The 30 Minute Adoration Challenge
Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you—you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him.”
~Mother Teresa~
Happy New Year! Wait, what?
That’s right, this Sunday is the last Sunday in the Liturgical Year, which means we are quickly coming upon a new year in our Church — so let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year!
Since making new years resolutions is a common tradition, I figured it would be a good thing to do for the new liturgical year. So, my resolution is something I have been thinking about for the last few years — but never actually followed through with. 🙁
It’s the 30 Minute Adoration Challenge! Basically, it means that you try to get 30 minutes of adoration each week during Advent. It doesn’t matter how you get it — five minutes at a time — half an hour all at once — whatever works for you. Why not an hour? Baby steps, people — an entire hour intimidates me, so I’m gonna start small.
My recent trip to the Canonization of Mother Teresa convicted me that I need to make time to spend in Adoration. Life is crazy with 6 kids and everything else going on in my life, so I need Him now more than ever!
There was a moment that has stuck with me from that trip, the moment I was convinced that:
He wants to be everything for us, and we are already everything to Him.
I think Adoration is going to help me in that department — in making Him everything. So here’s my 7 Quick Takes on why I decided to take the 30 Minutes of Adoration Challenge.
1.I have been wanting to do this for years now, but I have never been able to follow through. I honestly have been using my kids as an excuse to not do it. I am very self-conscious of kid noises in quiet places — like the adoration chapel.
In general, I don’t mind kid noises too terribly much, but in the Adoration chapel I just feel like everybody else’s prayer time will be ruined — absolutely ruined! So, I don’t go because I almost always have a child with me. Last week, I walked in with my two littles and they were really quiet for about 4 minutes — and then they weren’t. 🙁
My baby decided to find his voice right there in the chapel. He just kept repeating, “Uh Oh!” Uh Oh! Uh Oh! — over and over. Strange – “Uh Oh” was the first phrase of my 3 youngest children –probably because their mom is always saying “Uh Oh! to this mess or “Uh Oh” to that disaster. Tells you a lot about life in our house!
Anyway, I now have babysitters — so no excuses anymore.
2. My husband said he’d do it too. So now I have an accountability partner. Having a partner definitely helps — especially when you live in the same house with them!
3. I want to be a good example to kids and help lead them to a deeper prayer life themselves. This is a biggie for me, because not only is my husband on board, but we are going to bring the kids with us. So, we are going to probably be tag-teaming or taking different shifts.
The world is going to have a lot of challenges, but when times get hard, I want them to remember their time in front of Jesus. I want to help lead them to Jesus and put their hands in His. The rest is up to them.
4. The stories I have heard from other people about their decision to make time for Adoration is powerful. People have kindly shared stories with me about the miracles of conversion, the vocations that have risen in areas that have regular adoration times, people being lifted out of darkness, an increase of joy etc…
People have kindy shared and I kind of want what they have — in a good way.
5. My prayer time has been mostly dry — like desert dry — for about 7 years. I know we aren’t supposed to look for consolation from God, and I don’t. I just pray anyway — no matter my feelings on the matter. But I’m starting to feel like God wants to lead me somewhere deeper than I’ve been and I need prayer and quiet and time with Him to get there. Yes, I have time with Him at home and Mass, but I’m convinced Adoration will strengthen that connection in those places too.
6. I want to get more out of Mass. How do we get more out of Mass? I think it’s maybe through an awareness of Christ’s true presence there. I want a greater connection with Jesus and I think Adoration just might help me appreciate what is really going on at Mass. It’s worth a try, right?
7. I prayed a prayer recently. I am finding out that this is a dangerous prayer — an exciting prayer — a scary prayer — a hold on to your seats kind of prayer. It was really simple, but I don’t know — it sort of has my head spinning, in a good way! It’s led me to Adoration.
Here’s the prayer:
“God, please be my everything”
So that’s my 7 Reasons to give it a try. I’d love to have you join me in this!
Are you with me? … Crickets… 🙁 Are you with me?… Please somebody tell me you’re with me on this!
Have a Great Weekend!
