| CtR Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration |
| Questions and Answers (updated 9.07) |
| I�m a new Adorer! What do I do first?
WHAT IF I CANNOT ADORE AT MY SCHEDULED TIME? I missed my scheduled time. What do I do now? How can I be prepared for an emergency replacement? WHAT IF I WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER TIME? TELL ME ABOUT MY HOURLY CAPTAIN. Are there other Leaders or resource people available to help me? WOW! I didn�t know there were so many people involved! Tell me more! WHAT DO ALL THESE ACRONYMS STAND FOR? WHAT IS �PROPER ETIQUETTE� BEFORE THE EUCHARIST? Can I pray the Rosary before The Eucharist? I�m not a member of the Church; am I welcome? I�M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH MAKING MY HOUR; IS THAT NORMAL? Is there anything I can do to have a more fruitful Holy Hour? What might I expect during my Holy Hour? I�m a new Adorer! What do I do first? Accept our warm welcome to the Team, and contact your Hourly Captain to introduce yourself. Tell your Hourly Captain when you will be adoring. Be in contact with your Hourly Captain at least weekly, for the first 2 months of Adoration. Your Hourly Captain, and, if necessary, your (Time Division) Leader, will have additional information for you. WHAT IF I CANNOT ADORE AT MY SCHEDULED TIME? Simply speak with your Hourly Captain (or Division Leader) and tell them who you have arranged to replace you at that time. See �Kickoff Notes and Replacements/Green Sheet�� for more details. Please do not leave word to just say you will not be there, or expect someone else to handle your responsibility. Along with the honor of adoring God, you also have the responsibility to safeguard Him as well. Find a replacement. I missed my scheduled time. What do I do now? Thank God for an opportunity to be humble. Rest assured that you are not alone, nor are you the first. �The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.� As soon as you realize your mistake, call and inform those who are most concerned; especially the person you were to replace, if applicable; and the Hourly Captain. (If you�re the Hourly Captain, contact your Division Leader.) You may also contact the Adorers who covered for you, and offer to replace them when needed. It is very helpful for others to know that your absence was unexpected, rather than premeditated. If there is something others can do to help you, such as a reminder call or a �wake up� call if you are not prompt, please ask. How can I be prepared for an emergency replacement? You can ease the process of finding your own replacement if, in advance, you have introduced yourself and know how to contact your prayer partners. Your responsibility will be easier if you have also exchanged contact information with the adorers that you replace each week, and with the adorers that you count on to replace you each week. You are also encouraged to get to know your prayer teammates in advance of a replacement need. You can do this by attending the quarterly events, and by having a current schedule of other adorers. Ask your Hourly Captain for information, or download information from the adoration web page. Carry crisis contact information in your wallet. This could include prayer partners numbers; your Hourly Captain; and your (Time Division) Leader and Co-Leader. Call until you speak to someone who can help you in an emergency. Our Lord deserves such attention, just like you would do for a family member or other loved one. WHAT IF I WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER TIME? Make every effort to replace yourself before you make this change. Pray and ask Our Lady to help you accomplish this task. You might start by talking to others about how wonderful Adoration is for you; and ask if they or anyone they know might like to be scheduled to adore. Talk to your Hourly Captain in advance, and ask them to work with you (and others) to replace yourself. Advance notice of your desire can ease the process. Your Hourly Captain (and your Division Leaders) may have other resources to help you, but we need your teamwork to accomplish it together. When you have been replaced; and/or when you are ready to adore at a different hour, PLEASE recognize that you are part of a team of Adorers. The change does affect many people. Let your prayer team mates know that you are leaving, and then introduce yourself to your new prayer teammates (those sharing the Hour; those before you; those after you; and your new Hourly Captain.) Please be considerate. Changes, especially loss of a prayer team mate for any reason, does affect others. If the adorers before you do not know you are no longer replacing them, they may be compelled to adore for an additional