The first time I ever heard of Adoration was in Outlander, the first book in the series written by Diana Gabaldon. I read these books long before it became the popular (and somewhat controversial) series on Starz. Claire and Jamie, the main characters in the story, are in an abbey hiding out and recovering from a major trauma when Claire meets a Franciscan Monk who introduces her (and me) to Perpetual Adoration. This is the ritual where Christ, in the form of the Eucharist, is exposed in a Monstrance and placed on the Altar, left there all night and people come at their appointed hour to stay with him in order to make up for the apostles inability to stay awake while Jesus suffered his agony in the garden the night before he was crucified.
I remember thinking how odd it was that I had never heard of this, but then again, reflecting on the fact that I was raised a Midwestern Catholic, I recognized the lack in my catechism. Adoration was not a thing I was even remotely aware of. Unconsciously, the seed was planted.
When we moved to Florida, which I count as the start of my “Catholic Reversion”, the parish we joined offered adoration for a few hours daily (during daylight hours) and the pastor strongly encouraged all to attend regularly as a way to improve our “relationship with Christ”. I liked the visual someone gave me, that while struggling with certain things, the best thing we could do was beg at the feet of Jesus for peace and assistance. While I attended a few times, I will be the first to admit, I did not whole heartedly jump into the practice. The idea of sitting quietly for a whole hour, doing seemingly nothing was not something that appealed to me. After all, I had 3 small children at the time, and even if I could find someone to watch them which was difficult at best, I had errands to run and things to do that would be much easier to do alone. As I hung on to this visual of me sitting at Christ’s feet, the seed grew.
Moving to New Jersey and joining Regnum Christi, I became more familiar with adoration. 
Triduum retreats have always been one of my favorite parts of Regnum Christi, and this was where, for the first time since reading about it in Outlander, I participated in all night Perpetual Adoration. I grudgingly signed up for the earliest hour I could, not sure I could forego any of my much-needed sleep, knowing I am pretty cranky if I do not get enough rest. Some of my experiences have been quite profound and extraordinary. I would have some amazing insights, hear the voice of God speaking to me, and feel altogether touched by the Holy Spirit. Other times, well, I was just plain tired and glad I could stay awake. Having some concrete experiences of Christ working in me during these times, the seed continued to grow.
At some point I realized that many parishes offer adoration, much like my Florida church, and learned that people committed for the same hour every week. I eventually joined one of these parishes, but I always had excuses not to commit. Remember, I have all of these kids- what if I can’t make it because I need to tend to them? I would go from time to time, usually it was when I had a particularly difficult struggle in my life, or I had to fulfill a team resolution. While I would continue to feel closer to Christ, I still did not make the jump though I could tell I was feeling a growing pull to do so.
Over the last year or so, my life started to change. My youngest turned 19 and was in college. I realized I no longer had to worry about being constantly available for my family. Could I start being more constantly available for Christ? My parish was trying to start adding hours for adoration, and they needed more people to commit, so I nervously raised my hand. While I still don’t have a regular hour, (God knows me so well) I thrive in the role of substitute. Filling in regularly for others, I realized how much I absolutely LOVE being in my church, completely alone with Our Lord! I recall my vision of me at His feet, and from time to time, will get as close as I can and just sit crisscrossed legs, gazing up at Him, talking to Him, crying with Him, listening to Him. When I realized that Christ is often exposed for Adoration after certain Masses, I would make opportunities for myself to stay after on those days, even if it was just for 15 minutes. I was becoming less concerned with how I “felt” in prayer, and more concerned with how I “acted” in prayer. I could see how my prayer life was flourishing, and others began to notice a difference in me as well.
I am reminded of a retreat I attended last Advent at my parish. The speaker talked about how Adoration was for healing our soul much like radiation was to healing cancer. Both only requiring our consent. Our presence. When I sit in adoration now, I often think of that- “Christ is healing my soul”. I often think back to how amazing it is that I first read about such and important part of my life in a historical fiction novel. “What shall I do?” Claire asked the monk when attending for the first time with him. “Nothing…just be…”, came the reply. Simple yet challenging. Sometimes the hardest is part is simply showing up.
There are so many opportunities for adoration and God loves us so much he gives us a wide range of ways to practice this. From a solitary hour in the middle of the night, to a solitary hour during the day, to 10 or 15 minutes after Mass, to a time where there is a big group of people gathered together in silence, to parishes gathering for a single hour only and for a specific purpose. All of these are good. How are you spending time with Our Lord? What is your practice of adoration? Can you take the next step to grow the seeds planted in you and allow God to heal your soul?
Maybe you could try attending our upcoming event! Invite a friend to Join!
Come Worship the King!
Join us on October 26th for a unique and powerful evening of praise, worship, live music, and fellowship as we gather at the house of the Legionaries of Christ in Rye. This outdoor event is for the whole family! Feel free to invite friends as well. There will be a food truck on site providing American cuisine for purchase
