ADORATION RETURNS
I have some happy news. As you know, our Lower Church is unusable, for now. That has impeded our use of the Upper Church for adoration on the First Friday into First Saturday. But we checked and there are no rehearsals or any other uses for the Upper Church for July and August First Fridays. So, we will reinstate the 24 hour adoration on July 2nd from 9a.m. Friday until 9 a.m. Saturday. May I strongly encourage everyone to consider giving an hour of adoration to Our Lord Jesus? After all it was He who said, “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” (Mark 14:37). JFH  Posted 062710

24 HOUR ADORATION

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be held on the first Friday of the month in the Lower Church after the 9 AM Mass and will continue until the 9 AM Mass on Saturday. Please use the sign-up sheets located in the foyer in the Upper Church to ensure coverage.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Many of our parishioners who were brought up prior to Vatican II have fond memories of time spent in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Others of us might need a simple explanation of what ADORATION is about. Eucharistic Adoration, a devotion which dates back to the 13th century is recognizing and honoring the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus is no longer present to humankind as He was when He walked the roads of Palestine but He has made Himself present to us through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Simply put, Adoration is:
*sharing our lives, hopes and struggles with the Lord.
*being in His presence, recognizing His sovereignty over our lives.
*listening to what the Lord has to say to me.
*believing in his tremendous love and care for us.
*accepting His will in our lives.
*knowing He is our God.

VISITING OUR LORD IN THE TABERNACLE:
“How pleasing to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is the short quarter of an hour that we steal from our occupations, from something of no use, to come and pray to Him, to visit Him, to console Him.” (See: “Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars”, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 424, Rockford, Illinois 61105).

Holy Family Church is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mass is celebrated daily at 6:50 and 9:00 a.m. and on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. Come to Christ!

See also Prayer & Liturgy

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Each first Friday of the month we enjoy a 24 hour Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the Lower Church: from 9 AM Friday until 9 AM on Saturday. I encourage you to make time for Jesus by giving an hour, or whatever time you can to being with Him.

I have mentioned that with frequent Communion there has arisen the danger of folks receiving in a state of sin and thus, perhaps through ignorance, insulting the Lord through sacrilege. Saint John addressed this evil in his day:

 “To what outrages does Our Lord expose Himself in the Blessed Sacrament that He may remain in the midst of us! He is there to console us, and therefore we ought to visit Him often.”

He also said, “Grieve over the contempt cast upon Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and try to make amends for it by a greater and more ardent love.”

ENCOURAGEMENT
I encourage you all to visit Our Lord in Church anytime, but especially during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. And if it is only a few minutes that you can spare, give Him those few minutes with love. JFH