unexpected Hour. Also, your hourly prayer partner(s) will feel the void, especially if your absence if unexplained. You can also look forward to opportunities for new relationships to be forged with your transfer to a new Hour! TELL ME ABOUT MY HOURLY CAPTAIN. Your Hourly Captain is your most regular contact, and resource person, for any questions or issues related to Adoration. This individual is the leader of your team of adorers, who share the same hour (ie 8 pm) each day of the week. Are there other Leaders or resource people available to help me? Yes. Your Hourly Captain has (Time Division) Leaders to help them. There are 4 Time Division Leaders who serve as resource contacts for Hourly Captains. (The 4 time divisions are: early mornings; mornings; afternoons; and eves.) Usually, an Hourly Captain also serves as a Co-Division Leader, as an additional resource to the other Hourly Captains. All of these Leaders work closely with the PEA Coordinator and Co-Coordinator to invite; schedule, and promote Adoration. WOW! I didn�t know there were so many people involved! Tell me more! You are an integral link in a chain of over 300 Adorers (at CtR; as of 9-07.) You are also part of a regional prayer team of almost 30 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapels in the Houston region, and over 600 nationally! Worldwide, there are countless individuals, just like you, adoring, praying, and safeguarding the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of God, in Eucharistic Adoration. WHAT DO ALL THESE ACRONYMS STAND FOR? PEA � Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration HC or DL � Hourly Captain or Division Leader TY! � Thank you! WHAT IS �PROPER ETIQUETTE� BEFORE THE EUCHARIST? Upon entering a PEA Chapel, it is appropriate to make the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water; and to genuflect (bend down on your right knee, or kneel momentarily on both knees) before Our Lord. The red candle signifies that Our Lord is near (either exposed in the Monstrance, or reserved in the tabernacle.) Quiet reverence is the norm, although each Holy Hour of the day may have its own �flavor.� Can I pray the Rosary before The Eucharist? Yes! There are many resources that explain further the tremendous value and exceptional benefits of praying the rosary in Church! I�m not a member of the Church; am I welcome? Certainly. God loves us all. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is available to everyone, and many people�s souls resonate with the truth of Our Lord�s presence regardless of faith affiliation or beliefs. Although most Adorers are from the host Parish, Adorers from the community and from other congregations are also welcome, both as scheduled Adorers and as visiting Adorers. I�M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH MAKING MY HOUR; IS THAT NORMAL? Without a doubt, satan does not want you to have the grace of making a Holy Hour with God. You may be experiencing normal temptations to discontinue, or to think that the time is not well spent. Perhaps other priorities seem to be more pressing; family, work, even emergencies. Persevere; and arrange for a replacement when needed. God is indeed giving you what you need during your Holy Hour, and He loves your company! Is there anything I can do to have a more fruitful Holy Hour? Coming humbly before The Lord is especially rewarding for many folks. As a Catholic, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) frequently allows us to be more receptive to His outpouring of love in the Eucharist. Like bathing does for our physical body, Confession refreshes and cleanses us, and removes any �crust� that causes a barrier between our soul and Our Creator. Try going to Confession before your next Holy Hour! Simply examine your conscience (start by thinking about how you have not loved God or your neighbor.) Then speak to the Priest in the confessional with sincere contrition (sorrow) for your sins. You might use words like: �Bless me Father, I have sinned. It has been ____ long since my last Confession. My sins are:_________ and I am sorry for them.� Then listen as Father helps you by giving you absolution (forgiveness by the power of God, which is uniquely his through Ordination.) He will also give you a means to repair the damage to your soul caused by the effects of the sin that has been forgiven (penance.) What might I expect during my Holy Hour? Expect an outpouring of God�s grace, regardless of whether you are aware of it or not. Expect to be recharged spiritually; and often, physically, emotionally, and mentally as well. Do not be surprised if you laugh - or cry � or burst into a spontaneous song of prayer - in God�s holy presence. Expect to sense the miraculous. |