Eucharistic Adoration is when the priest takes a consecrated host and places it in a monstrance (monstrance comes from the Latin "monstrare" - to show, to expose to view.) The monstrance is then placed in front of the altar of the church or chapel for adoration.

This Adoration is made perpetual when members of the Parish unite in making continuous adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is a most popular and grace-laden program in which adorers commit themselves to at least one assigned hour each week for the adoration of Our Lord exposed in a monstrance.

The Real Presence is when the priest (during the consecration) speaks these words as he holds the communion host - "...He took bread and gave you thanks. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take this all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you". When the priest says "this is my body", it is at that instant when, through the miracle of transubstantiation, the bread and wine which we offer as the bloodless sacrifice to our Lord truly become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. It is His true Presence in the form of bread and wine. It is Christ.

Going to Adoration is a wonderful way to witness our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament. A prayerful, silent yet quite clear profession of faith. "Indeed, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in Him, shall have eternal life. Him will I raise up on the last day." (John 6:40)

It is also a practical way of rendering adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition.

Some of the spiritual benefits and graces are:

• Increased Mass attendance and Confessions
• Increase in priestly and religious vocations
• Return of the fallen-away Catholics
• Conversions to the faith
• Heightened spirituality
• Marriages restored
• Inner peace
• Greater unity

You may sign up to schedule yourself for an hour (or more) per week to pray before Our Lord, exposed in the monstrance. You can have some time alone with Jesus to recite your favorite prayers, read the bible, contemplate acts of faith, hope, charity, thanksgiving, reparation, pray a rosary, or do whatever type of prayerful devotion that reflects your love of God. You can just sit and say nothing, simply keeping Him company, just as you would with a dear friend.

One method of Adoration is to divide your holy hour into four quarters: the first 15 minutes could be spent in adoration. We should deeply ponder the thought that in our universe all, except fallen men and fallen angels, obey the rule of their Creator. Even the stars in their orbits obey (with exactitude) the law of their Creator. The next 15 minutes could be spent in thanksgiving. We thank Him for His goodness to us by giving Him our hearts. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice: and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply: "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go: your faith has saved you." (Luke 17:15-19) The third quarter spent in reparation. We offer up the trials and difficulties in our daily lives to atone for the offenses committed against Him. The final quarter spent in petition. We should ask Jesus for His love because to love God is God's greatest gift. To love God is heaven. It is to possess heaven by anticipation.