I love adoration, but sometimes situations arise during my Holy Hour that make it downright impossible to be in the prayerful moment.  

In the chapel at night, there’s a knock at the door, a chatty couple rummages for a rosary, or children in tow drum on the pew behind me — not to mention the countless items on my still-to-do checklist that take some time to quiet as I seek some inner calm. 

Have you found yourself in similar predicaments, or is it just me? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please write to us directly to share your story and advice for keeping our Holy Hours ... holy! 

We will also seek out several notable experts to offer their insights on truly being present in the Real Presence of Christ. 

Please share your experience(s) in the comments below with your email or feel free to write me directly at [email protected] with the subject line “Holy Hour hiccups.”

We can glean inspiration from a Holy Hour witness en masse.

It was amazing: This month, more than a million youth gathered Aug. 2 on the 237-acre grounds of the University of Rome Tor Vergata to join Pope Leo XIV in adoration. Thousands spent all night on their knees in deep prayer. 

“Each time we adore Christ in the Eucharist, our hearts will be united in him,” the Pontiff said, and he recommended praying to the Lord: “Stay with us, because without you we cannot do the good we desire.”

“Adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, the source of eternal life,” Pope Leo reminded the young people gathered. “Study, work and love according to the example of Jesus, the good Teacher who always walks beside us.”

The beautiful Eucharistic encounter from this August harks back to a previous one literally 32 years ago this week. In 1993, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, when Pope John Paul II prayed fervently with youth in front of the Blessed Sacrament during World Youth Day Denver. Many, including JPII’s biographer George Weigel, consider that event to be a turning point in Catholicism, and many say the ripple effects are still being felt. As Weigel eloquently noted on the 25th anniversary of the colossal affair: 

“The event itself was a marvel. The helicopter pilot who flew John Paul into the old Mile High Stadium said the noise from the cheering crowd created air turbulence the likes of which he hadn’t experienced since being under fire when flying in Vietnam. The chief of police later noted that there hadn’t been a single felony arrest in the city during the entire time World Youth Day was underway — right after Denver had been experiencing a serious crime wave. Skeptical people who hadn’t seen the inside of a church in years found themselves giving water and candy to young pilgrims as they walked 15 miles through and out of the city they’d transformed, to the closing Vigil and Mass at Cherry Creek State Park.”

That mile-high Eucharistic moment was profound.

And we know why.

St. John Paul II explained in Ecclesia de Eucharistia: 

“The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift — however precious — among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work.” 

We can also look to the inspiration from soon-to-be-saint Carlo Acutis who worked tirelessly to track Eucharistic miracles across the globe. The first millennial saint once said, "By standing before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy.”

Yes, there are countless reasons to come before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, so we want to help you with any issues you are having in your Holy Hour. Please reach out and we look forward to hearing from you!

And I will leave you with another beautiful reflection from dear Carlo. 

"The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”