Start & Pray Holy Hours

HOW TO START AND MAKE HOLY HOURS OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Pope John Paul II said “I hope that this form of Adoration, with permanent exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, will continue into the future.  Specifically, I hope that the fruit of this Congress results in the establishment of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in all parishes and Christian communities throughout the world.”

We encourage pastors, parishes, Catholic schools, university and college campus chaplaincies, seniors residences, prisons, religious communities and congregations, and prayer groups to begin or increase hours of Eucharistic Adoration.  Everyone – children, teens, youth, young adults, adults and seniors are invited to make regular Holy Hours of prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

MORE DETAILS

The Eucharist

The bread and wine during the Consecration at Mass, “By the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s Body and Blood” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1333).  The consecrated Bread, the Eucharist, in the form of wafers we call Hosts, is the Blessed Sacrament.

The Eucharist is God, Who is the centre of our Faith. The Most Blessed Sacrament is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC, 1324, see https://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/eucha1a.htm).

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

Consecrated Hosts not used in Holy Communion at Mass are kept in a special place, the Tabernacle. A Host can be taken out of the Tabernacle and exposed on the altar in a monstrance, a sacred vessel for public worship, which is called Eucharistic Adoration. Many churches have specific times for adoration.

Adoration is a prayer that flows from the Mass; it does not take the place of Mass. Adoration should always increase our desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist at Mass.

Eucharistic Adoration is an expression of our love for Jesus, Who loves us so much that He never wants to leave us and stays with us day and night in the Blessed Sacrament. He says:  “Behold I am with you always,” because “I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I am constant in My affection for you” (Mt 28:20; Jer 31:3).

Adoration is love and the highest form of worship due to God alone. The same Jesus, Whom we receive in the Eucharist at Mass, is Who we worship in adoration.

“Adoration means entering the depths of our hearts in communion with the Lord, who makes Himself bodily present in the Eucharist. In the monstrance, He always entrusts Himself to us and asks us to be united with His presence with His risen Body” (Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI).

“In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; Eucharistic Adoration is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration” (Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis 66).

Jesus wants this and gives us graces. The Church has asked for it and everyone can participate. Adoration helps us to be more personally involved with God and by spending time with Him, we are able to establish a truly personal relationship with Him.  The Eucharist brings peace to all hearts and to the world.

How to Start a Holy Hour

If there is already an adoration chapel in your parish, then you can do the adoration there by yourself silently or with a group. If you are organizing a group public holy hour with prayers out loud, contact the head coordinator of the chapel to schedule a time. You can sign up to be a regular adorer.

If there is no Eucharistic Adoration already taking place in a chapel at your parish, ask your pastor for permission. A priest, deacon, religious, or if they are not available, someone who has authorization, can expose the Blessed Sacrament.

Code of canon law 943: “The minister of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and of the eucharistic blessing is a priest or deacon. In special circumstances the minister of exposition and deposition alone, but without the blessing, is an acolyte, and extraordinary minister of holy communion, or another person deputed by the local Ordinary, in accordance with the regulations of the diocescan bishop.”

It is more preferable if a priest or deacon is available – they are also able to expose and give Benediction, a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament in the sacred vessel, the Monstrance, at the end of the adoration.  Benediction, however, is not necessary for exposition, adoration or reposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Although it is not also necessary, if you are planning to have some sacred music, have someone or a choir to lead and sing a few hymns or play appropriate sacred music in the background.

Set and schedule a regular time (for example, Friday evenings at 8pm) for your or your personal or group’s public holy hour. Promote it and invite your friends, family, and parishioners.  At least one person must be present during exposition.

If you are unable to get permission for exposition, you can make the Holy Hour before Jesus in the tabernacle.  The tabernacle light nearby indicates that He is truly present there at all times.

When passing before the Tabernacle etc. those who are able to do so show reverence by genuflecting on one knee. When passing before the Monstrance in adoration, those who are able to do so, make a profound bow while genuflecting on both knees.

