Catholics believe that after the consecration at Mass the bread and wine have become the Body and Blood of Christ, and that he remains present in the consecrated Hosts kept in the tabernacle. Adoration is simply spending time with him there. Some parishes have an adoration chapel open around the clock; many hold set hours of exposition, when a Host is placed in a monstrance on the altar; and every Catholic church allows a quiet visit to the tabernacle whenever it is open. Nothing is expected of a first-time visitor except reverence and quiet. This guide explains what you will see and what to do.

What you need

• A parish with an adoration chapel or scheduled exposition (the website or bulletin will say), or any open Catholic church
• Twenty or thirty minutes
• Optionally a Bible, a rosary or a prayer book; none is required

When to pray it

Whenever a church is open; adoration chapels often welcome visitors at any hour. Exposition is commonly held after a weekday Mass, on Thursday evenings, on First Fridays and during Lent.

Steps

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   Step 1: Know what you will see: exposition or the tabernacle

   In a chapel of exposition you will see a consecrated Host in a monstrance, a gold stand with a glass window, on the altar, often with candles burning; people are kneeling or sitting in silence. In an ordinary church the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle, a locked box on or behind the altar, marked by a lamp (usually red) burning nearby. In both cases Christ is truly present, and the same reverence is due.

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   Step 2: Enter in silence and genuflect

   Enter quietly, bless yourself with holy water if there is a font, and before taking a seat genuflect on your right knee toward the monstrance or the tabernacle, saying inwardly: 'My Lord and my God.' A single genuflection is the Church's norm before the Blessed Sacrament, exposed or reserved; some kneel on both knees before the exposed Sacrament by older custom, and either is fine. If you cannot genuflect, a deep bow is right.

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   Step 3: Choose where to sit and settle

   Sit or kneel anywhere you can see the monstrance or tabernacle; there are no reserved places. Put your bag down, silence your phone, and make the Sign of the Cross▾. If a rosary or a prayer book is being used by others, that is their prayer; yours can be entirely silent. Give yourself a full minute of stillness before you try to pray anything.

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   Step 4: Simply be present

   The heart of adoration is being with him, not producing prayers. Look at the Host and let the truth sink in: this is Jesus, who said 'I am with you always.' Tell him why you have come, in a sentence. Then stay. When your mind wanders, and it will, come back with a word: 'Jesus', or 'You are here.' An Act of Faith▾ may help: 'O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons... I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead.'

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   Step 5: Pray in whatever way helps

   If silence is hard at first, use a structure. Read a Gospel passage slowly, perhaps John 6 or the Emmaus story (Luke 24:13-35), and speak to him about it. Pray a decade or five of the Rosary. Pray the Adoro Te Devote▾ of Saint Thomas Aquinas ('Godhead here in hiding▾, whom I do adore'), or the Anima Christi▾ ('Soul of Christ▾, sanctify me'). Bring him the people you love by name. Any of these is adoration; all of them lead back to silence.

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   Step 6: If Benediction is given

   At the end of a period of exposition a priest or deacon may give Benediction. You will hear the Tantum Ergo▾ sung; kneel for it. He blesses the people with the monstrance, in silence, while bells may be rung: bow your head. Then the Divine Praises▾ are usually said together ('Blessed be God. Blessed be his holy Name...'), and the Host is returned to the tabernacle while a hymn is sung. Join in as you can; a printed card is often in the pew.

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   Step 7: Leave quietly

   When you are ready to go, thank him briefly, stand, genuflect toward the Sacrament again, and leave in silence. If the Sacrament is exposed and you are the only person present, wait until someone else arrives before leaving; the Church asks that the exposed Sacrament never be left unattended. Do not worry if the visit felt dry or awkward; it counted.

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   Step 8: Come back regularly

   Adoration bears fruit in habit. Choose a realistic rhythm: fifteen minutes on the way home from work, half an hour on Saturday, a weekly hour in an adoration chapel. Many parishes ask for a committed weekly hour in their chapel, which is a good way to make it stick. Over time the silence that felt empty becomes the part of the week you most look forward to.

Tips

• There is no wrong way to adore, but there are a few conventions: silence, a genuflection on entering and leaving, and never leaving the exposed Sacrament alone if you are the only one there.
• If you are not Catholic, you are welcome. Sit quietly and pray as you can.
• Dress as you would for Mass. Silence your phone before you enter.
• Come back. Adoration is a habit that grows quiet and deep with repetition.

Related devotions

• Eucharistic Adoration
• The Holy Hour

Related practices

• Contemplative Prayer