Best-selling author Richard Exley, in his book titled “And Then He Called my Name,” presents the tragedy and triumph of the cross in ways we’ve never before experienced.
In the opening chapter he takes us back to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before Jesus’ passion where we hear the fear and distress he is experiencing as his crucifixion nears.
“Gethsemane is a favorite place of mine where I often come to be alone with my Father; but tonight it affords me no comfort. It is dark and foreboding, not at all like a place of prayer.
Turning to Peter, James and John, I confide: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.
Now I am alone and plead with my Father: Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. With trembling hands I lift the cup and look deep into its dark dregs. I am determined to drink it, but I cannot. What I see causes my soul to recoil in horror.
I stumble from the place of prayer, seeking the comfort of my friends. To my amazement I find them sleeping. Grabbing Peter by the shoulder I shake him: Could you not keep watch for one hour?”
2000 thousand years after His passion and death Jesus remains present among us. We have the supreme act of sacrifice in the Holy Mass, the Lord's Supper. We have the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of Ecclesial Life.
In the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of Jesus Christ--and therefore the whole Christ--is truly, really and substantially contained.
During the consecration the bread becomes His body and the wine becomes His blood. Where either body or blood is, there is Christ-- body and blood, soul and divinity. Jesus didn’t say “This is a symbol of my body and this is a symbol of my blood, but rather this is my body and my blood.” This is the Doctrine of the Real Presence.
As Catholics we are blessed with the sacraments and the gift of God's friendship. We have the inspired word of God in Sacred Scripture. We have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit who brings comfort in times of doubt--and courage when we face conflict and fear. We have Jesus truly present in our beautiful adoration chapel.
Throughout His three-year ministry Jesus changed the lives of ordinary people. May we honor Jesus’ request to “Keep watch with Him for one hour.” See how He will change your life….
Deacon Dick Renard
The church I grew up in had perpetual adoration, I didn’t understand what that quiet room held. When I peeked inside, I saw a somber, dimly lit, mysterious chapel with lots of pamphlets scattered about, and “old people” kneeling. I didn’t understand that they were keeping Jesus company 24-hours a day 7-days a week, or that their prayers were bringing untold graces to our parish and the world. I was lukewarm and really missing out!
As an adult, I moved to St. Louis, I started listening to Catholic Radio on my commute and kept hearing about eucharistic adoration. Through the kind, persistent evangelization of an older parishioner, I began to believe that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist. My life changed after that. Jesus mercifully becomes one with us every time we receive communion (wow)! I started dabbling in eucharistic adoration at parishes that had a chapel. My prayer was more stiff back and “forced” back then, but I was learning from the others’ reverent and loving prayer in the chapel.
Once Fr. Jack started the adoration chapel at St Peter, I signed up for a slot, which was no small feat since my husband and I had young children. I remember bringing my newborn daughter and sometimes just trying to keep my eyes open the entire hour. As my life got busier, I thought I didn’t have time for regular visits to the chapel. I would visit once in a while, especially in times of “crisis”. Although these infrequent visits to the chapel did have some benefits, I was missing the graces that came with a regular commitment.
This past Lent our parish started perpetual eucharistic adoration. Selfishly, I did not want to commit to a solid hour every week. Deep down I knew my prayer life was stagnating and I thought it would be a good “sacrifice” for Lent. God did wonders with that consistent 6-week commitment, and I am still showing up months later! My adoration is more relaxed and different every week. I am humbled and inspired at the devotion fellow parishioners show Jesus. My adoration hour has become a treasured, beloved, and protected hour in my week.
Now I better understand that mysterious room of my childhood parish, and I think the prayers from that room helped me understand in some mysterious way.
Susan Martin
Be Still and Know that I am God (Psalm 46)
My experience of adoring Christ in the tabernacle and exposition is a great gift to my life. I am able to settle myself and appreciate that I am in the true presence of God as the Eucharist. This realization took a while to become apparent to me.
I am the living bread come down from heaven… the bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world (John 6:51)
In adoration, we are in the true presence of God the Son whose sacrifice was for our salvation. Jesus left himself for us as the Eucharist so we can consume Christ in Mass. Adoration gives us a different kind of opportunity to worship and acknowledge the gift of Christ’s sacrifice.
…After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound (1 Kings 19:12)
A truly beautiful part of adoration is the silence of the worship that allows us to listen for the still small voice of God and allow that connection into how we live, pray and deal with our world/struggles/relationships.
I highly recommend the practice of adoration in the St. Peter chapel – It has changed my life.
James Royal
"When you visit Him, He forgets your sins and speaks only of His joy, His tenderness, and His love." - St. Peter Julian Eymard
By the time 3 am on Friday rolls around (my Eucharistic Adoration hour), I am exhausted from the work-week, and from taking care of my family.
It is often tough to give an ounce more to anyone, let alone an hour to God.
At first, it was difficult to rise so early, as I found my thoughts scrambling about all the things I "should" be doing: like sleeping. But, as I discipline myself to sit before God, I truly feel His presence and often hear His quiet voice, which brings my soul peace.
Eucharistic Adoration is now the highlight of my week! Amongst the hectic schedules and To-Do lists, it remains a serene hour of prayer and contemplation.
God takes our small efforts, does great things with what we give him, and blesses us abundantly.
If you long to feel His love and know His endless mercy, if you need healing and hope to fill your heart, then turn to His Holy Host exposed out of love for you!