How to Make a Holy Hour:  ACTS

We can spend time with Jesus in what we call a “holy hour.” More often it is a time just for silent adoration. There can be, but does not have to be, a set format for a holy hour. If one or more people are willing to spend time with Jesus, He is not left alone and we simply visit with Him.

One recommended way to spend an hour with our Lord is called to  make ACTS: divide your time into 15-minute segments each devoted to meditation in a spirit of Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Prayer and meditation before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament are great ways to spend some special time with Him. You can ask Him for graces for yourself or for loved ones, reflect on His Word, or just keep Him company!

This hour that Jesus wants you to spend with Him may be spent praying the Holy Rosary or the Divine Office, with your favourite prayer book, good spiritual reading for reflection, or speaking to Jesus in silence heart to heart, as one does with a friend. You may be tired or troubled and just want to sit, relax and enjoy the peace that comes from simply being with the One Who loves you the most, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

If you want to have a format or program for a public group Holy Hour of adoration you could include hymns, traditional vocal prayers, praying the Rosary in common, time for silence etc.

Here is an excellent Holy Hour booklet you/your group can use and there are more below: http://sacredheartlegion.com/downloads/Holy_Hour.pdf

Prayer during exposition could include a reflection or reading by a priest or deacon, hymns such as “Pange Lingua”, “O Salutaris Hostia” and “Tantum Ergo” and time for quiet adoration, after which if a priest or deacon is there he can bless the congregation with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by “The Divine Praises”.

Extended or Perpetual Adoration

Some parishes also have what we call Perpetual Adoration, in which our Lord is exposed in the monstrance over a longer period of time uninterrupted, as in what is known as a forty-hour devotion, or up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Some don’t yet provide Perpetual Adoration, but reserve the Blessed Sacrament in an enclosed tabernacle so that people can pray in God’s Presence without the need for someone to be in constant attendance (as must be the case when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed).

Eucharistic Adoration also includes our visits to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. Father John Hardon, a champion of Christ in the Real Presence said “We as Catholics should try to pray as much as possible before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar” however (www.therealpresence.com).

Countless religious, saints and popes over centuries, have extolled the great spiritual blessings and benefits of Eucharistic Adoration. God invites us to visit Him regularly in the Blessed Sacrament, as we are all called to abide in the Presence of God.

Christ calls each one of us to visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration. Our Lord said on the cross “I thirst”. He is constantly thirsting for souls! Jesus is Present and waiting for us in all of the Tabernacles all over the world “full of pity and of love.”  Bishop Fulton Sheen referred to his daily time spent before the Blessed Sacrament as his “hour of power” for spiritual renewal.

For help with a Eucharistic Adoration Sign-Up to start OR expand hours of adoration, you can contact us:

Plan or schedule your Adoration Sign-Up Weekend/organization/campaign – APOSTOLATE OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

“TAKE ME OUT OF THE TABERNACLE!” 

An adoration coordinator in our network had to move to a new city and greatly desired to get more exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in her new parish. First, she prayed. Then she found another lay person in the parish who was also interested in spending time with Jesus if there were more hours of adoration. She approached the pastor and asked if they could expand the hours of adoration, but was left hanging without a yes. She prayed more and was determined not to give up.

She approached her priest again and told him she had heard an inspiring true story on a Catholic radio station about a priest. One day the priest walked out of the sacristy and into the sanctuary: Jesus appeared to him in-person and pleaded for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar, saying:

“TAKE ME OUT OF THE TABERNACLE!” 

Then the coordinator asked the priest again for more adoration. Finally, her parish priest said yes. Times were set and she happily reported that they expanded adoration.

Adoration makes the world a better and more peaceful place!

PARISH PRAYERS TO ENCOURAGE A WEEKLY COMMITMENT TO ADORATION

 

PRAYER FOR EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Jesus, thank you for being truly present,

Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity

in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Please lead me to a

personal encounter with You in

Your Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

Thank You for desiring to spend

time with me in Eucharistic Adoration.

