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I still remember the first time I was in Adoration. I was a college student at the time and the chapel at the University of St. Thomas offered Adoration every Wednesday. There would be a person who would sit with Jesus for an hour. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. The chapel was so quiet and it wasn’t something that I was used to. Eventually, Adoration became something that I looked forward to every week.
I always feel at peace whenever I’m in Adoration because it is there that I’m in the presence of God. More often than not, I tend to dump all my thoughts, but eventually, the calmness of the hour I spend in Adoration finally sinks into my heart. There’s a great freedom in letting go of your thoughts and focusing more on God’s presence.
There were times during retreats that I would be up in the late after-midnight hours, just sitting in Adoration. A friend of mine told me that she often struggles with sleep, but finds that she can sleep easily in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It’s not hard to see why. Sometimes, though, His presence can give me a second wind.
I remember one particular evening during a retreat when I went to Adoration feeling exhausted from all the work that I did. I told Jesus “Just catch me when I fall, Lord. Let me rest in You.” I sat down in a chair next to a pillar and just rested in the silence for a while. Strangely enough, however, I never fell asleep. Instead, the Holy Spirit renewed my strength and asked me to minister to someone who was crying. That retreater later gave testimony in gratitude at the end of the retreat.
Whenever we are in adoration, we are asked: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) It takes a while to get used to the silence, but remember that God is with you. You just need to listen and be still.
Reflect: How often do you go to Adoration? If you haven’t done so yet, why? Why do you think it’s so hard to be still and silent, even in prayer?
Act: Set aside 1 hour in your week for Adoration. See if you can make it a weekly habit.
