Prayer

The very desire to pray is said to be prayer because that desire is the soul reaching to God. Every day and at all times we are called to reach our spirits toward God.

Prayer may be words, spoken aloud or silently. These words are only keys to the prayer of our hearts. They help to open our hearts and minds to God. They help us clear away all those things of every day life that separate us from God. In prayer we give voice to our joys and sorrows.

Prayer does not have to be perfect. The important thing is just to pray. While prayer may begin with words, it leads to silence and it is in that silence that God speaks to us. We may not hear Him speaking in words. More likely it will be in gentle nudgings of the Spirit that direct our decisions. As we pray, we may remember God's wisdom shared with us through a friend's words.

The joy of a life of prayer lies in discovering that God meets all our needs in ways beyond our comprehension. He may not answer our prayers in the way we expect, but He will answer them in the way that is best for us.

"There is but one road which reaches God and that is prayer; if anyone shows you another, you are being deceived."
--Saint Teresa of Avila

Adoration

The Church strongly encourages both private and public devotion toward the Eucharist and teaches that prayer before the Lord sacramentally present in the Eucharist actually "extends the union with Christ which the faithful have received in communion." It helps them to live a more Christian way, trying "to maintain in their lives what they have received by faith and by Sacraments" (The Rites of the Catholic Church).

So, you could not stay awake with Me for even an hour? Be on guard, and pray that you may not undergo the test (Mt 26:40-41).

There are different ways to "watch one hour" with the Lord. One of the most powerful and fruitful ways is to spend an hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We call this a Holy Hour because it is an hour spent in the presence of the Holy Eucharist: Christ Himself, the One who alone is Holy.

A Holy Hour can be made alone or with others, before Jesus in the Tabernacle, or in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

The important thing to realize about making a private Holy Hour is that you don't have to do anything. You don't have to say any particular prayers, or read, or sing, or anything else. All you have to do is be present to the One who is present to you. Bodily presence is a first step, but we should try to also be present with our hearts. Many times, we need to be silently present, not analyzing, thinking, or saying prayers with our lips. Even a few short moments of silent presence to the Lord is a precious treasure, for it is in this silence that the Lord speaks to us.

If, after an initial period of silent adoration, you feel a desire to pray, or read, or write, then you simply allow yourself to move naturally into whatever activity you feel led to do at each moment. Reading the Scriptures, pamphlets, or books is always appropriate, and many people also like to pray the Rosary or make the stations of the cross. There are many reading materials available in the commons area for your use during Adoration.