I ask You to send Your Holy Spirit upon

each member of our parish,

so that we will respond to Your invitation

and make a commitment to meet You,

Our Lord and King, in a weekly hour of

Eucharistic Adoration.

In Your Most Holy Name, we pray.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament,

pray for us.

Amen.

 

At any time, especially during the 4-6 weeks before your sign-up weekend, your parish can begin praying this prayer out-loud as a parish after Holy Communion before the final blessing or right after each Mass before the closing hymn, to engage and inspire parishioners to make a commitment to a weekly Holy Hour. If your congregation already prays the St. Michael the Archangel prayer as a parish out loud, this prayer could be added immediately after that.

 You can place large prayer cards (regular or customized) in your pews, hymnal racks etc. or put stickers in your hymnals:

A few other options and samples for a parish prayer to encourage a weekly commitment to Eucharistic Adoration, ranging from a general parish prayer to specific, focused petitions:

Option 1: Parish Prayer for Commitment (General)

This prayer focuses on the parish as a whole community responding to Christ’s invitation.

Lord Jesus Christ, truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist, we adore You and ask for the grace to respond to Your invitation to adore You. Kindle in our hearts a desire to spend time with You in the Blessed Sacrament, dedicating one hour a week to be with You. Mary, Mother of the Eucharistic Lord, pray for us.

Option 2: Short & Focused Prayer for the Bulletin

This is ideal for a weekly bulletin insert to remind parishioners of the invitation.

Lord Jesus, You wait for us in the Blessed Sacrament. Strengthen our commitment to be faithful to a weekly Holy Hour, offered for our spiritual needs, our families, and our parish community.

Option 3: A Prayer of Personal Commitment

This prayer emphasizes personal devotion and the desire to make the hour a priority.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in Your presence in the Blessed Sacrament. I promise, with Your grace, to set aside one hour each week for adoration, offering this time in thanksgiving, reparation, and to find rest in Your Sacred Heart.

Key Themes to Include in Promotional Materials

  • “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30) – Highlights the rest and peace found in Adoration.
  • “Could you not watch one hour with me?” (Matthew 26:40) – A direct invitation from Christ.
  • Emphasize personal friendship with Jesus.

Prayer for Commitment

Committing to a weekly Holy Hour is a profound step in spiritual growth, rooted in Jesus’ question in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” (Matthew 26:40).

You may use this prayer to formalize your resolution to visit the Blessed Sacrament each week:

Lord Jesus, You are the vine and I am Your branch. I cannot bear fruit unless I abide in You. I commit myself to a weekly Holy Hour as a way of remaining in Your presence, trusting in Your love, and allowing You to work in me as You will. By Your grace and the intercession of Your Blessed Mother, I pray for the grace of perseverance. May this hour of silence be an oasis of peace where I listen to Your voice and find rest for my soul. Amen.

Prayer for Weekly Commitment

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I desire to honor You by dedicating one hour each week to be in Your presence.

I ask for the grace of fidelity to this commitment, that my “yes” may mean “yes,” and that I may not take for granted the gift of mercy that flows from Your Sacred Heart.

When I come to this hour, help me to silence my heart, to listen to You, and to adore You for Your goodness, truth, and mercy. I entrust my distractions, and my weakness to You, asking that You turn this time into a profound encounter of love.

Make me, Lord, a dedicated adorer, and let this weekly hour be a source of peace and strength for my daily life.

Amen.

To inspire your parish community toward a weekly commitment to the Blessed Sacrament, you may want to use these specifically tailored prayers during Mass, in bulletins, or during recruitment weekends.

Parish Prayer for Eucharistic Commitment

  • A Prayer for the Spread of Adoration: A prayer asking God to increase faith in the Real Presence and grant people the willingness to participate in Eucharistic Adoration, with a request for the spread of Perpetual Adoration globally.
  • Stewardship of Time Prayer: A prayer of thanksgiving and a request for guidance to understand God’s will and fulfill good intentions.
  • A Personal Prayer of Commitment: A prayer committing to a weekly visit to the Blessed Sacrament as a way to remain connected to Jesus and allow Him to work through the individual. The full prayer can be found in the linked document.

