Why are there no lines of people entering the Adoration Chapel?

[7_Sorrows]

It’s a dedicated room at the end of the hallway; I’ve only had occasion to see through the window as either that room or the church is locked, usually after 9 am on weekdays. If one really wanted to do Adoration in peace, he’d be best advised to go to a more distant parish.

That is what I used to do. When I converted we did not have an adoration chapel at our parish. Fortunately, I lived in a large city and found another parish not far away that had an Adoration chapel. The door was unlocked during the day so I could drive over there. When we moved to a smaller town, fortunately, they had perpetual adoration so for the last 6 years I have had a scheduled hour most of the time or at least when I couldn’t do that I knew I could go anytime I wanted.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Blessed is the church with Perpetual Adoration!

 

[commenter]

Blessed is the church with Perpetual Adoration!

And blessed are the adorers who keep watch with Our Lord, and help each other out to “cover the hours”.

 

[ZellieFan]

I make a Holy Hour each week. I also got a key for a nearby chapel with perpetual adoration because sometimes, I just need to see Him. I remember once, I was feeling very emotional and upset about something and wanted to talk to Him about it. I searched and searched until I could find a church with perpetual adoration that didn’t require me to have a code or a key fob. I had to drive 12 miles that night to see Him. He rewarded me with a grace because the next day, I received an answer to something that I was praying about.

I LOVE adoring Our Lord. I wish I could go daily. Today, I was using the book Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament and one of the meditations talks about how Our Lord really yearns for people to sit with Him, since He is patiently sitting with us. Sometimes, when I am at the adoration chapel alone and it’s time to leave, I feel a little bad leaving Him alone.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I make a Holy Hour each week. I also got a key for a nearby chapel with perpetual adoration because sometimes, I just need to see Him. I remember once, I was feeling very emotional and upset about something and wanted to talk to Him about it. I searched and searched until I could find a church with perpetual adoration that didn’t require me to have a code or a key fob. I had to drive 12 miles that night to see Him. He rewarded me with a grace because the next day, I received an answer to something that I was praying about.

I LOVE adoring Our Lord. I wish I could go daily. Today, I was using the book Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament and one of the meditations talks about how Our Lord really yearns for people to sit with Him, since He is patiently sitting with us. Sometimes, when I am at the adoration chapel alone and it’s time to leave, I feel a little bad leaving Him alone.

I love the book Come to Me.I use it every week during my hour!I love to recite the Divine Love Prayer.Also the rosary mysteries are just so beautifully written,love them too!
I also know what you mean by,just having to see Him.I have moments like that as well,when I just have to be near Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament

 

[schaeffer]

At my parish, you have to call one of five women and make some kind of an appointment. It is locked most of the time. It gives it the appearance that Adoration is not open to everyone.

That has been my experience as well. You have to go register at the church office and they make a photo copy of your license and you get a code, which may be changed at any time etc.

It’s too bad that Churches cannot be open the way they used to be (I DO understand why) because it was a place that both Catholics and others stopped by to pray, or sit, or get warm in the winter.

Years ago I lived in a city where the Catholic Church was open all day and I saw all sorts of people drop in for even just a few minutes when they had the chance.

In cities where there are Cathedrals etc that are open, not only do you see visitors coming in and out (and whether they realize it or not are in some way affected or educated by exposure) but also people coming in and out having stopped to pray before the main altar and various side altars.

On Good Friday, when I was young we would go round visiting Churches, even that is curtailed these days as many Churches are locked.

It does keep out vandals and thieves but it also keeps out the faithful who might well form the habit of stopping in, if only for brief periods during lunch, commute, or when ever they feel the need to pray.

 

[johnnyc176]

At my parish, you have to call one of five women and make some kind of an appointment. It is locked most of the time. It gives it the appearance that Adoration is not open to everyone.

Unfortunate necessity. My parish uses a key code. You have the 3 am hour and someone comes to the door that does not know the code, is not your relief and you never seen before. What do ya do?

 

[Jeanne_S]

Unfortunate necessity. My parish uses a key code. You have the 3 am hour and someone comes to the door that does not know the code, is not your relief and you never seen before. What do ya do?

