Adoration is silent prayer before the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Adoration is held on the first Friday of the month for 24 hours in the chapel.
It begins after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Friday and ending with Benediction at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Volunteers are needed to ensure that someone is always present in the Chapel during Adoration.
You only need to sign up for one hour!
Next Adoration – May 3 & 4, 2024
Sign-up for Daytime Adoration here. Daytime Adoration times are Friday 10:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. and Saturday 7:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Questions? Contact Stephen.
If you are interested in Overnight Adoration, please contact Greg who compiles the schedule.
- Daytime Adoration: Stephen,
- Overnight Adoration: Greg,
What is it about Adoration?
A Reflection from a St. Andrew Parishioner
In times of need, have you ever gone to the church or chapel to pray? Why? Why didn’t you go to the fellowship hall or the library? You could have stayed at home to pray or prayed in your car on the way to work. God is everywhere, right?
Well, yes, He is everywhere and we can pray anywhere, anytime. But there is something that draws us to the church or the chapel. It’s His presence. We think, maybe we can get closer to God in the church itself? We may have a feeling of holiness when there. If you’ve ever noticed that lighted red candle in the church, that means that the body of Christ is present in the tabernacle.
Jesus gave the apostles the authority to transubstantiate bread into His body through the Holy Spirit. The apostles transferred that authority to others. Only those priests who have had the authority passed directly to them from the line of the apostles have this gift. You and I can’t do it. Surveys have told us that many Catholics believe that the Eucharist is just a symbol rather than the real presence.
But when we are in deep need of prayer, we don’t go to the grocery store and pray in the aisle with the Wonder Bread. We go to church. There is something special about being in the church. It is His presence. If you feel that presence, it is coming from the body of Christ residing in the church. This should remove your doubt that the host is not the true body.
Jason Evert recounts this story about Pope John Paul II…In 1995, Father Michael White was invited to organize the Pope’s visit to Baltimore on behalf of the archdiocese. Prior to the Holy Father’s arrival, the chief organizer for papal pilgrimages, Father Roberto Tucci, SJ, came to Maryland to scout out the venues and make the necessary arrangements for John Paul’s trip. When he arrived at the archbishop’s residence, he noticed that one of the doors in the hallway the Pope would pass through, opened into a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament.
He instructed Father White, “Keep that door closed so he doesn’t know there’s a chapel in there.” [The Pope was notorious for upending any schedule with his praying.] Upon the Pope’s arrival, the door was closed, and John Paul took some time to eat and rest at the residence. When it was time to leave, John Paul walked down the hall, which was lined with doors leading into various rooms, passed by the door of the chapel, then suddenly stopped. He looked back at the door, then looked over at Father Tucci, and without saying a word, wagged his finger at him and shook his head. Father White recalled:
“He’s never been in this place before, never set eyes on the place, and there was nothing about the door that distinguished it in any way as a chapel. It was just one more door in a corridor of doors. But he turned right back around, he opened that door up, and he went into the chapel and he prayed.”
What does all this have to do with Adoration?
When we attend Adoration, the Eucharist is on display in a monstrance. The body of Jesus is fully exposed in front of us. It is not hidden behind a curtain, but rather in full view. Like thousands of years ago, that little red candle mimics the lamp stand near the Ark in the holy temple. It is a sign that God is fully present. But, unlike in the old temple, everyone is welcome to come in.
In his letter, “Dominican Cenae”, detailing the mystery and worship of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II wrote, “The Church and the world have a great need of eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. … Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world by our adoration never cease.”
What does one do at Adoration? A priest was once asked this question, and replied this way. He said, “The most important thing is just being there.” One can read scripture or other such material, or pray, or just gaze. Jesus is present. He is listening to whatever you say or think. It is also a good opportunity to be quiet and listen in case He has something to tell YOU.
The words from Matthew 26, come to mind. “When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour?”
St. Andrew holds Adoration in the chapel on the first Friday of every month. It begins following 9am daily Mass and concludes 24 hours later with Benediction Saturday morning, 9am.
Adoration Resources and Information
- Click here to view many prayer resources you may wish to use for adoration.
- Watch Fr. James Martin explain the history and theology of Eucharistic Adoration.
- Watch Bishop Robert Barron’s discussion of Eucharistic Adoration.
Adoration in the Diocese of Raleigh
For a list of Adoration times at other churches in the diocese, click here.
Interested in Adoration?
All are welcome.
Contact
- Daytime Adoration: Stephen,
- Nighttime Adoration: Greg,