Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the only place that binds heaven to us. Above all, Jesus is reaching His hand out to us, why not take it and receive it!

Caitlin Kim

A disciple of Jesus, Caitlin Kim, is a wife to her true love, a mother to six blessings, and (sometimes) a writer.  She lives on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin with her family. Further, Caitlin earned her Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry and Theology from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She has written for Busted Halo and keeps (read: miserably neglects) a blog at ourladyofthelaundry.wordpress.com and can be found on Twitter @caitlinkkim.

What is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament?

In this episode, I talk to Caitlin about the Blessed Sacrament.
She explains:
-What is the Blessed Sacrament?
-What to do in front of the Blessed Sacrament?
-How to handle distractions?
-What is the fruit of this practice?
-How to bring children to Adoration?

When I asked Caitlin on such short notice to talk about the Adoration, I was surprised by how prompt and enthusiastic she was despite her busy schedule with 6 children. It was such a blessing because I honestly thought I wouldn’t find anyone to talk about Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Comparatively, Adoration is my personal favorite among other traditions. I’ve kind of become hooked to it. Of course, there’s some magnetism that draws me there. Personally, I’ve seen the fruit of patience develop in my life through Adoration. Yes, I’ve had answers and directions but Adoration means a lot of waiting. In a similar vein,The Divine Retreat missions always say that the more time you spend at the Blessed Sacrament, the more you become like Jesus.

How to spend time in Adoration?

Caitlin has some beautiful advice. Start with a few minutes, she says. It’s hard for us to keep still. Our minds often wander. However, this is a practice that takes time. First, just acknowledge Jesus and yes, adore Him. Thank Him. In addition, use any of the names mentioned in the Bible to address Him.

Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10)
Bread of God (John 6:33)
Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
Creator (John 1:3)
Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)
Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
High Priest (Heb. 2:17)
Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)
Holy One (Acts 3:14)
Hope (1 Tim. 1:1)
I Am (John 8:58)
Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Light of the World (John 8:12)
Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)
Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)
Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)
Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9)
Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13)
Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6)
Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)
Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
Son of David (Lk. 18:39)
Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
True Vine (John 15:1)

Acknowledge your failings and finally bring your petitions to God. But, if you find yourself distracted on bored, ask Jesus for help. And this is some truly good advice. I’ve struggled with my mind during adoration, often too focused on my own problems and anxieties. Sadly, I’m sometimes only there with a “Gimme, gimme,” attitude. Finally, Caitlin does say that we can simply remain and as Vinita last week mentioned, “Just bathe in God’s light and let His gaze rest on You.”

My Experience with the Blessed Sacrament

I truly believe that the Blessed Sacrament has been a transforming power in my life. For instance, during some of my deepest and darkest moments, the Blessed Sacrament has been a miraculous and stabilizing solace for me. Subsequently, my spiritual journey and the decisions I’ve made, have all been before the Blessed Sacrament. Understandably, not many churches have adoration services. During Lent, many churches will offer an hour of Adoration every Friday, take advantage of this and see if you can start this beautiful practice. In NY at St. Catherine of Siena Church and St. Agnes Church, there’s usually one at 3pm daily. On Staten Island, Alba House has 24 hours adoration. See if you can make it to one at your local parish.

Our Hope

I strongly believe that the spiritual health of a parish is directly proportional to the amount of time it’s parishioners spend in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. However, with all the controversy within the Church, the complaints about a lack of piety among the lay and religious, let us reflect on the time we’re spending praying for “said piety.” In conclusion, it is my hope that through our podcast we may be able to encourage more people to take up the Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

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