Next weekend, November 16-18, we will be celebrating a special anniversary in the parish. Twenty-five years ago, under the leadership of Fr. Michael O’Connor, the Perpetual Adoration Chapel was opened. What has made the Perpetual Adoration Chapel so successful has been the dedicated parishioners (and non-parishioners) who have faithfully committed to spending an hour or more with our Eucharistic Lord every week. From what I have been able to find out, our Perpetual Adoration Chapel is the longest running one in any parish in the Diocese of Trenton.
Such a tremendous testament of faith and love of Jesus Christ needs to be celebrated. Therefore, this coming Friday, November 16, we will be starting the 40 Hours Devotion with the celebration of Solemn Vespers. The Blessed Sacrament, displayed in a monstrance, will be moved from the Chapel to the main altar of Holy Name Church. We pray Solemn Vespers (Evening Prayer). Psalms will be sung, the Word of God will be proclaimed. The Blessed Sacrament will remain exposed on the main altar from Vespers until the end of the 10 AM Mass on Sunday, November 18. At the end of the 10 AM Mass on Sunday, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed again, and we will have a Eucharistic Procession (weather permitting, we will go outside) as we return the monstrance to the Adoration Chapel. Children from our Religious Education will be leading the Procession.
While it is unclear when it was first started, the 40 Hours Devotion has been a special period of continuous prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition for centuries. The focus of the devotion is Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. The number 40 is very special in our Catholic Faith, as it usually relates to a sacred period of time. In the Old Testament, the rains during the time of Noah lasted for 40 days and nights, Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, and the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. In the New Testament, Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days before beginning His public ministry, He spent 40 hours in the tomb, and He appeared to His disciples for 40 days after the Resurrection before He ascended to Heaven.
As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium, #11), as it is truly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Without taking away from the fact that the Mass is the central act of worship, Eucharistic Adoration invites us to experience the Real Presence of Jesus in a very unique way.
As the schedule on the opposite page indicates, we are going to offer the different hours for a different intention. I know that our faithful Adorers will be participating in our 40 Hours Devotion, but I would also invite the whole parish to participate. Maybe you have never done an hour of adoration; this is a perfect opportunity to give it a try. Jesus is looking for you, will you give Him an hour? Will you give Him your heart?