wanted a more active parish, here you go, get to work!”

 

[Snugglebugmom]

I would sign up in a heartbeat! You are so lucky to have perpetual adoration nearby. We get only fifty minutes of Adoration a week, followed by the Rite of Benediction.
Enjoy it, and most definitely commit to an hour a week!

 

[Barbkw]

At our EA, (from 8-5 every Tues and Friday) two or three people are assigned to a 30 minute overlapping time slot, to ensure that the Eucharist is never alone.

We all are on an email list and we check in with a captain a day to two ahead of our EA hour.

 

[TimothyH]

After posting about how dismally boring our parish life is, I decided to take matters in my own hands and stop whining about it. We visited a nearby Catholic church that is a little further away in the country, it is really new and has amazing architecture. They are very welcoming and have tons of outreach opportunities, Bible studies, etc.
So my husband and I joined the Marian Bible Study that meets one evening a week, and I am really happy with it.
Here’s the problem!
After we went to our first Bible study, we wandered around looking at stuff and found the Eucharistic Chapel - they have Perpetual Adoration there!!! How lucky could we get, right? So we’re praying and feeling really blessed, and then later the secretary mentions to me that the parish’s biggest need right now is not more volunteers to run around doing stuff, but for more people to commit to an hour for Adoration. Immediately I felt a prickling on the back of my neck like I am supposed to do this, and now I am worried.
What if it is too much to commit to every week? I know I am going to do it anyway, so I don’t know why I am even saying that.
But I feel like God is laughing (almost) and saying, “Aha! You wanted a more active parish, here you go, get to work!”

As an hourly coordinator for Perpetual Adoration for one of the hours in the early-early monring, it is difficult to find people who are willing to commit.

One thing you might consider doing is putting yourself on the substitutes list, one who is willing to fill in when people are sick or have car trouble or are on vaction. I can’t get a substitute for tonight and so I have to go at 1:00 AM tonight myself to fill in.

I tell people that they are already committed to one hour each week due to the obligation of the Mass. What they are actually doing is choosing to voluntarily give a second hour, that’s all.

-Tim-

 

[paperwight66]

I would sign up in a heartbeat! You are so lucky to have perpetual adoration nearby. We get only fifty minutes of Adoration a week, followed by the Rite of Benediction.
Enjoy it, and most definitely commit to an hour a week!

You know, Our Blessed Lord is always present in the Tabernacle. He doesn’t have to be in the monstrance to be present.

I don’t understand why people can’t make a promise to themselves that they will be before the tabernacle for whatever length of time a week. Why the emphasis on actually seeing the Host? It is the same Host in the Tabernacle as out of it. The Real Presence can’t be seen with the eyes anyway.

 

[nickybr38]

There’s only one thing I want… and that is to attend Adoration. But we don’t have Adoration in my parish. It IS starting up but it’s on the night I work so I still can’t go. sigh

You are blessed to be given this opportunity.

PS: Coming up on one year Catholic and I’ve never been able to attend Adoration. ): SAD.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Absolutely!I have been a committed adored for two years now.I have grown to love this time spent with Our Lord. We also have a dedicated chapel in our parish.It truly is a blessing.Unfortunately,so few take advantage of this gift. Our parish is currently having a campaign to encourage more parishoners to commit to an hour.Your
Ife and those of your loved ones,as well as your parish as a whole,will be blessed abundantly…God Bless,Jeanne

 

[DebChris]

After posting about how dismally boring our parish life is, I decided to take matters in my own hands and stop whining about it. We visited a nearby Catholic church that is a little further away in the country, it is really new and has amazing architecture. They are very welcoming and have tons of outreach opportunities, Bible studies, etc.
So my husband and I joined the Marian Bible Study that meets one evening a week, and I am really happy with it.
Here’s the problem!
After we went to our first Bible study, we wandered around looking at stuff and found the Eucharistic Chapel - they have Perpetual Adoration there!!! How lucky could we get, right? So we’re praying and feeling really blessed, and then later the secretary mentions to me that the parish’s biggest need right now is not more volunteers to run around doing stuff, but for more people to commit to an hour for Adoration. Immediately I felt a prickling on the back of my neck like I am supposed to do this, and now I am worried.
What if it is too much to commit to every week? I know I am going to do it anyway, so I don’t know why I am even saying that.
But I feel like God is laughing (almost) and saying, “Aha! You wanted a more active parish, here you go, get to work!”

As an hourly coordinator for Perpetual Adoration for one of the hours in the early-early monring, it is difficult to find people who are willing to commit.

