Nocturnal Adoration Society

          “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 20

 

The Nocturnal Adorations Society is an international association of Catholics dedicated to prayer before the Eucharist for the praise of God and for the needs of the world.

The Purpose of the Society is to:

  • Unite the members in prayer before the Exposed Blessed Sacrament
  • To deepen the experience of communion with Christ Eucharistic as he continues his self- offering and saving influence, and to revitalize Christian commitment
  • To pray for the needs of the Church and the world at large

 

Membership is open to all Catholics of any age and entails one commitment -  to spend one hour once a month, on a given night, at a designated hour, in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a church where the Society, in the form of a local chapter, is established.  There are no dues and no prescribed social activities other than prayer.

The St. Sylvester Chapter of the Nocturnal Adoration Society prays together before the Exposed Blessed Sacrament on the First Friday of each month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.  During the hour there are periods of common, private and silent prayer.  For our common prayer the Society uses the liturgical prayer known as The Office of the Blessed Sacrament, taken from the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours. The Office includes recitation of psalms, traditional prayers, Scripture readings, and hymns. You need not be a member of the Society to pray with us during that time.

On First Fridays there are additional opportunities for adoration. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed at the six o’clock hour for silent adoration which will continue from 6pm – 7pm. The Society’s adoration through the office will then proceed from 7pm – 8pm.  The third hour of First Friday adoration will be from 8pm.-9pm and conducted in Spanish. Benediction will conclude our adoration time at the 9 o’clock hour.

 

For your consideration:

 

                              “He will dwell among you” (Zechariah 2:15)

 

Have you ever heard of a chancel lamp?  It’s that lantern or candle in a church that tells us that Jesus is present in the tabernacle.  You might think it was developed as a kind of signal to let people know that they need to be reverent when they enter a church, but there is a lot more to it than this. Think back to the Book of Exodus.  When Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they felt vulnerable, scared, and isolated.  God understood their anxiety and led them with a pillar of fire.  The fire reminded them the He was with them and would guide and protect them always.  Remember, too, the return of God’s people from exile in Babylon.  They were filled with joy as they began to rebuild their lives in the city of Jerusalem.  But they were also concerned about the nations around them.  Would God protect them and let them live in peace?  The prophet Zechariah promises that God will be with them, this time as a wall of fire.  He will protect them, and even more, will be present among them as they rebuild.

Wouldn’t you love to have that same kind of comfort and peace - some sign that God is accompanying you on your journey?  The flame of the chancel lamp is that sign.  In every church, the chancel lamp is there to tell you that Jesus is present.  It’s there to remind you of his faithfulness - when you feel vulnerable, anxious, joyful, contented, or scared.   It’s there to tell you that Jesus is really and truly present, hidden inside the tabernacle, just as he is present and hidden in the depths of your heart.

Of course, we know that God is always present to us.  Our Bible says so; our catechism says so; even our own memory of past events says so.  Still, his presence in the Blessed Sacrament stands above all of these assurances.  Visible or hidden, understandable yet mysterious, he is inviting you to come sit with him.  Can you take a few moments out of your day and respond to his invitation? Go spend time with him; he just may have a special message for you.

“Thank you, Jesus, for your perpetual presence! Thank you for enlightening my heart!”

                                                                                                                 (Taken from Word Among Us)