“…Eucharistic Adoration is recognizing that Jesus is my Lord, that Jesus shows me the way to take, and that I will live well only if I know the road that Jesus points out and follow the path He shows me.  Therefore, adoration means saying: “Jesus, I am Yours.  I will follow You in my life, I never want to lose this friendship, this communion with You”.  I could also say that adoration is essentially an embrace with Jesus in which I say to him: “I am Yours, and I ask You, please stay with me always”.” – Pope Benedict XVI

THINGS TO DO DURING PERPETUAL ADORATION

Fr. Benedict Groeschel points out in the book, “In the Presence of Our Lord: The History, Theology and Psychology of Eucharistic Devotion” that there are “four kinds of prayer most appropriate in the presence of the Eucharist, namely adoration and praise, thanksgiving, repentance and trusting intercession.”  Accordingly, here are suggestions for what to do during private Eucharistic adoration.

1. Pray the Psalms or the Liturgy of the Hours
   Whether you are praising, giving thanks, asking for forgiveness or seeking an answer, you’ll find an appropriate psalm.  The ancient prayer of the Church called the Liturgy of the Hours presents an excellent way to pray through the Book of Psalms throughout the year.
2. Recite the “Jesus Prayer”
   Say “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner”, repeatedly as you quiet your heart and mind.
3. Meditate using Scripture
   Choose a passage from the Bible.  Read the words and ask God to let the passage speak to you.  Pay special attention to anything that strikes you and ask God what He wishes for you to draw from that message.
4. Read the life of a saint and pray with him or her
   Most holy men and women have had a great devotion to Our Lord in the Eucharist.  Therese of Lisieux, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Peter Julian Eymard, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Baroness Catherine de Hueck are just a few.  Read about them and pray their prayers before the Blessed Sacrament.
5. Pour out your heart to Christ and adore Him
   Speak to Jesus, aware that you are in His presence, and tell Him all that comes to your mind.  Listen for His response.  Pray the prayer that St. Francis instructed his brothers to pray whenever they were before the Blessed Sacrament: “I adore You, O Christ, present here and in all the churches of the world, for by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.”
6. Ask for forgiveness and intercede for others
   Think of those who have hurt you and request a special blessing for them.  Ask God to forgive you for all the times you have neglected or hurt someone else.  Bring before the Blessed Sacrament all those who have asked you to pray for them.  Ask the Lord to address their concerns.
7. Pray the Rosary
   Pope John Paull II reminds us, “…Is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?” (The Church and the Eucharist, 55)  Ask Mary to join you as you gaze on Christ the Eucharist and as you pray the Rosary.
8. Sit quietly and just “be” in the presence of God
   Think of a visit to the Blessed Sacrament as coming to see your best friend.  Sit quietly and enjoy being in each other’s company.  Instead of talking to the Lord, try listening to what He wants to tell you.

PRAYER FOR THE SPREAD OF PERPETUAL ADORATION

Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins.
We need your peace in our hearts and among nations.
We need conversion from our sins and the mercy of Your forgiveness.
May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.
Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness to respond to the invitation to Eucharistic Adoration.
We beseech You to spread Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen
Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament,
Help us to spread the glory of Your Son through Perpetual Adoration.
– St. Pope John Paul II

“Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life.  Night and Day, He is there.  If you really want to grow in love, come to the Eucharist, come to Adoration.”

“Our lives must be woven around the Eucharist…fix your eyes on Him Who is the light; bring your hearts close to His Divine Heart; ask Him to grant you the grace of knowing Him, the love of loving Him, the courage to serve Him. Seek Him fervently.”

“Through Mary, the cause of our joy, you discover that no where on earth are you more welcomed, no where on earth are you more loved, than by Jesus, living and truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament…He is really there in Person waiting just for you.”

– Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“Kneel down and render the tribute of your presence and devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Confide all your needs to Him, along with those of others.  Speak to Him with filial abandonment, give free rein to your heart, and give Him complete freedom to work in you as He thinks best.”

– St. Padre Pio

“Jesus wants you to do more than to go to Mass on Sunday.  Our communal worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration in order that our love may be complete.”

– St. Pope John Paull II

THE EVERYONE PRAYER

Lord, I pray for everyone in my family and everyone I ever knew and know now and everyone I work with and come into contact with.  I pray for the Grace of Conversion to You Jesus and the Grace of a Happy Death.  In a special way I pray for everyone I know who does not know You.  Bless them as You blessed us that know You.  Let them not be lost.  I offer to the Most Holy Trinity Your Passion and Death for their salvation.  Mary our Mother, I pray for all these your children that you lead each one of them to Jesus.