One thing you might consider doing is putting yourself on the substitutes list, one who is willing to fill in when people are sick or have car trouble or are on vaction. I can’t get a substitute for tonight and so I have to go at 1:00 AM tonight myself to fill in.

I tell people that they are already committed to one hour each week due to the obligation of the Mass. What they are actually doing is choosing to voluntarily give a second hour, that’s all.

-Tim-

I personally don’t make commitments that I am not sure I can follow through with.
I like the idea of placing myself on the substitute list, if that were an issue where I am. The Adoration Chapel in my overseas parish is not 24 hours. It closes at 9pm, when the parish doors are locked. It is almost always packed with people.
Since you have already committed to the weekly Bible study, consider committing to the hour before or the hour after.
That “tingling down the spine” is a prompting of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Musician]

I guess when I wrote the original post, I had basically already decided that “how can I NOT do this?”
Thanks for the substitute suggestion, but that really wouldn’t work for my schedule: I am scheduled firmly on virtually every front and would be useless as a sub.
I have decided to commit one thevery early morning Sunday hours (5:00 a.m.) because the need is great for a volunteer at that hour, and because I need to get up early on Sunday anyway as a church organist (although I play for a different parish).
thanks for all your help and advice!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

My wife and myself were adorers at our local adoration Chapel, each Saturday afternoon, 4:00 -5:00 for ten years, until my wife’s health caused us to stop.

Anyway, the elderly couple that we would relieve, who had the 3-4 shift were our inspiration.

She suffered from scleroderma, and he had a brain tumor. The woman once told us something I will never forget, she said, “this 1 hour devotion is such an easy sacrifice to make.”

It really is and I miss it.

Jim

 

[puzzleannie]

After we went to our first Bible study, we wandered around looking at stuff and found the Eucharistic Chapel - they have Perpetual Adoration there!!! How lucky could we get, right? So we’re praying and feeling really blessed, and then later the secretary mentions to me that the parish’s biggest need right now is not more volunteers to run around doing stuff, but for more people to commit to an hour for Adoration. Immediately I felt a prickling on the back of my neck like I am supposed to do this, and now I am worried.
What if it is too much to commit to every week?

Lucky you!
why not first committing yourself privately to a time that seems to work for you and see if you can keep it up for a few months. If it proves to be doable–and I predict great things if you stick with it blessings beyond anything I could describe–then you could commit to that hour in writing. If you commit too soon, then find you can’t make it on a regular basis, the coordinator now has to find someone else.

 

[DebChris]

Lucky you!
why not first committing yourself privately to a time that seems to work for you and see if you can keep it up for a few months. If it proves to be doable–and I predict great things if you stick with it blessings beyond anything I could describe–then you could commit to that hour in writing. If you commit too soon, then find you can’t make it on a regular basis, the coordinator now has to find someone else.

I like this suggestion. My home parish has First Friday Adoration. While I never made a formal commitment, I would try to make some time either after the daily Mass or right before Benediction. There were a few times when I remained until the second person who had committed to the next hour was able to come. As stated earlier, I am shy about making commitments that I might not keep.
My overseas parish is much larger. There is always somebody in the Adoration Chapel even without a formal sign up. The parish has a First Friday Holy Hour that lectors and members of other ministries are required to attend, although nobody is taking attendance (except on the day of the annual re-dedication ceremony). Like any of the Masses, the church is generally packed to overflowing.

 

[Lynette77]

I am so blessed that my life revolves around Mass, daily prayer time and my prayer meetings. My house is 2 mins from my Church which has perpetual adoration, so every day after I finish work I get to make a holy hour.

I would encourage everyone, a holy hour once a week is great and the Lord will reward you for any effort you make for Him.

God bless

 

[DebChris]

I am so blessed that my life revolves around Mass, daily prayer time and my prayer meetings. My house is 2 mins from my Church which has perpetual adoration, so every day after I finish work I get to make a holy hour.

I would encourage everyone, a holy hour once a week is great and the Lord will reward you for any effort you make for Him.

God bless

In one of his talks, Fulton Sheen spoke about why an hour of Eucharistic Adoration was part of his daily routine. It involved a story about a young Korean girl who gave up her life for the Eucharist.

 

[Catholic1954]

You know, Our Blessed Lord is always present in the Tabernacle. He doesn’t have to be in the monstrance to be present.

I don’t understand why people can’t make a promise to themselves that they will be before the tabernacle for whatever length of time a week. Why the emphasis on actually seeing the Host? It is the same Host in the Tabernacle as out of it. The Real Presence can’t be seen with the eyes anyway.

Here in the USA, our church doors are usually locked during the week and one cannot just go in anytime and sit in the presence of the tabernacle. An adoration chapel however, is open to those who have a key or combination to the lock.