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The Nuts and Bolts of Adoration

To be fair, we don’t have to go to an adoration chapel to pray in the living presence of the Eucharist. Each time we step foot in a church, the consecrated Eucharist is reposed in the tabernacle (which is why we should always genuflect or bow even if we’re only running in to grab a church bulletin). We can sit and pray in front of Our Lord in the tabernacle any time the church doors are unlocked, and that’s a wonderful alternative if an adoration chapel is not an option at a specific time you want to be in his presence. Of course, you can still use any of this book’s suggestions in front of the tabernacle. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent, outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species” (1379).

Since we’re human, we tend to be visual, so, for me, I feel less connected looking at a tabernacle and thinking about what’s inside compared to actually looking at the Blessed Sacrament exposed. The chapel is also a more intimate setting than a large church, so you immediately have a sense that this is a more personal encounter. Finally, in an adoration chapel, there is less to draw our attention away from the Blessed Sacrament, such as the beautiful stained glass and statues found in churches; therefore, it’s easier to focus intently on Jesus.

You may wonder why communicating with Jesus in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is different from any other time you pray. Isn’t Jesus everywhere? It’s not like he won’t hear you if you’re praying in your bedroom or in the car on the way to work.