Being that our chapel is a 24hour chapel,we also have a security code.
It seemed to me ProVobis was lamenting the fact that the code isn’t available to adorers without chasing down someone ,so the opportunity for a spontaneous visit is pretty much a non event.

 

[Cat]

Being that our chapel is a 24hour chapel,we also have a security code.
It seemed to me ProVobis was lamenting the fact that the code isn’t available to adorers without chasing down someone ,so the opportunity for a spontaneous visit is pretty much a non event.

I can appreciate someone’s frustration over not knowing the security code the FIRST time they are forced to turn away from the Adoration Chapel.

But if it happens again–totally their fault.

They need to stop bemoaning the good ol’ days when we didn’t have to worry about criminals who would happily attack people in a chapel, and go to the parish office and get the security code and start using it regularly.

Problem solved.

Maybe we need to stop living as “spontaneous Christians” and do a little planning and develop the discipline to carry out those plans.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I can appreciate someone’s frustration over not knowing the security code the FIRST time they are forced to turn away from the Adoration Chapel.

But if it happens again–totally their fault.

They need to stop bemoaning the good ol’ days when we didn’t have to worry about criminals who would happily attack people in a chapel, and go to the parish office and get the security code and start using it regularly.

Problem solved.

Maybe we need to stop living as “spontaneous Christians” and do a little planning and develop the discipline to carry out those plans.

The protocol in our parish re the AC security code is that unless one is a scheduled adorer with an assigned hour,the code is not known to all.Having said that,my experience is the doors are unlocked during the daytime,so anyone cen enter without knowing the code.

 

[Lormar]

I’m speaking here only for myself, but it isn’t easy believing that Our Lord is truly present there. It’s one of the hardest things for me to believe, and I often pray “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” It is an act of my will to have faith in the Real Presence.

Frankly, I see no evidence that many Catholics do believe. Week after week I watch Catholics act as if they have no idea Who is in the Blessed Sacrament. He is completely ignored and treated with shameful disrespect.

So, I think this is a good answer to your question as to why there aren’t lines of people entering Adoration Chapels.

It is unfortunate, and I personally believe that an hour spent before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and adoration would be more to help our suffering world than anything else.

 

[Lormar]

I’m speaking here only for myself, but it isn’t easy believing that Our Lord is truly present there. It’s one of the hardest things for me to believe, and I often pray “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” It is an act of my will to have faith in the Real Presence.

Frankly, I see no evidence that many Catholics do believe. Week after week I watch Catholics act as if they have no idea Who is in the Blessed Sacrament. He is completely ignored and treated with shameful disrespect.

So, I think this is a good answer to your question as to why there aren’t lines of people entering Adoration Chapels.

It is unfortunate, and I personally believe that an hour spent before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and adoration would be more to help our suffering world than anything else.

You don’t get much time to edit here.

That last sentence should read: "…would do more to help our suffering world…:.

 

[ronh4]

I’m speaking here only for myself, but it isn’t easy believing that Our Lord is truly present there. It’s one of the hardest things for me to believe, and I often pray “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” It is an act of my will to have faith in the Real Presence.

Frankly, I see no evidence that many Catholics do believe. Week after week I watch Catholics act as if they have no idea Who is in the Blessed Sacrament. He is completely ignored and treated with shameful disrespect.

So, I think this is a good answer to your question as to why there aren’t lines of people entering Adoration Chapels.

It is unfortunate, and I personally believe that an hour spent before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and adoration would be more to help our suffering world than anything else.

We can only hope that Catholics do learn about Adoration. If you go He will be with you. I like your response.

 

[godisgood77]

I think that one earlier post hit on this point…I believe that Eurcharistic Adoration doesn’t draw a larger participation is because people encounter God in different ways. Adoration simply isn’t a primary devotional practice for many/most Catholics. After all, the Church did not have this practice for hundreds and hundreds of years an managed just fine. This does not make a person more or less devout, just different.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I think that one earlier post hit on this point…I believe that Eurcharistic Adoration doesn’t draw a larger participation is because people encounter God in different ways. Adoration simply isn’t a primary devotional practice for many/most Catholics. After all, the Church did not have this practice for hundreds and hundreds of years an managed just fine. This does not make a person more or less devout, just different.

