Make the Most of Your Time with the Lord

Merridith Frediani reviews a new book on Eucharistic Adoration: 30 Marian Eucharistic Visits by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle.

We are in the midst of a National Eucharistic Revival, which began in June 2022. This initiative’s mission is “to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.” If you, like me, are wondering how to make the most of this time and grow closer to Jesus in the Eucharist, I recommend you read 30 Marian Eucharistic Visits: Adoring Jesus with His Mother by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle. Whether you are a Eucharistic Adoration newbie or a seasoned practitioner, your time in the Adoration chapel will be enriched.  

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic writer, speaker, TV host, and pilgrimage leader who has gifted us with a resource that gives some structure to a Catholic practice that leaves some wondering what to do while doing it.   

In paragraph 1380 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St. John Paul II is quoted:

The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.  

From the early days of the Church, the Eucharist has been adored but the practice gradually lost popularity over time. In the past decade, a renewed interest in spending time in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament has evolved and more people are now taking advantage of Christ’s desire to spend time with us and stopping in to pray and rest with Him.   

It seems simple enough on paper, but the practice of Adoration can be challenging. The Catholic Mass has a standard “playbook” if you will, that outlines when and what to respond, when to sit, stand, and kneel, and even how to approach and receive the body and blood of Jesus in communion. This ritual allows a Catholic to attend Mass almost anywhere in the world and know what is happening even if it is in an unknown language.   

Adoration is almost the polar opposite. In Adoration, there is no suggested plan. It looks different for everyone. Some are content to sit and gaze adoringly at the Host in the Monstrance, others write in a journal, some pray a Rosary, others engage in spiritual reading, and some sit quietly with closed eyes. In a world where there is much noise and busyness, it’s no surprise people struggle with the silence and stillness of Eucharistic Adoration. Yet it is here that we meet our Lord and hear his quiet voice.   

Like anything else worth doing, Adoration takes patience and practice. If you’ve never or rarely done it, pushing through for an hour may be too big an undertaking. And that’s okay. Someone new to the practice will benefit from just ten or fifteen minutes. The more you attend, the more you will learn how to quiet your mind and heart and enter into communion with Jesus. You will also discover how to spend that time and what works for you in your particular relationship with him.  

30 Marian Eucharistic Visits: Adoring Jesus with His Mother presents a formula that is accessible and do-able. The Blessed Virgin’s role is to point us toward her Son and inviting her into your time with him enhances it in a special way. After all, Jesus held her in such high regard he gifted her to all of us from the Cross.   

Each visit has a unique topic to frame your time in prayer. Topics include striving for a generous heart like Mary, giving up fear like Mary, praising God with Mary, and saying yes like Mary. When we acknowledge Mary as our mother and role model, we realize how much we can learn from her that applies to our own journey toward Christ.   

Each visit is also directive. It starts with the goal of the prayer time and a quote from the Bible or a saint to briefly ponder. Following is a short reflection on the topic to help you go deeper. Next is the same for each visit: an invitation to pray with specific prayer suggestions to help you get started. There is even encouragement, so you don’t dismay when your mind inevitably wanders. The visit ends with some words to savor, suggesting you rest in the presence of Jesus and allow him to penetrate your heart. Each visit lasts as long as you need it to, depending on how you enter into it.   

This book is a helpful resource whether you’re looking to develop a habit of Adoration, you already have a regular practice, or you're simply looking for yet another tool in your prayer toolbox.  

Copyright 2024 Merridith Frediani
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries, all rights reserved.