Week 40: Adoration of the Holy Eucharist outside of Mass

By Archbishop Michael Jackels

Witness Publisher

The Church encourages us to worship Jesus during Mass, and also outside of Mass, for example, when we are invited to adore the Divine Presence in the Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle.

We can stop in a church for a short visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament: make a genuflection, kneel down, and pray by saying sorry for our sins, asking for some need, giving thanks, or saying I love you to God.

We can spend a longer time in prayer, sitting or kneeling in adoration before the tabernacle, or before the Eucharist placed in a vessel called a monstrance (from the Latin word to show), so that the consecrated Host can be seen.

This prayer practice is called Eucharistic Adoration. Jesus ultimately gave us the Eucharist as spiritual food to be eaten. Adoration outside of Mass doesn’t distract from that.

In fact, a lot of people who practice Eucharistic Adoration feel a greater desire to go to Mass and Communion, even daily, and out of love for God.

They want to be closer to Jesus, to be touched, healed, forgiven, strengthened, and protected by Jesus in Holy Communion, and to offer the same to others.