Probably a lot of truth in your statement.I think one has to be drawn to this devotion by the Holy Spirit. I became a scheduled adorer almost six years ago.What I am finding is that I now have a desire to be with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament even on days when I am not scheduled to be there.

 

[twf]

We have to remember that the Church doesn’t require devotional Eucharistic Adoration of anyone. It is an optional devotional practice. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful and powerful practice, but as others have noted it wasn’t widely practiced in the Church until relatively late in her history (high middle ages if memory serves) and it never caught on in the East. That being said, all of us are called to adore Christ in the Eucharist during the holy sacrifice of the mass…the liturgy, the mass, is the height of our spiritual lives, and thus I believe that this is the most important form of Eucharistic Adoration…kneeling in adoration and love as the consecration occurs on the altar…kneeling in adoration as we receive Him in Holy Communion (the kneeling part may or may not be literal depending on your parish!)…kneeling in adoration as we return to the pew.
I’ve also noticed that in a lot of parishes the faithful will go before the tabernacle and kneel in prayerful adoration for a time after mass. The Host may not be exposed, but this is still true adoration.

 

[Jeanne_S]

We have to remember that the Church doesn’t require devotional Eucharistic Adoration of anyone. It is an optional devotional practice. It is, without a doubt, a beautiful and powerful practice, but as others have noted it wasn’t widely practiced in the Church until relatively late in her history (high middle ages if memory serves) and it never caught on in the East. That being said, all of us are called to adore Christ in the Eucharist during the holy sacrifice of the mass…the liturgy, the mass, is the height of our spiritual lives, and thus I believe that this is the most important form of Eucharistic Adoration…kneeling in adoration and love as the consecration occurs on the altar…kneeling in adoration as we receive Him in Holy Communion (the kneeling part may or may not be literal depending on your parish!)…kneeling in adoration as we return to the pew.
I’ve also noticed that in a lot of parishes the faithful will go before the tabernacle and kneel in prayerful adoration for a time after mass. The Host may not be exposed, but this is still true adoration.

The graces one receives from spending time before the Blessed Sacrament are transformative.I have experienced this personally. As you mentioned,while not mandatory,taking the time to make Adoration an integral part of ones prayer life benefits not only that individual but the Chruch as a whole.It has been noted that in parishes where there is an active 24hour adoration chapel,the Holy Spirit is alive.This is evident in my parish for sure.I also believe that if more Catholics would come to love Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,spend time with Him reglarly,our world as a whole would be a better place.

 

[twf]

The graces one receives from spending time before the Blessed Sacrament are transformative.I have experienced this personally. As you mentioned,while not mandatory,taking the time to make Adoration an integral part of ones prayer life benefits not only that individual but the Chruch as a whole.It has been noted that in parishes where there is an active 24hour adoration chapel,the Holy Spirit is alive.This is evident in my parish for sure.I also believe that if more Catholics would come to love Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,spend time with Him reglarly,our world as a whole would be a better place.

I don’t doubt it. But the Holy Spirit is also very active in parishes with reverent, solid liturgy and an emphasis on the sacrifice of the mass. The sacrifice of the mass is the height of everything the Church does - that is Church doctrine…nothing, no matter how good, can take its place. If Eucharistic Adoration isn’t rooted in a healthy liturgical life, the parish will suffer.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I don’t doubt it. But the Holy Spirit is also very active in parishes with reverent, solid liturgy and an emphasis on the sacrifice of the mass. The sacrifice of the mass is the height of everything the Church does - that is Church doctrine…nothing, no matter how good, can take its place. If Eucharistic Adoration isn’t rooted in a healthy liturgical life, the parish will suffer.

Yes,the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith!I am in no way implying that Eucharistic Adoration is a substitute for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.My feelings are that regular Eucharistic Adoration is an extension of the adoration we give Our Lord by participating in the Mass

 

[Brendan_64]

This thought came to me this morning while in Adoration.
What do you think?

Because many clergy don’t lead by example.

And how often is the importance of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament preached from the pulpit? It’s a bit like Confession really.