Tired or Distracted in Eucharistic Adoration? This Priest Shares Secrets from a Saint

Father Mark Goring of St. Mary Catholic Church in Ottawa, Canada shared a YouTube video providing saintly advice while meditating in adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

The priest explains that young people in his parish attend half an hour of Eucharistic adoration.

Many of them, who are advanced in the spiritual life, meditate and adore Jesus in the Eucharist. However, others find praying for 30 minutes challenging.

To help the young people, Father Goring quotes the wisdom of Saint Francis de Sales from the book entitled, Roses Among Thorns: Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey. The excerpt provides recommendations on 30-minute prayer.

Tired or distracted in Eucharistic adoration? Priest shares the secrets of a saint

Saint Francis de Sales says, ” You must not reproach yourself if you do not find consolation in meditation, but proceed gently, with patience and humility, not in any way injuring your spirit.”

“Make use of a book when you find your mind to be weary, that is to say, read a bit, and then meditate, and then read again for a bit, and then meditate until you reach the end of the half hour.

“St. Teresa of Avila made this her practice at the beginning and says that it did her great good.”

“Keep as a rule the truth that the grace of meditation cannot be won by any effort of our minds. What is required is a gentle and very affectionate perseverance full of humility.”

Finally, Father Goring recalls a passage from the Gospel of John to encourage those having difficulty in Eucharistic adoration:

“In John Chapter 6 , the Lord Jesus says, ‘I will not turn away anyone who comes to me.'”

Here’s Father Goring’s video below:

Click here if you cannot see the video above.

Here’s some additional saintly wisdom that may help counteract distractions in adoration:

“We must understand that in order ‘to do’, we must first learn ‘to be’, that is to say, in the sweet company of Jesus in Adoration.”

– St. John Paul II

“We become like that which we gaze upon. Looking into a sunset, the face takes on a golden glow. Looking at our Eucharistic Lord for an hour transforms the heart in a mysterious way.”

– Archbishop Fulton Sheen

“O Jesus! On this day, you have fulfilled all my desires. From now on, near the Eucharist, I shall be able to sacrifice myself in silence, to wait for Heaven in peace. Keeping myself open to the rays of the Divine Host, In this furnace of love, I shall be consumed, And like a seraphim, Lord, I shall love You.”

– St. Therese of Lisieux

“We ought to visit Him often. How dear to Him is a quarter of an hour spared from our occupations…to come and pray to Him, visit Him, and console Him for all the ingratitude He receives! When He sees pure souls hurrying to Him, He smiles at them. They come with that simplicity which pleases Him so much, to ask pardon for all sinners, and for the insults of so many who are ungrateful.”

– St. John Vianney