Catholic Herald

A darkened sanctuary.  The Eucharist exposed in a golden monstrance and placed on the altar.  Stillness.  Adorers bowing in prayer.  A group of children filing in to gather near the altar.

No, this isn’t a game of “one of these things is not like the others.”  Children really do belong at Eucharistic adoration.

In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI recommended that “in their catechetical training, and especially in their preparation for First Holy Communion, children be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus, and helped to cultivate a sense of awe before his presence in the Eucharist.”  Eucharistic adoration involves praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament—whether it is exposed in a monstrance or reposed in the tabernacle—and it offers one special way that we, and our kids, can spend time with Jesus.

Father David Simonetti is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Relevant Radio contributor who promotes adoration.  He describes how the hustle and bustle of modern life can drown out our interior silence.  When we recover it in adoration, Father says, “we can begin to hear the Lord speak to our hearts and calm our fears, attend to our deepest needs.”  As we develop our prayer relationship with Jesus, our appreciation for all of the sacraments deepens, and we receive the graces to go out and serve God in our corner of the world.

As Father Simonetti describes, tapping into these graces can be especially important for parents.  Adoration strengthens us to fulfill our charge and allows us to teach our kids, by example, what is truly important in this world: focusing on Jesus as the source of life.

How, then, to introduce your children to quiet contemplation — a state of being that seems decidedly un-kidlike?  Find out when Eucharistic adoration occurs at your parish, and bring your kids for a brief visit.

My commitment to this approach was recently bolstered by the witness of a young mom in my own parish.  I was toddler-less at adoration; and while I knew this time was personally important, the Holy Spirit had been whispering that Junior needed a turn too.  Just in case I wasn’t listening, in walked a mother carrying a baby and leading a toddler.  They knelt down behind me, and — in a brief, whispered conversation—prayed for their special intentions and told Jesus they loved him.  Then they quietly stood up and slipped out.  The visual stuck with me as both an “Ok, I get it” moment and proof that kids can understand and adore if given the chance.

If you just aren’t sure your family can show up without chaos ensuing, or you’d like to give your child a more interactive experience, or ask your priest if he, or someone else in the parish, could lead one.  Through the guidance of a leader, children might pray, sing, listen to a talk on Scripture, or bow in silent prayer.  Apostolates such as Children of Hope offer online materials to help start a children’s Holy Hour. Father Simonetti also offers a DVD retreat called “Stay With Us Lord” that could serve as a starting point (for details email: contact@frsimonetti.com).

“May our adoration never cease.”  Pope John Paul II offered this prayer, urging us to “be generous with our time in going to meet him in adoration.”  Let’s take Pope John Paul II up on this and meet Jesus regularly, so we can hear and respond to his call in our lives.

McClure is a mom, educator, and freelance writer.  Visit her blog at http://aemwriting.com

Anne McClure
“Finding the Source and Summit”
I don’t remember the day I knew that the Eucharist was the precious body and blood of Jesus. On an intellectual level I accepted this to be the Catholic position, having attended all of the appropriate religion classes. On a spiritual level, not so much.
And then suddenly, one day, it was true. Like Saint Paul, something like scales fell from my eyes (although I certainly wouldn’t go any further in comparing myself to a saint). Without a doubt, Jesus was really present. He loved me, and he longed for me to draw near to Him.
What was missing from my reception of Communion for all those years? The relationship. Our faith is about a relationship with Jesus. The Eucharist — what Vatican II document Lumen Gentium called the “source and summit of the Christian life” — is the most tangible way we experience Jesus’ relational presence. Simply put: Through the Eucharist, we experience and deepen a relationship with Jesus.
Monsignor Stuart Swetland leads the President’s Council for Catholic Identity at Mount Saint Mary’s University — a position he accepted after doing wonders for Catholic identity at the University of Illinois.
Monsignor Swetland identifies relationship as the purpose of all our Catholic traditions; with the Eucharist first and foremost. Because presence and communication are “the foundational realities of human relationship,” we must also seek them in our relationship with God. Monsignor points out that God communicates through Christ and His teachings, but, because we are bodily beings, “God becomes present to us through the sacramental life.” The Eucharist allows us to really draw near to our God.
If, as Monsignor suggests and I experienced, “the real presence is a meaningless fact unless you have a relationship with Christ,” how do you get that relationship? Monsignor’s advice: “Turn. Quit running. Turn and say, ‘Ok, I want to be your friend.’”
When I turned and quit running, my entire understanding of my life and my faith changed. If you do the same, your family will notice — whether it’s a sudden change or a renewed effort. But how to explain? Maybe you don’t have the words to share this mysterious relationship with your kids. You’re not alone. At some stages, words seem futile. (This coming from a woman whose toddler frequently asks, “Me cracker?” in the Communion line).
If words aren’t there yet, remember that actions usually speak louder anyway. This week, bring the family to church on a day you normally wouldn’t. Sit down in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Pray. Next week? Repeat.
You’ll want to pre-teach this experience if it’s new to your kids. Explain what they will see, smell, hear, and do: “Jesus will be in the tabernacle. We will sit or kneel and quietly say ‘I love you Jesus’” — that sort of thing. Establishing expectations for church behavior will eliminate (or at least minimize!) mad dashes for the altar or attempts to bathe in the baptismal font; and these quick visits to Jesus’ house will help you all to open the doors of your hearts and let Him in.
Saint Augustine heard God tell him, “I am the food of the fully grown; grow and you will feed on me.” If we want our children to feed on God as they grow, we have to make the Eucharist the source and summit of our own lives and embrace Jesus’ surprising offer to draw near to Him.
Anne McClure is a mom, educator, and freelance writer. Visit her blog at http://aemwriting.com.