12 Reasons for Adoration

Why Adoration?

The following 12 Biblical reasons help us understand the value, the importance and the need of spending one hour each week with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

1. He is really there! "I Myself am the Living Bread come down from heaven." (Jn. 6:35) Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because of His infinite love for you!

2. "Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world," because "I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is my affection for you." (Mt 8:20; Jer. 31:3)

3. The specific way that Jesus asks you to love Him in return is to spend one quiet hour with Him each week in the Blessed Sacrament. "Where your treasure is, there is your heart..." "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" (Mt 6:21; 26:40)

4. When you look upon the Sacred Host, you look upon Jesus, the Son of God. "Indeed, this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day." (Jn. 6:40)

5. Each moment that you spend in His Eucharistic Presence will increase His Divine life within you and deepen your personal relationship and friendship with Him. "I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly." "I am the Vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in union with Me shall bear much fruit for without Me, you can do nothing." (Jn. 10:10;15:5)

6. Each hour you spend with Jesus will deepen His Divine peace within your heart. "Come to Me all of you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you..." "Cast all of your anxieties upon the Lord, who cares for you." "My Peace is My Gift to you." (Mt 11:28; 1 Pt 5:7; Jn. 14:17)

7. Jesus will give you all the graces you need to be happy in life. "The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water." (Rev 7:17) Jesus is infinitely deserving of our unceasing thanksgiving and adoration for all He has done for our salvation. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, glory and praise." (Rev 5:12)

8. For peace in our country! "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. " (2 Ch. 7:14)

9. Each hour you spend with Jesus on earth will leave your soul everlastingly more beautiful and glorious in heaven. "They who humble themselves shall be exalted..." "All of us, gazing on the Lord's glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image." (Lk. 18:14; 2 Cor. 3:18)

10. Jesus will bless you, your family and the whole world for this hour of faith you spend with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. "Blessed are they who do not see and yet believe..." "Faith can move mountains..." "What is needed is trust..." "Behold I come to make all things new." (Jn. 20:29: Mk 11:23; Mk 5:36; Rev. 21:5)

11. Each moment you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament brings joy, pleasure and delight to His Sacred Heart! "My joy, My pleasure, My delight is to be with you." (Prov. 8:31)

12. Jesus will spend all eternity thanking you and loving you in heaven for your faithful commitment on earth of spending one hour each week with Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

Mother Teresa had the following to say:
I make a Holy hour each day in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. All my sisters of the Missionaries of Charity make a daily holy hour, as well, because we find that through our daily holy hour our love for Jesus becomes more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, and our love for the poor more compassionate. Our holy hour is our daily family prayer where we get together and pray the Rosary before the exposed Blessed Sacrament the first half hour, and the second half hour we pray in silence. Our adoration has doubled the number of our vocations. In 1963 we were making a weekly holy hour together, but it was not until 1973, when we began our daily holy hour that our community started to grow and blossom.

Wherever I travel and wherever I go, I carry this prayer and meditation book with me because it is a constant source of light and inspiration for me. It has become my daily companion. Loving Jesus with the Heart of Mary is my daily prayer and meditation book. It is a most beautiful book because each page helps us to see ever more clearly how much Jesus loves us in the Blessed Sacrament. I recommend Loving Jesus with the Heart of Mary and Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament to everyone I meet. I would like the whole world to read these books to help everyone realize that Jesus wants all of us to come to Him in the Blessed Sacrament. He is really there in Person waiting just for you. I have already given an individual copy of Loving Jesus with the Heart of Mary to all my sisters, and I am sending a copy of Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament to each of our houses throughout the world because I want my sisters to absorb the deeply rich, and yet, simple to understand Eucharistic spirituality that these books contain. It is all there; everything is in it. That is why I encourage you to use this book also, so that through Mary, the cause of our joy, you may discover that no where on earth are you more welcomed, no where on earth are you more loved, than by Jesus, living and truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven, and will help bring about an everlasting peace on earth.

When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now. This is why you should ask your parish priest to have perpetual adoration in your parish. I beg the Blessed Mother to touch the hearts of all parish priests that they may have perpetual Eucharistic adoration in their parishes, and that it may spread throughout the entire world.

