Church of the Little Flower
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a time we take to worship the true God in the person of Jesus Christ who is really, truly present in body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearance of the consecrated host.
Catholics usually make what is known as a holy hour to honor Jesus' heartfelt request to His closest disciples during His lonely agony in the garden, "Could you not spend one hour with me?"
Be in the presence of Jesus and look at Him. The catechism of the Catholic Church tells the beautiful short story of St. John Vianney who was amazed that one of his parishioners would spend such long hours in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He said to him, “What do you do in adoration?” The man simply responded, “I look at Him and He looks at me.”
Join us on the First Fridays after 9 am Mass until 10:30 am
Questions, contact: adoration.lf@gmail.com
“Indeed, our hearts grow sickly whenever our desires coincide merely with our needs. God, on the other hand, elevates our desires; he purifies them and heals them of selfishness, opening them to love for him and for our brothers and sisters. This is why we should not neglect adoration, that prayer of silent adoration which is not so common among us. Please let us not forget adoration.”
Pope Francis
Here are the dates for the first Fridays of the month:
2024
Jul 5 Aug 2 Sep 6 Oct 4 Nov 1 Dec 6
2025
Jan 3 Feb 7 Mar 7 Apr 4 May 2 Jun 6
Jul 4 Aug 1 Sep 5 Oct 3 Nov 7 Dec 5
Four Practical Tips for a More Fruitful Time in Adoration
From an article in “St. Joseph’s Shelf” by Amber Kinloch & Vir Christi
1) Cultivate a period of silence - At the start of Adoration settle yourself for prayer. Don’t look around to see who is there. Center your whole mind on Jesus. Just be present to your Creator for a few minutes.
2) Be aware of your physical posture, posture helps our focus - Since we are composed of body and soul, what we do with our bodies affects our souls. If you feel yourself dozing and you are unable to kneel or sit for more than a few minutes, get up and walk in the back of the church.
3) Take time to say goodbye - Thank Jesus for the time you have spent with Him. Take your time saying goodbye perhaps with a period of silence or a certain prayer. Take some time to carry the silence and peace with you into the world.
4) Make a commitment to return to Adoration - Although God is everywhere, He is physically present in the Eucharist. As we all know physical presence matters. He longs not just for a spiritual union with us, even a physical one. Simply to be in His presence, even without receiving Him in Holy Communion, gives graces to us that can never be matched by mere spiritual presence.