From this Saturday, 5 March, Adoration will once again be available at St Joseph and English Martyrs Church. Along with the return of regular Confessions, it will be available every Saturday from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.
Adoration is when the priest “exposes” the Blessed Sacrament (hence its other name – Exposition) on the altar, with the Blessed Sacrament held in a consecrated eucharistic vessel called a monstrance.
St John Paul II said that worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass is of “inestimable value” to the Church. We can be closer to Jesus through eucharistic adoration, which acknowledges the source and summit of our Catholic faith, in that He is entirely present in the Blessed Sacrament.
So why should we participate in eucharistic adoration? Dominican Father Robert Goedert wrote about the urgency in which Catholics must understand how we are different from other Christian beliefs:
In adoration, we are invited to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. We suggest offering prayers of adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and petition while in adoration. Other suggestions include an examination of conscience or perhaps a reflection on a virtue that appeals to you.
In particular, we encourage you to pray for Ukraine and for world peace.
Other ideas include meditative reading, reading about the lives of the saints or praying the Rosary, the Psalms or Liturgy of the Hours,
Alternately, it’s perfectly okay to just to sit quietly and be in God’s presence. Think of the experience as visiting a friend and just enjoy being in His company. This is a good opportunity to listen to what He might be telling you.