God Bless You, Mother Teresa

Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

In an earlier post this week, I had mentioned that Adoration was going to be one of my top priorities. I decided to write a series dedicated to the practice of Adoration, as I believe it is one of the most accessible ways a Catholic has to be near to Jesus in prayer.

What is Adoration? It is the practice of spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, which is Jesus. Catholics believe that during the Consecration, the Host becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus. The Host is kept in a Monstrance, which looks like this:

Our parish has Adoration on Thursdays. Some parishes have perpetual Adoration, where the Blessed Sacrament is always kept company by at least two people around the clock.

The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament are a group of religious women who have dedicated their lives to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The Katharine Drexel shrine is the first place I encountered Adoration. This is a beautiful place and worthy of a post all of its own. (another installment, tba!)

What do you do during Adoration? You can pray the Rosary, read devotionals, or just talk to Jesus as you would a friend. Or you can just sit silently. Many people do a combination of these. The most important thing to remember is that you are spending time with Jesus and His Real Presence in the Eucharist.

Last week, as I looked around the Church and counted five other souls present, I was thankful that Jesus left us a way to be near to Him. I thought that if Jesus were standing there in the flesh, certainly I would not be able to get within miles of Him. But here, in the Blessed Sacrament, I can approach Him without the throngs of people who need visual evidence. My eyes of faith tell me that He is right here!

(from the Medjugorje website:)

Twelve Biblical Reasons for Spending Time in front of the Blessed Sacrament

1. He is really there!"I myself Am the Living Bread come down from Heaven." (Jn 6:35)

2. Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because of his Infinite love for you!"Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world," because "I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is My affection for you." (Mt 28:20; Jer 31:3)

3. The specific way that Jesus asks you to love Him in return is to spend one quiet hour with Him in the Blessed Sacrament."Where your treasure is, there is your heart...." "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" (Mt 6:21; 26:40)

4. When you look upon the Sacred Host, you look upon Jesus, the Son of God."Indeed, this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day." (Jn 6:40)

5. Each moment that you spend in His Eucharistic Presence will increase His Divine Life within you and deepen your personal relationship and friendship with Him."I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly." "I am the Vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and I in Him shall bear much fruit because without Me, you can do nothing." (Jn 15:5)

6. Each hour you spend with Jesus will deepen His Divine Peace in your heart."Come to Me all of you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you..." "Cast all of you anxieties upon the One who cares for you..." "My Peace is My Gift to you." (Mt 11:28; 5:7; Jn 14:17)

7. Jesus will give you all the Graces you need to be happy!"The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water." (Rev 7:17)

8. Jesus is infinitely deserving of our unceasing thanksgiving and adoration for all He has done for our salvation."Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, glory and praise." (Rev. 5:12)

9. For Peace in our country!"When My people humble themselves and seek My Presence... I will revive their land." (2Chr 7:14)

10. Each hour you spend with Jesus on earth will leave your soul everlastingly more beautiful and glorious in heaven!"They who humble themselves shall be exalted...." "All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image." (Lk 18:14; 2Cor 3:18)

11. Jesus will bless you, your family and the whole world for this hour of faith you spend with Him in the Blessed Sacrament."Blessed are they who do not see and yet believe..." "Faith can move mountains..." " What is needed is trust... " "Behold I come to make all things new." (Jn 20:29; Mk 11:23; Mk 5:36; Rev 21:5)

12. Each moment you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament brings joy, pleasure, and delight to His Sacred Heart!"My joy, My pleasure, My delight is to be with you." (Prov 8:31)

Eucharistic Adoration By: Pope John Paul II
I encourage Christians regularly to visit Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament, for we are all called to abide in the presence of God. In contemplation, Christians will perceive ever more profoundly the mystery at the heart of Christian life.
Teach young people the value of Eucharistic Adoration.
I urge priests, religious and lay people to continue and redouble their efforts to teach the younger generations the meaning and value of Eucharistic adoration and devotion. How will young people be able to know the Lord if they are not introduced to the mystery of His presence? Like the young Samuel, by learning the words of the prayer of the heart, they will be closer to the Lord, who will accompany them in their spiritual and human growth. The Eucharistic mystery is in fact the "summit of evangelization" (Lumen Gentium) for it is the most eminent testimony to Christ’s resurrection.