What is adoration and why should I take the time to do it? Good question.
We Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the true presence of Christ. When you go to “adoration”, you are truly in the presence of God. The purpose is to pause, pray, and be with God.
In Catholic churches all around the world, there is perpetual adoration at some parishes (24/7) or maybe just on certain days of the week- like the first Friday of the month. Jesus is not left alone, there is always one (or more) adorers with Him.
I began going to adoration on a regular basis after a church retreat nine years ago. I share it with a group of ladies and we each go once a month. For the first two (or three) years, we had a midnight to 1am time and it was difficult to stay awake. I will say that I did have some very peaceful moments late at night.
Now I have an evening time, and some nights, it’s a little too busy for me, with lots of people coming and going. I have to remember that the people who are coming in, need the quiet too. The hour flies by, and I appreciate the silence of being able to pray with no distractions (except the ones in my head).
Let’s be real. There are weeks where I just don’t want to go. I’m busy, it makes a long day, etc., etc. I can make tons of excuses. It always comes at just the right time, often when I have a decision to make or I am struggling with something. The peace and quiet helps me focus, and I leave a better version of myself than when I arrived.
Have you spent any time in Adoration lately? Just hanging out with Jesus and being quiet? I encourage you to find a church with adoration and stop in this week. It doesn’t have to be for a whole hour. Don’t have a church nearby? Believe it or not, you can tune into perpetual adoration on the internet. I did that during covid when church was closed.
What if you are not Catholic? In essence, adoration is about prayer time with God. You don’t have to be in a church to do that. You can choose a time and a place to be still and listen to God. I am going to adore (pray) this week, what about you?