Linking Up With Kelly
12 Comments
Malia
I think this is awesome! About a year and a half ago, our parish started perpetual adoration. I (somewhat reluctantly) signed up for an hour a week when I knew I could always make it without kids in tow–Friday nights at 10 pm. It started as something I vowed to do once a month and has gradually grown to be a time I NEVER want to miss. What do I do during that time? Usually I start with reviewing that weekend’s mass readings (there is always a printout with some great theological commentary and reflection so I can truly understand and dig deep into the readings). Oftentimes I’ll pray a rosary, sometimes I bring my prayer journal, and sometimes I simply just sit and BE STILL. It’s been a great lesson in quieting my soul and I can honestly say it has deepened not only my prayer life, but also my clarity in discerning God’s will for me. So many difficult decisions have come to be made after spending time in Adoration. My husband took the plunge too and signed up to share a spot with a few other guys (it’s a difficult hour to fill, 3 am on Friday mornings, which is why they take turns). He will also testify to having grown very much spiritually since making this commitment. And I agree, it’s great to let your kids see you doing this. Forgoing more “glamourous” plans on Fridays for a date with Jesus is something I want them to see me doing. As the older ones get older I plan to bring them with me during earlier hours. I really just can’t stress enough how even just sitting in the silence of an adoration chapel brings peace in one’s heart that just can’t be described. And even if I can’t feel/see changes taking place I do know that God is changing my heart a little at a time. I can attest to the dryness of prayer that so often occurs when you are wrangling littles all day–we have 5 kids under 9 and most days I’m just trying to make it through the day. I always look forward to adoration time to re-group and feed my soul. Thanks for posting this!!
Moira
Malia,
Wow, I have honestly always been afraid to sign up for an hour — I’ve always been unsure of whether I could sit there for that long — but honestly, I’m thinking that once you start, it gets easier to quiet yourself and really start to enter in more fully to uninterrupted prayer. Well, you’re my hero — I’ll work towards that hour if I can. 🙂 And your husband took the 3am spot? Wow, he’s hardcore. That is amazing. And 5 kids 9 and under? Okay, no more excuses. Awesome! Thanks for your comments! I’ll say some prayers for you in adoration and please say some for me!
~Moira~
Kate
I love your posts so much! I keep sharing it with them with a bunch of friends.
Moira
Kate! Hey, thanks so much Kate — I am honored coming from such an accomplished writer as yourself. 🙂 Hey, we’re going to see you soon — can’t wait!
Mary
Sounds like a wonderful idea! I’m with you…and I have no excuses, uh, I mean little children, so don’t know what I’ve been waiting for. Thanks for the suggestion.
Moira
Mary, so glad you’re joining us! Say some prayers for me and I’ll say some for you. 🙂
Wendy from Zoom
Awesome! I love it! I try for Adoration once a week now that my kids are a bit older,and I can really tell the weeks I manage it- I feel much more peaceful and centered on the Lord. Great idea for Advent. I wonder if I could try getting a little extra Adoration time. Anyway, I’m with you! 🙂
Moira
Yay Wendy! So glad to know you’re with me!!! We’ll stay united in prayer! God bless and thanks for the comment!
Madeleine
Hi Moira,
I am with you on this. I am fortunate enough that my homeschool child has his violin lesson at the catholic primary school just at the same time adoration and rosary and benediction is on. How lucky is that. I love sitting in the quiet and solve so many problems and feel reguvenated.
Blessings, madeleine
Moira
Madeleine,
Wow, sounds like Jesus was looking out for you — and that sounds like something Mary would orchestrate — being a mother and all she gets that we need to fit these things in between all the kid’s activities, right? That’s a big win-win all around! Thanks for the comment! I’ll be praying for you in Adoration!
Pam
Moira- I am with you! I did Adoration a couple of years ago after finding every excuse in the book NOT to do it. I didn’t have the time! Then I read something from Scott Hahn that he felt similarly- until he tried it on a regular basis. He found out that just spending one hour with Jesus a week seemed to open up all sorts of time for him. Well, there went my excuse- so I did it and LOVED it. Unfortunately, I have wandered away and have been looking for a reason to start again. You just gave it to me!
Moira
Pam, That is really encouraging about the giving of time to God and how He gives back more than we give to Him! Thanks for that insight! And I’m so excited you will be joining me. Please pray for me and I’ll be praying for you! God bless!