Outside of the Mass, adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is one of the highest forms of prayer, centred as it is on Christ, in the gift of Himself to us. Because he is God, he is worthy of all praise and adoration. This practise of adoration is a beautiful way to prolong our encounter with him in the celebration of Mass.
As Pope John Paul II noted:
"The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace.
It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the "art of prayer", how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brothers and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!"
(Ecclesia de Eucharistia)
After the Synod on the Eucharist, Pope Benedict observed:
"This personal encounter with the Lord... seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another.
(Sacramentum Caritatis)
When we come to adoration, we meet Jesus. It is he who has drawn us and he longs for us to know how much he loves us. We come to him as we are. There are many ways to pray at adoration - many of the other methods we have given are suitable. In addition, it is good to use the time to deepen your relationship with him; allow him to get to know you and let him reveal himself to you.
We give here two ways that can be used to pray at adoration, using the writings of St. Clare and St. Francis:
Adoration with St. Clare
Adoration with St. Francis
