Adoration
How to Make a Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
Eucharistic Adoration · 7 steps
A short daily visit to Jesus in the tabernacle: finding an open church, greeting him, adoring, thanking, asking and repenting, a brief prayer, and leaving in peace.
7 steps · About 10 minutes
A visit to the Blessed Sacrament is the simplest Eucharistic devotion: a few minutes, on the way to or from work or errands, in any church where the tabernacle lamp is burning. The Catechism, quoting Saint Paul VI, calls it a proof of gratitude, an expression of love and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord. Saint Alphonsus Liguori wrote a famous little book of Visits, and Saint John Paul II confessed the pleasure of spending time with the Lord in this way. No method is required; this guide gives one, built on the four ends of prayer, that fits in ten minutes.
What you need
- A Catholic church that is open during the day; many are, and adoration chapels usually are
- Five to ten minutes
- Nothing else; a rosary or a short prayer book is optional
When to pray it
Daily if you can, at the same hour so that it becomes a habit: before work, at lunch, or on the way home. Saint Alphonsus recommends a visit each day, and one to Our Lady at the same time.
Steps
Step 1: Find an open church
Note the churches on your daily routes and learn which are open and when; parish websites and doors usually say. An adoration chapel is ideal, but any church with the sanctuary lamp lit will do. Plan the visit into the day so it is not left to chance: the same church, the same time.
Step 2: Genuflect and greet the Lord
Enter, take holy water, genuflect toward the tabernacle or the monstrance, and kneel in a pew near the front. Greet him as you would a friend you have come to see: 'Jesus, I believe you are here. I have come to be with you for a few minutes.' Saint Alphonsus begins each visit with an act of faith in his presence; make one in your own words.
Step 3: Adore
Spend a moment simply adoring: 'My Lord and my God', or a verse of the (', whom I do adore'). Acknowledge who it is you are kneeling before and let yourself be small and glad.
Step 4: Thank
Thank him for something specific from the last day: a person, a mercy, a piece of good news, the Mass, the fact that you are here. If nothing comes, thank him for the Eucharist itself, and for being findable in a church on an ordinary Tuesday.
Step 5: Ask
Tell him what you need and whom you are worried about, briefly and by name. Ask for the grace you most need today. Pray for the priest of this parish, for someone who is dying, for the person you find hardest to love. A single for each intention keeps it short.
Step 6: Repent
Look quickly at the last day, ask forgiveness for what needs it, and tell him you are sorry: a short or simply 'Lord, have mercy.' If you cannot receive Communion today, make an : 'My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart...'
Step 7: A short prayer, and leave in peace
Close with one prayer said slowly: the (', sanctify me'), a psalm, or a . Ask him to stay with you through the rest of the day. Genuflect and leave without hurry. The visit is over; his company is not.
Tips
- Look for the sanctuary lamp: where it burns, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and the visit is to him.
- Short and daily beats long and occasional. Five minutes is a real visit.
- Say the same thing every day if you like; friends do.
- If the church is locked, ask the parish office when it is open; many will tell you gladly and some will give a code to the adoration chapel.