Holy Hour Adoration

Every week I take an hour to sit in prayer before the Blessed Body of Christ in our parish Adoration Chapel. It is an exercise with occasional surprises.

Our parish priest calls this a Holy Hour.  He requires it for people involved in certain ministries in the parish – in my case, intercessory prayer during a Mass once a month or so (also in the Adoration Chapel).  And, I must say, it is time well spent.

Contrary To Advice . . .

One thing I have learned is that, for me at least, the often-given advice to clear or empty the mind during adoration is a counterproductive measure.

Most of the time the old Aristotelian maxim that “Nature abhors a vacuum” proves itself with a never-ending stream of distracting, diverting, or raucous thoughts moving in to fill the space. The frequent advice to simply allow such thoughts to rise and fade doesn’t work well for me.  My thoughts rise and lead elsewhere in prolific abundance.

In my case, an empty space is like a bell – thoughts bounce around and clang against the walls and make me tense and rigid.

I should admit that I have a vivid and active imagination and read voraciously.  There is always some recently read book or article bouncing around in my head inviting me to spend more time digesting it, dissecting it, savoring it, or arguing with it.

As a writer, I also find myself drawn to imagining topics for articles or columns.  I even find myself creating dialog for stories, and dreaming up new projects to supplant those I have not yet even begun, let alone finished.

Mine is not an easy mind to empty. Any time I try, it turns into an echo chamber. A single thought or idea just bounces around in my mind like a jet-powered billiard ball endlessly ricocheting from cushion to cushion without ever finding a pocket to sink into.

It can be exhausting.

It May Be Better To Fill Than Empty

For me, at least, it seems to be a better strategy to enter into prayer during adoration.  I ask God to send the Holy Spirit to fill my mind, calm my racing thoughts, and guide me to deeper prayer and meditation. This gives me focus, and something to return to when distracted or disturbed.

Over and over in the Old Testament people have responded to God’s voice by saying “Here am I, Lord.” What better way to invite his presence than by following this formula? It tends to run something like this:

“Here I am again Lord. You know how restless and impatient I am; please accept my physical presence as a sign of my desire to be closer to you, here in the company of your blessed Body.

“If there’s something you need me to do or remember, please make it clear to me and I will make a note of it. But for now, I wish to offer you what I can of my heart and my mind.

“You know what troubles me and worries me; you know my hopes and desires. Help me entrust them to your infinite love so I can just be open to your holy presence.

“Fill me with your presence Lord, pushing aside all my “stuff.”  Send the Holy Spirit to quiet my heart and calm my thoughts, that I may rest in peace with you.”

My First Failure

About now I am likely to begin running through all the thoughts I hope to have stilled; reflexively I try to dampen them down or put them aside. But that rarely works. I flail and thrash about internally until I remember that I am not here to demonstrate my strength and discipline. I am here to throw myself on God’s mercy and cling to the presence of the Host and the generosity of the Holy Spirit.

“Sorry, Lord. There I went again. Thank you for your endless mercy and patience. How about I try the Jesus Prayer and connect it to my breathing?

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

“Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me and upon the whole world.

“Lord Jesus; have mercy…”

My Next Failure

If I start to relax and get into the rhythm of the prayer, my next failure typically comes from becoming aware of my progress. Like a malignant weed springing up after a summer shower, that awareness draws me back into self-awareness and a feeling of self-satisfaction.

“Look at me,” I think, “I’m actually getting someplace.”

From there, of course, it is an effort to put aside my pride and return to my reason for being there. But, that’s if I’m lucky.

A more insidious failure is that as I relax my attention drifts off to writing and I transition into daydreaming about plots and story twists and passages of dialog, all of it more clever and appealing than anything I come up with when actually at the keyboard. This state of mind is so comfortable and entertaining that I sometimes forget my surroundings and purpose in being where I am. I dive into it headfirst until I realize what I am doing and try to shake it off.

This is why many advisors recommend having a notepad and pen or pencil with you for making a note of something that seems important.  This lets you relax in the knowledge that you will not lose the idea or memory while you finish your devotions. “Write it down and come back to it later” is practical and effective advice.

What About Successes?

Not being perfect, it is as impossible for me to fail in my prayers constantly as it would be to constantly succeed. Just being in the Adoration Chapel for an hour every week is a sort of a success – the time has been given and the effort has been made. God has no pride. So, His acceptance of our efforts is not contingent on how close we come to perfection.

In his Epistle to the Galatians (5:22-23), St. Paul lists nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I have certainly experienced peace after a Holy Hour, and sometimes joy both during and after. I would hope that over time my participation in all the gifts has increased from this regular devotion. But this is definitely one of those areas where one is best off not trying to self-measure.

The best of these days come without warning. Sometimes I will begin to pray and breathe, and suddenly the bell carillon is announcing the end of the hour and I have no memory of time passing. This doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does, I leave with a still and comforted heart. Every hour spent wrestling with intrusive thoughts and self accusations; every hour dominated by distractions and diversions; and every hour spent in dry, barren effort suddenly becomes worth it. Persistence has brought me to such a blessing.

Location Isn’t Everything

I am fortunate to belong to a parish with an adoration chapel. In many churches, however,  parishioners sit in the knave of the church to be in the presence of the blessed body. Sometimes they may have to be let in and perhaps even locked in.  This is a sad reality these days that leaving our churches open can invite vandalism and theft. For this reason, it is probably a good idea to communicate with your parish office to find out the adoration protocol.

But you do not have to find an adoration chapel or a church that is open to have a holy hour. You can have a holy hour in your home, in an empty conference room at work, or anywhere you can find reasonable privacy. Where we are when we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit is made holy by God’s response to our invitation. Granted, it may be easier when in the presence of the consecrated Host and surrounded by the symbols and images of our faith. But it is possible anywhere we can dedicate our hearts and minds to prayer and to seeking the presence of God.

I devote time every week for a Holy Hour, but even if you only try it once a year, or perhaps just during Advent or Lent, it is a rewarding exercise that may lead you to a regular practice of adoration of your own. If you decide to begin, I wish you God’s peace and every blessing.

Prayer

Lord, please bless the time we dedicate to you, and give us the Grace to grow and expand that time as you see fit. Open our hearts, soothe our restless minds, and draw our attention to your holy presence both in the reserved sacrament and in the world you have given us to live in. For those moments of peace and unity you do grant us, we give you thanks and praise. Let us hold those times close as a small taste of the bliss of Heaven and your direct presence in your eternal kingdom.
Amen.