ADORATION: Making Time to Love and Be with Our Lord in Prayer

For parishioner Debi Smith, spending an hour of adoration with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is an awesome opportunity to be in the Real Presence of God.”

“It allows Him to fill you completely and nourish your soul,” says Debi, one of the coordinators of adoration at St. Jude Thaddeus. “It allows you to lift up prayers for the Church, the vocations of priests worldwide, and your own life.” Lord. Today, we live in a fast-paced, loud society — this can make it difficult to hear Christ speaking to us. But in adoration, you can sit in the silence and let His love and mercy wash over you, giving you new life and strength in Him.

St. Jude Thaddeus Church offers adoration every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In order to have Eucharistic Adoration, at least one person must be present at all times as our Lord may never be left alone. Fr. Moreno prefers that at least two parishioners be committed per hour. There are currently 13 volunteers, but more would always be appreciated. There is currently only one person signed up for the 2 p.m. hour, so please prayerfully consider if committing to an hour of adoration is something to which you are being called.

“Setting aside intentional time to spend with Jesus Christ encourages us to connect with and spend time alone with Jesus,” says Marie King, another coordinator for the ministry. “It lets us open our hearts and minds. It is like scheduling a time to spend with a good friend.”

This ministry was started on Nov. 30, 2021. Many of the parish programs had been dissolved due to the pandemic and Fr. Moreno wanted to bring them back to life. Adding a day of adoration was a new ministry that he felt was very important. In order for a parish to be successful, it needs the prayers of the parishioners — and what better way to encourage those prayers than by offering adoration?

“We supply prayer books and pamphlets that you can take in with you,” Debi says. “You could bring your rosary or Bible. You can kneel or sit in the silence and the beauty. It is your time to be in the presence of God and to feel it in your own personal way. There will be days that an hour of prayer doesn’t seem like enough.”

If you have any questions or are interested in signing up for an adoration holy hour, please contact Debi Smith at debimckinney56@gmail.com or Marie King at mpking40@gmail.com.