 

GUIDELINES THAT COULD BE PROMOTED AND PUT IN ADORATION CHAPELS TO FORM ADORERS

C2P5_0LUoAAPTTk

HOW TO PRAY DURING EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

In summary, there are many ways to pray. We may meditate silently by gazing on Jesus in the sacred Host. We may silently speak to Jesus with our mind and heart.  St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta recommended spending half the time in adoration in SILENCE. Cardinal Robert Sarah also extols silence.

During your holy hour of adoration, ACTS are recommended – this is an acronym for simply spending:

15 minutes of in a spirit of Adoration, 15 minutes of Contrition, 15 minutes of Thanksgiving and 15 minutes of Supplication or intercessory prayer.

Some may feel moved or prefer to approach and recognize the Real Presence of Christ by starting with an Act of or Contrition as they initially become humbled and aware of His holiness and almighty Real Presence and their own shortcomings and sins, and then move into Adoration, Petition, and Thanksgiving…

To recall these four types of prayer, some also use the acrynom PART:  Petition, Adoration, Reparation, and Thanksgiving or Adoro Te Rex Gloriae – Adoration, Thanksgiving, Reparation, Give something to God – Love (for example, a resolution).

Entering into deeper prayer and contemplation can bring one into total silence and a calming of the senses. The great mystic and doctor of the Church, St. Theresa of Avila spoke of the “prayer of the quiet”. You may want to read her writings in “The Way of Perfection” and “The Interior Castle”.  Another St. Theresa referred to as the “Little Flower”, practised complete trust and confidence in the mercy of God and did little things with great Love.

Many saints grew stronger in virtue and in their prayer life as they persevered in prayer through consolations and periods of dryness or of desolation. Love is a decision, not a feeling. Jesus is 100% divine and 100% man – He consoles us and sometimes He asks or needs us to comfort Him. He has a human heart and a divine heart. We see a crown of thorns around His Sacred Heart burning with Love, as He revealed Himself to St. Margaret Mary.  He thirsts for love and souls.

Pray the salvation and sanctification of souls!

We may rely on devotions and prayers from Catholic tradition, such as the reading of Scripture, recitation of the rosary, litanies or other Catholic spiritual reading materials.

We encourage you to invite your friends, family members and others to discover the Presence of Christ in Eucharistic Adoration!

SAMPLE HOLY HOURS

You can offer a guided holy hour in your parish or individuals can use these aids:

VIDEOS ON HOW TO MAKE A HOLY HOUR

 

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HOLY HOUR RESOURCES

From the Knight of Columbus website

        • Knightline – News for Knights of Columbus Leaders – introduced FAITH IN ACTION –   to revitalize you, your parish, your K of C council and your community.  The first recommendation is Eucharistic Adoration.
        • “A Higher Purpose    Encourage deep personal encounter with God. Knights of Columbus councils work with their pastors to organize a regular Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration. Prepared for the men of the parish, this Holy Hour could include a reflection, communal rosary, prayers for intercession by St. Joseph or Knights of Columbus founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, and various other aspects as decided by the council.
        • Overview   The chivalric character of the Knights of Columbus and the Church’s long tradition of spiritual combat resonate with men today – especially as threats from the world and the devil are so keenly felt. Eucharistic adoration in the form of a regularly scheduled Holy Hour is a simple, direct, and meaningful way to address these needs. It is familiar to many, easy to organize, and something everyone can participate in together regardless of age, vocation, stage of life or membership status. Councils can organize their Holy Hours in a variety of ways and incorporate aspects such as: perpetual adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, prayer for particular intentions and more.”
        • 10709 Holy Hour News Release
        • K of C holy hour resources
        • K of C holy hour resources pdf
        • K of C supreme chaplain on adoration
        • HolyHour.org