Frequently Asked Questions


Questions About Eucharistic Adoration

What is the Eucharist, or sometimes referred to as the Blessed Sacrament, in Adoration?

Simply put, Catholics believe that after the consecration of the bread and wine, which is known as transubstantiation (the change in substance but not appearance), only the appearance of bread and wine remain while in the fullness of what it is, is Jesus fully present, body, blood, soul, and divinity. So when the faithful come to adore the Eucharist they are not worshiping a piece of bread like some skeptics will assert, but worshiping God in the flesh. We call this the real presence. The Father turned water into blood, Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1–11), and the Holy Spirit turns wine into blood and bread into the body of our Lord. This can only take place because of a miracle.

What is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament?

Eucharistic Adoration is adoring Christ as our Blessed Sacrament. Since the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life”(CCC 2324) 24 hour Adoration is an opportunity for the faithful at any time come and adore there savior face to face. Not only does Christ call us to do this (Matthew 11:28), but we are also able to imitate our Blessed Mother by mediating on all Jesus has done (Luke 2:19). Adoration is the contemplation of the Mystery of Christ truly present right before our very eyes. Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mathew 11: 28-29)

What do people do in Perpetual Adoration Chapels?

Scheduled Parishioner volunteers go for an hour to the Perpetual Chapel that is open at regularly scheduled time so that someone is always adoring at all times. Everyone else can come and go as they please. During Eucharistic Adoration the adores worship by staying silent, watching, waiting, praying and doing other spiritual exercises to become overwhelmed in the presence of God. In His presence we open ourselves to His graces which flow from the Eucharist. In the presence of God we humble ourselves and become venerable to what He wants to communicate to us. We allow the power of God to draw ourselves closer to him and transform us into saints.

What is a tabernacle?

The word tabernacle means "dwelling place." Just like the tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus, Catholic believe that the tabernacles in adoration rooms are truly were God dwells. Yet, unlike the Israelites, Catholic use the tabernacle to hold the consecrated hosts which is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is really truly dwelling among us.

What is a monstrance?

"Monstrance" is a special vessel for the Blessed Sacrament used in Adoration and Benediction for viewing the true presence of Jesus.

Does Eucharist adoration take away from the mass?

Of course not. Many saints believed that worshiping the Eucharist was not something strictly restricted to the mass. Saint Pope John Paul the second said that Adoration is "an important daily practice [that] becomes an inexhaustible source of holiness". Since “the other sacraments…are bound up with the Eucharist and oriented towards it,”(CCC,1324) the Eucharist, even though it is the panicle of the mass could never take away from the mass in other devotions. It would be the equivalent of saying, “Christ himself takes away from the sacrament.” And this is of course untrue. Christ is truth and He points us to all truths; He, like CCC 1324 states, actually is that which give the sacraments there divine meaning that continue from the mass and leave us to go and take what was received at the mass and bring it into every aspect of our lives. This is what makes Eucharistic Adoration one of the best devotions. It is so closely related to the mass without taking away from anything that the mass has to offer, but illuminates it by showing how devoted we are to Christ and his sacrifice.

What is a holy hour?

The term "Holy Hour" is used to describe a 60 min period of time spent before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic adoration. Pick a time that works best for you, if your parish offers 24 hour adoration, and anytime you can go and adore Christ.

Why should my parish have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?

