What is Holy Hour?

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Suegra

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Could someone please enlighten me? I’ve been invited to attend, but I am unsure what it is. It is observed on Thursdays at my local church. Is that traditional? What is the form / format for Holy Hour? Is there anything special I should do to prepare?

Thanks.
 
Suegra said:
Could someone please enlighten me? I’ve been invited to attend, but I am unsure what it is. It is observed on Thursdays at my local church. Is that traditional? What is the form / format for Holy Hour? Is there anything special I should do to prepare?

Thanks.
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Modern Catholic Dictionary:

HOLY HOUR. A pious devotional exercise consisting of mental and vocal prayer with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It draws its inspiration from Christ’s words to the Apostles in Gethsemane: “Can you not watch one hour with me?” It was taught by the Savior to St. Margaret Mary (1647-90) as one of the special practices of the Sacred Heart devotion. In the early nineteenth century a confraternity was founded at Paray-le-Monial, France, to spread the devotion, which has been highly recommended by the popes. If the hour is made publicly it is designated by a priest or the director; if made privately, any hour is suitable but preferably Thursday or Friday evening. The Passion of Christ is the theme during the hour, variously divided into meditation, vocal prayer, and singing. Many religious communities include the devotion as part of the horarium of their day.
 
Holy Hour is spending time with your Lord and Savior. It is a time to realize that you are in the presence of Greatness. You are before the One Who will judge you at the end of time. You gaze upon Him Who loves you so profoundly that He willingly took flesh for the sole purpose of dying so that you might live with Him for eternity. You are before the source of mercy. It is an opportunity for prayer, reflection, scripture or devotional reading, or simply to sit and contemplate Jesus Christ. You may receive the consolation of the Holy Spirit while there. Supernatural things may happen - miracles - the peace that surpasses all understanding. I can attest to this. In short, it is the best kept secret of the faith.

Normally, one enters His presence with the respect due our Creator. A genuflection is appropriate, since He is God. There may be a font of holy water with which you may bless yourself. Then, you may sit or kneel. Some even prostrate themselves before the Lord. Silence is the order of the day, since Christ is much more important that any temporal matter. The importance of the prayers of those around you is also a reason to maintain silence. No food or drinks, gum or tobacco use. Silence cell phones and no texting while in the Lord’s presence. Although this can seem confining, it is liberating to the spirit. You may very well become strongly attracted to the devotion. I pray that you do!
 
Saints_Alive said:
Holy Hours may be as described by Thistle and po18guy or they may be structured to include the Rosary, a litany, hymns, etc, followed by Benediction.

My parish does something similar to this program…
stmichaelprayerwarriors.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/holy-hour-final.pdf

As far as preparation, refer to The Real Presence site 🙂

therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/a2.html
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The Divine Mercy Chaplet may also be prayed/sung at 3:00 PM.

In any event, it can be habit forming, which can bring great graces.
 
My overseas parish holds a Holy Hour every First Friday of the month.
A different parish group is responsible for presenting this Holy Hour.
As conducted in my parish, there are generally songs and prayer, as well as Scriptural readings. The priest will read a selection from the Gospel.
The priest is also responsible for the Exposition, Benediction, and Repose of the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament remains exposed throughout the service.

An individual may also spend an hour in silent Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. While some parishes, such as my overseas parish, have an Adoration Chapel, many others do not. My stateside parish held First Friday Adoration after the noon Mass on First Fridays.

Whether participating in a communal Holy Hour or silent prayer time, prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament is a pious practice that yields untold benefits.
 
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