St. Joseph the Worker Chapel

What am I supposed to do in adoration?

There are no hard and fast rules. The idea is to spend some time alone with Jesus.
You start by entering the chapel and kneeling on both knees as a sign of profound reverence for the God in whose presence you just entered. After kneeling for a moment, just find a seat and/or continue to kneel at one of the prieu-dieus (kneelers) that are set up directly in front of the monstrance (golden ornate holder) containing the Blessed Sacrament. When you leave the chapel you should once again kneel on both knees for a moment acknowledging the Lord's presence as you take your leave of Him.

How should I spend the time? Do I have to spend a whole hour?

You can read prayers, or just worship Him freely ad lib, giving Him thanks, praising Him for his goodness. Often many of us find that reading the scriptures, particularly the Psalms that praise God are excellent helps during adoration. There are always bibles and devotional booklets available in the chapel for your use.
If you can't think of anything to say to Him, just ask him to speak to you in the silence of the chapel. Bask in the beauty of His presence. You may or may not "feel" anything, but it is with the eyes of faith that we behold Him. Some people have been deeply touched in their emotions in the presence of the Lord in adoration and many don't necessarily feel any different, other than a sense of comfort knowing we are so close to our Lord in the exposed Blessed Sacrament. You can also use the time to present your needs and requests to Him in a way that is more intimate than praying at home. Jesus is in front of you, "tell him your heart", and allow time for Him to "tell you His heart."
If you have never spent an hour in adoration I suggest starting out by spending smaller increments of time, perhaps 15 minutes. After repeated visits to Jesus, some days the time will fly, other times not so. Ideally it would be great if every parishioner could spend one hour a week with Jesus in the chapel, but we are all at different places in our life with varying degrees of busyness and commitments. Time with Jesus should be a pleasure and not an obligation!
If you "just don't get it" yet, don't worry. Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you in the Eucharist and He will always answer that prayer. Adoration of the Eucharist is a spiritual devotion that has changed the lives of many souls and has also been the source of spiritual energy for many saints. Both John Paul 2 and Mother Teresa spent time each day with the Lord in adoration. The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen as well as many priests now such as Fr. Larry Richards spend an hour with Jesus daily in adoration.

What Should I Not Do in Adoration?
People come to adoration to get a quiet time away from the world and to be alone with the Lord. It is best to not engage in conversation with others until you are outside. Some folks like to pray by whispering or praying the rosary in hushed tones. Unfortunately, this can provide a distraction for others who benefit from the silence of the adoration chapel.
We spend most hours of our day talking, but the chapel affords us the opportunity to just sit back and listen and let the Lord do the speaking!
If you need to speak with someone in the chapel, wait until they have finished their time with the Lord and then meet them outside the chapel.

Finally, if you have any other questions about adoration, feel free to comment on this blog or speak with one of our fine priests or deacons. God bless you.

"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."
--Blesses Pope John Paul II

"Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us."
--St. Alphonsus Liguori

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it."
--St. Augustine

Let's follow after the saints who God has given us as role models for our faith.
Let's pray that the Lord will give us a passion to spend time with him in adoration .
We aren't saints (yet) but by living and loving as they did we can become saints!