Firstly, because true prayer never stops. Jesus tells his disciples to pray without ceasing in the Agony of the Garden. Even St. Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing,” while the CCC tells us that praying is a constant battle (CCC2726). People are in need of a place to go to pray. If this wasn’t true, we would have no need for the Church (Christ’s body).
Second, because God tells us to. In the garden Christ asks “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour,” and then continually asks his disciples to pray. Sadly, Jesus finds they all fall asleep. (Matthew 26:40) Three times He goes out and asks his disciples and three times He finds them asleep, yet, after this He then goes to take on by himself the sins of the whole world; the hour in which he came for. Now, Christ call us to our own hour, to not only give ourselves to him as living sacrifices to God though him (Romans 12), but to also partake in what he did. (2 Peter 1:4). We make this time our holy hour.
And thirdly We are taking the world to Christ. During the Mass, Christ comes to the whole world and offers himself for us. But in our holy hour, we take the world now to Christ. This is what we need to do with our world. We need to bring it to Christ in the Eucharist, so everyone and everything may be healed. When the disabled man was lowered down from the roof by four other, he was never asked if he wanted to be healed by Jesus. He never said, “Take away my sins.” He didn’t even ask to be with Jesus; yet, the four brought him to Jesus. The gospel says the man was then healed, because Jesus saw the faith of the four (Mark 2: 4-5) (Matthew 9: 1-2). If we want a change in our world we need to make an hour on a regular basis to go visit Jesus, our most Holy Blessed Sacrament. So what should we say? Deliver us from this hour? No, for that is why we are here. To always and forever adore God.

Where can I find adoration chapels that offer Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration?

For the Diocese of Orange in Southern California you have come to the right place. Click on our "FIND A CHAPEL" link in the top menu.

Elsewhere in the United Status The Real Presence, based in Chicago Illinois has a comprehensive nation wide liste www.therealpresence.org

The www.masstimes.org also has a comprehensive list

What are the fruits of Adoration?

There are many, many, many countless fruits to having perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Right now I will focus on two: the graces on a personal level and the graces at the community level, because Eucharistic Adoration is the key to self and world renewal. It first starts with a transformation of ourselves and then reaching beyond to the world.
During our Holy Hour we grow more and more into His image and likeness of Christ (Matthew 5:48). He draws people towards himself. On Adoration Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote, "If people spent one hour a week in Eucharistic adoration, abortion would cease." Saint John Paul the second said: From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others. (St. John Paul II) The hours that we spend in adoring Christ will help heal our own sins and create a bond that will thus heal the whole world, exposing our suffering humanity to Jesus. Adoration helps prepare us as individuals for the other sacraments. Even Jesus calls us to be with him always: This is the will of my Father that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him, will
have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day” (John 6:40). Jesus wants us to come to him to be healed for whatever is bothering you. He is here to help us, as long as we go to him and let him.

On a personal level Adoration also gives us the grace of understanding. “The act of Adoration outside of Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place in
the Liturgical Celebration itself” (Pope Benedict XVII). As a whole, we need Jesus in our communities or else we will never be healed. In so many of our society we try to push God away. One example of this is taking prayer out of schools. Ever since then we have seen a rise of violence and confusion among students of all walks of life. We need God here in our community’s to call the world to a greater reverence for him and to walk with him. This is why by having adoration we will see a rise in Priests. We will also see a rise in believers and more people wanting to get involved in Parish events. “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest” (Mt 9:38).

Baptism is the door to the sacraments, but Adoration open the doors to Baptism and a more deeper conversion of parishioners. “Eucharistic Adoration extends its influence far beyond the individual adorers, touching their homes and families and reaching out to the parish community and beyond” (Pope Paul VI)
Juarez, Chihuahua in northern Mexico was considered one of the most hazardous places in the world due to the horrific acts of homicides and other violence in the streets every day. Yet in 2015, the rate of homicide dropped form 3,766 to 256. Why was there such a dramatic drop? Well, Father Hileman has found out the reason why. Fr. tells of a story of a woman who used to go to holy hour at three in the morning every day. When she was stopped by soldiers in the middle of streets in the mist of violence she politely explained that even thought they were protecting the city, she was doing something better: praying. “Do you think you're protecting us? We're praying for you 24 hours a day," she said. “We put up ten little chapels in a year,” Fr. Hileman said. Then more amazing things happened. Eight seminarians turned into eighty eight. "...when you hear God better, your mind, your heart is more tranquil, you're there alone for God. If you are generous with Jesus, he is a thousand times more generous with you,” Fr. Hileman said. Hileman says he owns it all too perpetual adoration. It not only affected his Parish but also his whole city.
Bustamante, Bárbara. "This Priest Says Adoration Has Made Juarez a Safer City." Catholic News Agency. Catholic News Agency, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
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