Blessed James Alberione

How to Make a Pauline Hour of Adoration

The actual method of making a Pauline hour of adoration and its simple structure follows the three-fold definition Jesus gave himself as Way, Truth, and Life. The hour of adoration is divided into three "moments," or parts. A rigid time constraint is not important; what is essential is that time be given to each of these three moments.

Adoring Jesus Truth

In the first part, we adore Jesus, listening attentively to his Word to us today and letting his truth shape our minds and attitudes.

Either at the beginning of the hour of adoration or beforehand, we can choose a theme for the hour, or ask for a particular grace. We begin with a hymn or prayer of adoration. We choose or remember the theme of our hour of adoration.

Then, asking the light of the Holy Spirit, we read a passage of Scripture, chosen according to the theme, and adore Jesus in his Word. We listen attentively, not only with our ears, but also with our hearts, letting Jesus Truth enlighten us and give us new understanding and insight. We can reread the Scripture passage, or converse with Jesus about how it touches our life and what it means for us today, in our situation. The reading may be long or short. What is important is to leave time for reflection, allowing Jesus’ saving Word to enlighten us here and now. After about twenty minutes, we conclude by responding to the Word of God with an act of faith, an affirmation of our belief in and our commitment to Christ.

Following Jesus Way

Having just recommitted ourselves to Christ, we now turn to contemplate Jesus as our Way and our Model, and we look more closely at our relationship with him.

Taking up the theme of the Scripture passage and our reflection, we contemplate God’s action in our own lives. First, we thank God for the many and marvelous ways we have been touched by God’s loving gifts. As we become aware of God’s many blessings, we realize that we have often failed to respond to those blessings. We then confront our lives with Jesus’ words and example. We ask ourselves how Jesus is calling us to follow him more closely and how we need to change—in our attitudes, actions, or desires—so that we can become more like him. Then, we express our sorrow for our sinfulness and renew our resolve to more faithfully follow our loving Master in the concrete way we live our life. We can also renew our trust that God will give us the graces we need to change. Jesus wants us to trust in him. He wants us to be his presence in the world today.

Sharing Jesus’ Life

Converted anew, we try to open our hearts completely to Jesus Life, to let his sustaining grace and peace touch our hearts so that we can bring that same peace and love to others.

In this third part, we unite ourselves to Jesus Life, and contemplate his love for the Father, for all humanity, and for each of us. We bring to God our own needs and the needs of the world. Prayer, in this third part, can be offered spontaneously, spilling from the fullness of our hearts, or it can take the form of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, the Liturgy of the Hours, a psalm, or other prayers. This is time for "prayer of the heart," that is, letting ourselves be loved by the Lord, sharing with God our needs and our deepest desires, and asking to be transformed into witnesses of his love and truth.

We conclude our hour of adoration with an act of love and return to daily life not only refreshed and renewed, but more aware of our call to bring the fullness of our life in Christ to the world in which we live and work.

Excerpt from Life for the World by Marie Paul Curley, FSP. Life for the World offers a new way of Eucharistic adoration and includes 12 complete hours of adoration for personal and group use, as well as a rich treasury of popular Eucharistic prayers. Click here for information on how to obtain your own copy.

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