A Guide to the Adoration to the Holy Eucharist

10/05/2021 Additional Resources Celebrate in Style

What is Adoration to Jesus in the Eucharist?

Adoration is a prayer-dialogue with Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist; thus, everything said is to be a prayer. It is to be a dialogue between two hearts in Spirit and Truth, where the most essential is not what we are to say but to listen to Jesus to recognise his presence and accomplish it.

Preparation for the adoration

What prayers am I going to include during the adoration?

While we are preparing for this prayer, we must be aware to include these elements:

Silence is the space we give God to cherish his presence and listen to what he wants to tell us. It is the moment when what we’ve heard is transformed into a personal prayer. If there is no silence, we are saying to God that the most important thing is what we are saying and not what he is saying to us.

This silence has to be divided into different parts of this Adoration: at the beginning and in the act of presence, after readings from the Word of God, and during moments of reflection. Silence must take a certain amount of time, for example, for about five minutes or even more if planned.

Singing is a double prayer; thus, hymns have to link with the Eucharist, songs of praise and Adoration, or related to the adoration theme. The animator is to help the persons pray and recognise God’s closeness with them.

Songs of Worship in Maltese

Songs of Worship for Children

Songs of Worship for Youth and Adults

When we adore Christ, we are in a sacred presence and must make a deep personal commitment to be conscious of what this entails. There cannot be other thoughts in our minds; we stop pretending to adore Christ without giving space for this. We need to stop.

Thus we need time to become conscious that we are in the presence of God (like a fish is in the water). But beforehand, we must recollect ourselves to concentrate on our actions through silence. When our minds are focused, we can recognise that we are in God’s presence with our minds and spirit. We are in the presence of God, a Holy God, a God’s Son who became human, the perfect love within the Holy Trinity.

If we pray a visit to Jesus in the Sacrament, this must enhance us to concentrate on ourselves and make ourselves more available for the presence of God.

An extract from the Scriptures (for example, a Psalm or extract from the Scriptures) the Word of God has to be the centermost of the Adoration so that Christ enlightens us and shows us his will for us.

This moment is not a moment where one holds Scripture exegesis or for an explanation of a Scripture text. The reflection must be a prayer as if conversing with Jesus. This reflection prayer is to assist the people in the Adoration of letting the Word of God guide them in their personal lives.

The Adoration is a liturgical prayer, that is, the Adoration of the people of God assembled. Thus, while God’s Spirit is uniting us and praying through us, we are to allow the people gathered to participate in prayer by praying themselves and/or responding to a litany of intercession, and forgiveness prayers and participating in prayer activities. Below there are some examples of prayer activities.

Forgiveness Stones

In this prayer space one reflects on the good feeling of letting go and forgiving someone who caused pain.

Friendship Chain

During this prayer one is asked to think of a friend, reflect on the good qualities of their friend and then thank God for them.

Pipe Cleaner People

This prayer space encourages one to think about, and if they want to, pray for someone special in thier lives in a fun and creative way by making a ‘pipe cleaner model’.

What objects do we use during the Adoration?

During the preparation time for adoration, we also prepare the objects we shall use for our Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist.

It would be a pleasant act to find a moment before the Adoration takes place to explain the objects one needs to organize an adoration to Jesus in the Eucharist and their meaning! Hereunder you may find some suggestions.

Jesus is in the white host, which is shaped like a circle. During the Eucharistic celebration, the bread becomes the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. When we adore him, Jesus will be delighted to be with us. He looks at us and speaks with us.

The Monstrance is that ornament where the priest places Jesus in the Eucharist for our adoration and prayers and to share our thoughts with Him. Jesus is God and our Best Friend. Thus we must give him a special place! The monstrance is often made of gold or a precious material and has the form of the sun as a sign that Jesus is the centre and the light of our lives. This helps us to focus on the Eucharist. For this reason, other fittings like flowers, candlesticks and other objects are to be limited, so the main focus is Jesus.

The Eucharist is to be placed always on a white tablecloth. This is a sign of worship and respect for the Eucharist.

Some candles are put around the Eucharist to decorate the environment. The candles remind us that Jesus is the world’s light and that we are called to the world’s light.

A Template Schedule for An Adoration to the Eucharist

Before the Adoration

Students imitate the adults. Educators must be role models of ethical behaviour during the Eucharistic adoration.
Invite the students to keep silent and to give all their attention to Jesus in the Eucharist. This is a precious time “between me and God only.”
Together, you may pray the Jesus Prayer

During the Adoration Time

Cheerful and adoration singing
The priest, deacon or another person with permission places the monstrance on the table. Eucharistic hymns shall animate the exposition of the sacrament.
Five minutes of silence
Singing helps reflection.
An extract from the Gospel or Psalm (Example: John 6:51-58, Matthew 26:26-28, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Psalm 34:8, Luke 24: 30-31)
Five minutes of silence
If it is helpful, the students may participate in prayer activities to share their prayers in more practical ways.
Students are invited to write what they want to say to Jesus in their journals.
Joyful singing and conclusion

Prayers and reflections related to the Eucharist

Carlo Acutis

“The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

“Always to be united with Jesus; that is my life’s programme.”

“If we get in front of the sun, we get sun tans…but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.”

“Jesus is my great friend.”

“To the Lord, I can always confide anything. I can also complain, question him in silence, tell him what I don’t understand.”

“The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”

“Always be close to Jesus; that is my life plan.”

“Those who approach the Eucharist every day go straight to heaven.”

“Jesus Christ speaks to us within, and we should listen to Him and follow Him in everything.”

“By standing before the Eucharist Christ, we become holy.”

“The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.”

St Maria Goretti

“The Holy Eucharist is the perfect expression of the love of Jesus Christ for Man.”

St John Paul II

“Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts.”

“From the Eucharist comes the strength to share the Christian life with others.”

St Peter Julian Eymard

“The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus.”

“The Holy Eucharist is like a divine Storehouse filled with every virtue.”

“The Eucharist is, in a word, the great Mystery of our faith to which all Catholic truths lead.”

St Peter of Alcantara

“Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has his hands full of graces.”

St John Marie Vianney

“There is nothing so great as the Eucharist.”

Pope Francis

“The Eucharist is essential for us: it is Christ who wishes to enter our lives and fill us with his grace.”

Mother Theresa

“When you look at the Sacred Host, understand how much Jesus loves you now.”

“Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life.”

St Therese of Lisieux

“Jesus comes to find an empty tent within us.”

Pope Benedict XVI

“In the Eucharist, the Son of God meets us and desires to become one with us.”

This is a feast that honours the Sacred Heart. In 1675, Jesus told St Margaret Mary that He wanted the Feast of the Sacred Heart to be celebrated on the Friday after the Corpus Christi octave. In 1856, the Feast of the Sacred Heart became a universal feast.

St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart, said, “This feast reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.”

♥ Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O most holy Heart of Jesus, a fountain of every blessing,
I adore you; I love you and with lively sorrow for my sins.
I offer you this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure, and obedient to your will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you.
Protect me amid danger; comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
your blessings on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
Within your heart, I place my every care.
In every need, let me come to you with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus, help me.
Amen.

Down in adoration falling,
This great Sacrament we hail;
Over ancient forms of worship
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith will tell us Christ is present,
When our human senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who made us free,
And the Spirit, God proceeding
From them Each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty. Amen

Prayer

Let us pray! Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the eucharist as the memorial of your
suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience
the salvation you won for us and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Blessing of the Sacrament

Blessed be God.
Blessed be his holy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be his most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be his most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacrament of the altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints.
Amen.

Psalm 116

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord. Amen.

Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.