"There was a time I did not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. How can that really be His Body and His Blood? It doesn’t look like anything but a wafer of bread and some wine. I practiced my Faith “just in case God really does exist.” Then one Easter I had a conversion experience that left no doubt in my mind that He exists and is alive today and is really and truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament. I went to Reconciliation after ten years and three days later I felt God filling my heart with His love and joy. I felt like I know He exists. He healed my heart of the hardness that came from years of bearing life’s hurts and disappointments and my own sins and failings. Most of us bear these pains, but we mustn’t bear them alone. Now I know that Jesus loves each one of you personally so much. He has a great desire for you to share your life with Him and to be a part of your life.
Have you ever been aware that someone was looking at you and turned to see who it was? That is how I sometimes feel in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. I close my eyes and truly feel Jesus there, almost like I could open them and see Him standing there looking at me. I see only the “wafer of bread, but I know there is so much more. Spending time in Adoration before the exposed Blessed Sacrament has brought such peace and joy to my life. Problems that seemed insurmountable when I arrive, all but disappear as He opens my eyes to simple solutions or a new understanding or viewpoint.
Each person’s experience can be different, but I believe now more than ever He wants each one of us here at St. Peter’s to spend time with Him in Adoration each week. Couples, families, children, young and old. He wants to renew, empower, heal, restore and refresh us so we can change the world by sharing the peace and love He will pour out on us with the whole world – with our families, friends, workplaces, schools and everywhere we go. Come. Let us worship."
Kathy Fotouhi
"My name is Jeanette Pence and I have been a parishioner at St. Peter Parish for 27 years. I was raised in Kansas City where I attended a Catholic grade school and high school. My husband Jerry and I met in college and we have been married for 35 years.
I have most often loved and depended on my faith to help me get through things. As an adult I have especially enjoyed learning about my faith. While sending our two oldest sons through Vianney High School and feeling the familiarity of the Marianist Charism to the faith of my father - I studied and became a Vowed Lay Marianist in 2014. As much as I have enjoyed these processes, the greatest joy of my heart has been in coming to spend time with Jesus in the Adoration Chapel. Through recent religious studies, I have learned that I have a contemplative spirit. Spending time in the Adoration Chapel allows my spirit to be free and express myself in prayer and journaling with Jesus who is my truest friend, brother, and companion. He gently opens truths about myself and my situations showing me a gentler and more solid path. Many times He will reveal His great love for me by opening my heart after our visit through joy.
I find the Adoration Chapel is a place for me, for any mood that I might be in. It has been a place to cry, celebrate, reflect and ponder the great mysteries of God. I am so grateful to Kathy Fotouhi, Kristi Dentinger, and all who have made this meeting place with Jesus available to each one of us."
- Jeanette Pence
"My name is Ron Jensen, a St. Peter parishioner for 3 years now. During our year of the Covid pandemic, I spent time working at growing in my faith. But despite participating in Zoom prayer group meetings and Bible studies, I needed something more. I realized that I didn’t have a close relationship with Jesus. My prayers to him were infrequent and usually were requests for help for myself or others - or thanks for answers to previous requests. I wanted, I needed, to have a close, personal relationship with Jesus, one as like with a “best friend”. I sought a friendship that would grow and deepen over time through frequent conversations; conversations for me to share my fears, sorrows, and things that bring me joy or peace, and then - to listen. The opening up of our Adoration Chapel at St. Peter during Lent this year (Wednesday through Friday) to worship the Real Presence of our Lord was the answer to my prayer. I selected a nighttime hour and found incredible peace in my weekly conversations with our Lord. I discovered many amazing printed materials available in our Adoration Chapel and also online, to help beginners like me find our way in having these conversations. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to grow in my relationship with Jesus, talking and listening to him throughout the day now, as well as at Chapel. Taking the next step can bring you similar joy, peace, strength and grace, I'm confident. You will see."
- Ron Jensen
"My name is Christy Ridenhour and I wanted to share my experience so far with committing to one hour a week with Jesus at the Adoration Chapel: it’s been AMAZING! I didn’t know I needed that one hour each week to simply slow down, breathe and sit with Jesus. Of course, He knew I needed it. He is my Shepherd. Here’s the thing, I can honestly say I was dragging my feet to commit to the same hour each week. I was concerned about my calendar and making a commitment. I like flexibility. However, my Father knows me better than I know myself. He knows my needs before I do. Once I committed to the same hour each week, it actually made my calendar more simple! I cherish my hour every week.
Jesus, thank you for shepherding me to your real presence. It’s a privilege that you would want to spend time with me. I love you."
- Christy Ridenhour
"I'd been to adoration in the past, but had never made a solid weekly commitment. I also tended to go to places where the Eucharist was exposed - so not usually St. Peter. When the opportunity arose for 24 hour exposed adoration during Lent, I decided to commit to an hour. I chose to do the 4am to 5am hour. It was my way of adding something during Lent and giving something up - a little sleep. I also thought I was helping out by covering one of the pre-dawn hours.
That's a lot of "I" talk, isn't it?
Turns out, it's been all Him.
He's kept me coming back even after Lent. In all those still-of-night hours, alone with Him, He has wooed me and transformed my prayer life. Every visit has been different. He initiates and leads. Intimacy.
You'll see. He will do the same with you.
I am unable to explain the calm joy I feel driving through the quiet streets of Kirkwood - inching ever closer to my destination - Him. I am ever-grateful for this unbelievable gift He has given us: to be with us until the end of time - body, blood, soul, and divinity."
- Kassie O'Brien