Always Advent

I just got back from the annual Holy Thursday Eucharistic Chapel Hopping thing that the children and I have done for the past 3 years: right after the Holy Thursday mass, one stops at the altar of reposition at Church for a few moments of adoration, then travels to a number of different Eucharistic chapels throughout the area, stopping by each one for a brief time, then moving on to the next one.

The total number of chapels one visits is either nine or seven (not sure why, but I suppose nine is for a novena.) This year we did the pilgrimage with a family with two very small children, so we only did three stops (which we said was for the Trinity!)

Has anyone else ever kept this yearly custom? Where did it start? Why nine chapels? Or seven? Or whatever your custom dictates?

The first year we did it, one of the kids complained a bit that she was tired.

“That’s the point,” I replied.

“It is?” she said, perplexed.

“When Jesus asked his apostles ‘Could you not watch one hour with me?’ they fell asleep because they were tired. The point is for us to be tired and offer that time for Jesus.”

Kind of a variation on the Eucharistic Holy Hour, but in motion. A very kid friendly activity, because it appeals to short attention spans.

I love seeing how the various parishes set up their Eucharistic altars. Our favorite one EVER was a nearby parish that placed the altar and the blessed sacrament in a tent made of thin netting, and placed desert-themed plants and decorations around it, then put a harpist there playing beautiful music throughout the adoration period. We didn’t want to leave!

Our pastor taught us this little prayer (which he says the nuns taught him as a child):

I have found Him whom my soul loves.
I will hold Him, and never let Him go.
(based on Song of Songs 3: 4)

The nuns as his school growing up taught the kids to say this prayer during the elevations of the host and chalice.

I usually save this one for when I return to my seat after receiving Holy Communion, because the one I learned to say at the elevations is:

My Lord and my God!
(at the elevation of the host)

and

My Jesus, mercy.
(at the elevation of the chalice)

I have a friend who’s a Dominican priest, and when he was in seminary he started praying the Divine Praises after communion. My kids and I recite these together right after Mass–they’re usually right there in the inside back cover of the missalette, although by now we’ve pretty much memorized them. One of the kids or myself leads them, out loud but quietly, and the others repeat each line.

These are all excellent ways of increasing your devotion to Jesus, especially in the Holy Eucharist and for keeping your focus on Him during the Mass.

Note: these prayer practices are not approved for public liturgical use–they’re just prayers I and my children say as private devotions.

10. Silence is good for you.
We live in a noisy culture. Telephones, faxes, TV, radio and video games are typical sources of auditory noise. But newspapers and computer screens also “scream” headlines at us, the books we read speak to our inner ears—modern Americans are deluged with sound and information from every direction. It is necessary to frequently turn everything off and tune everything out and just be quiet. “You can learn more in an hour of silence than in a year from books.” (Matthew Kelly)

9. Solitude is good for you.
Busy moms and dads especially need some regular time away from the demands of work and family life, just to collect our thoughts, take a deep breath, and put things into perspective. Some “down time” that’s really down time (no errands, no computer, no music, no shopping malls—just alone-time with Jesus) is beneficial to people whose calendars are normally packed with activities and commitments.

8. God will give you increased understanding.
We will never fully understand the spiritual mysteries, such as the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the Eucharist itself – that’s why they’re called mysteries. But if we spend time in adoration reflecting on these and other mysteries of the faith and passages from scripture, God will help us to understand them better.

7. Going to adoration shows Jesus that you love him.
Making the effort to leave your house and go to the adoration chapel is a way to show Jesus you love him more than your comfy bed, more than your family and friends, more than your other hobbies or other forms of enjoyment, and so on. It shows that we are willing to put God first.

6. Jesus wants to be with you in this special way.
If he didn’t want to be this close to us, he wouldn’t have instituted this sacrament. Going to adoration is doing what Jesus asks: “Could you not watch one hour with me?” By this question he expressed his desire for us to “keep him company”—just to be with him.

5. You will gain clarity and direction in your life.
Many people discern vocations to the priesthood, religious life, or to marriage through time spent before Our Eucharistic Lord. Problems in your life may be viewed with better perspective or you may think of a solution. Some problems will develop into opportunities or may simply resolve. You may find yourself able to be more patient with certain troublesome people, or able to overcome a temptation, kick a bad habit, or start a good one.

4. Adoration is an excellent way to do penance.
Making reparation for sin is an age-old Catholic practice. Watch the news or read the paper and you’ll find plenty to make reparation for. Sins against God range from cold indifference to outright hatred, violence, blasphemy: you name it. Spending time in adoration is a good way to make reparation for the sins of the world, and for your own sins.

3. Intercessory prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is particularly effective.
Intercessory prayer is praying for your own needs and especially for the needs of others. Pray for the conversion of people in the world who are separated from Christ, either by their own stubborn attachment to sin, or because of the culture they live in, or because of prejudice against Christians, or whatever the reason. Pray for peace in the world, peace in your home. Pray for an end to the terrible scourge of abortion. Pray for an increase in the virtue of chastity in the Church and in the world. The list of concerns you can bring before the Lord is almost endless.

2. You receive grace.
When you go to adoration, receive Jesus’s love and allow him to make the changes in you that will lead to greater personal holiness. Bask in his presence, soaking up rays of grace the way you soak up rays of sunlight (except that this kind of “Son” bathing has no harmful side effects!) What happens in adoration is usually undetectable by our emotions and intellect because it takes place at the level of our spirit. The effects of this time with Jesus, however, are usually detectable after a time, if you are paying attention. You are a work in progress, and God is always “tinkering” with you, like a sculptor chiseling away at his masterpiece.

1. Adoration is Heaven on earth.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament gives us a chance to practice on earth what we hope for in heaven, which is to be with Jesus forever in a mutual exchange of love. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our Catholic faith: the consecrated Host is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The fullness of God is there in the same room with us when we go to adoration. Reflecting on this may help us to appreciate even more that the God of the universe actually comes to dwell within us when we receive Holy Communion. What could be better than that?

Links

The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association
http://www.therealpresence.org/

The Community of St. John
http://www.communityofstjohn.com