There are many differences between Roman Catholics and our Protestant friends. Protestants, with their numerous denominations, even differ greatly amongst themselves in their theology, style of worship, and liturgy. Throughout the ages many Protestant theologians have introduced their own personal belief systems and their private interpretations of scripture.
This essentially guarantees that division amongst Protestant Christians will be perpetual in nature. Miraculously, the Roman Catholic Church has remained the one unified Church that can legitimately claim to be completely founded by Jesus Christ. I simply ask to remember the words of the resurrected Christ as he proclaimed,“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church.” Due to this fact we Catholics have access to many resources, tools, and weapons to combat evil on Earth that sadly our Protestant friends chose to disregard as superstition.
This puts us at an advantage in the unseen but very real spiritual warfare that wages on as it has throughout time. One of my favorite weapons that we Catholics have by our side that other Christian denominations do not have is Eucharistic Adoration. Recently, I have actively participated in Eucharistic Adoration at my Parish. Having a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration group is relatively new for my Parish and in its infancy. At first I was hesitant, but in time this Holy Hour has become a necessity in my life for several reasons.
The initial reason for my participation in Eucharistic Adoration is evangelization. My Parish, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, is in a unique place in the world geographically speaking. As a large and beautiful Catholic Church with a rich history, it is located in Henderson, Kentucky. Henderson is located in what is ironically called the “Bible Belt.” “The Bible Belt” is the description often used for the geographical southeastern portion of the United States. The
phrase “Bible Belt” indicates and implies that this is “Protestant Country,” of course overlooking the fact that The Holy Bible would not exist without the Catholic Church. Ironic isn’t it?
We at Holy Name of Jesus find ourselves “behind enemy lines” so to speak. One can easily browse national and global news outlets today that will report that The Church is gaining many converts to Catholicism in almost every other portion of the country. Mainstream media will report that the 2026 Easter Season may have been one of the most successful Easters in terms of evangelization and recruitment for many dioceses across our great country. I have not personally seen this phenomenon in this part of the United States unfortunately.
While attempting to not be discouraged by this, I continue on diligently with my Catholic faith. However, since attending Eucharistic Adoration my participation has often come up in casual conversation with many people in my personal life. Family, co-workers, friends, even complete strangers have approached me to ask about what this Holy Hour is. What do you do? How many days a week do you attend? Why do you do it? My participation in Holy Hour has sparked curiosity in Catholicism from those who feel that the church that they currently attend is no longer serving
their lives or their relationship with God.
A few of these individuals have never been a member of any church of any denomination but are discerning. Often times, these same people will later approach me with more questions about the Catholic faith. Questions about the teachings, the theology, the beliefs, and the rich history of The Holy Church fill our conversations that are usually very fruitful and mutually beneficial. Eucharistic Adoration is essentially the catalyst for these conversations that I have enjoyed having in recent months. Have I successfully converted anyone to Catholicism at the date of this writing? No. Will I? Time will tell.
However, the fact that people are approaching me with questions is gratifying and I hope and pray that it continues.
I feel that Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers puts it best when he says in his book Behold The Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality, “The Eucharist is not just important to evangelization ; the Eucharist is evangelization. ” Adoration is essential if my local Catholic community wants to grow not only in numbers, but also spiritually.
A second reason that I attend Eucharistic Adoration is fairly straight forward. It is an hour that allows me to slow my life down. I believe that the entire world, particularly those here in the United States, have never been busier than we are now in current times. We find ourselves as a society overwhelmed by day to day life at times. Never before has society been in such a rush.
The list of things that fill our days is endless. Most of us have careers, school, children, financial anxieties, health worries for ourselves or loved ones, etc. It seems everyone is too busy to simply slow down for just one hour a week to have a conversation with God and be still. We all usually have to put in shifts at work, make sure our kids are getting to the activities that they participate in, make sure food is prepared, laundry folded, homework finished, possibly even work a second job to make ends meet all while trying to maintain a social life and be healthy physically and
mentally.
Sadly, it is difficult for most Americans to involve their relationship with God in their everyday lives. It can seem impossible at times and we find ourselves being physically and mentally exhausted er even feeling totally defeated. I feel at ease every time I attend Adoration as I literally sit in the presence of Christ. There is a certain peace that you find within yourself in this quiet chapel sitting alone with the Eucharist.
It is quite humbling to be entirely honest. It is so amazing that anyone, regardless of their life history and the sins that weigh them down, can be in the presence of Our Lord at anytime. We are all sinners and can literally be in front of Jesus
even though we are not deserving to be in His presence. It is during Adoration that I can fit in both formal and informal prayers, be still, and slow my life down if only for an hour a week. If you find yourself in need of a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I urge you to grab your rosary or your Bible and sit before Christ for just an hour. I am confident that it will improve your own personal relationship with Christ in every aspect.
Finally, the most important reason that I attend Adoration at Holy Name of Jesus is to have a literal conversation with the present Christ and ask for His forgiveness. Some of the most important and difficult conversations that I have had with Jesus in my life have occurred in this chapel kneeling before the literal Body of Christ. It is in this chapel that I have forgiven those individuals who have done detestable things towards me in my life.
We all have past traumas and scenarios where we were treated poorly, were deceived, or have been treated unjustly in our lives. I believe that sometimes this is a part of our temporal punishment for our sins. I have also asked for the healing of these same individuals that have hurt me in the past thus healing myself from these occurrences where I was wronged. I have also held long conversations with Christ about my own sins and wrongdoings and have asked for and received His forgiveness. I have asked for forgiveness for the scenarios in my own life where I was villainous, deceitful and hurtful towards others. I have been totally transparent about my transgressions against my fellow man, conversing directly to Christ about the horrible things I have done during my lifetime.
It is also during these conversations with Christ that I have asked for forgiveness for the times that I was not the person that needed to be. I, like all of us, have failed numerous times as a son, a father, a partner, a friend, even as an employee. Eucharistic Adoration has allowed me to ask Christ for both atonement and direction during these difficult times and in addressing my past. I implore my fellow Catholics to consider giving Eucharistic Adoration at their parish a try.
If your parish does not currently have a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration group, ask your parish priest to prayerfully consider creating one. It is truly amazing how just an hour a week can entirely change your perspective and outlook on life. I am confident that Eucharistic Adoration will in time become the most important sixty minutes that you look forward to. It is quite possible that you find yourself attending multiple times a week. In short, go to Holy Hour for the
same reason that you go to Mass. Go not because you are perfect…but because you are not.
Bibliography
Burke-Sivers, Deacon Harold. Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision Of Male Spirituality. Ignatius Press, 2015
