ADORATION IS A TIME FOR OUR SOUL

Making time for adoration at the Blessed Sacrament is growing in popularity amongst Catholics. Despite hectic daily schedules, we find that for some of us, there is a desperate need for a place to be in silence, especially with Eucharist. Every now and then, I see number of our parishioners - as well people from other Faiths -regularly coming and going into our Church, praying silently while looking at the Blessed Sacrament. Even in the scorching heat, people make themselves available to be with the Lord.

For the past four years, I have been thinking seriously about setting up a Eucharistic Adoration room. It has now come into realisation and we have named it the St Joseph’s Adoration Room. We shall give the honour to Monsignor James Gnanapiragasam to bless the room after the 645am Mass on Tuesday, 19 February 2019.

Many of our parishioners may still remember the very old tiles - with the three distinctly unique designs - which were laid on aisle of our Church in 1928, during the time of the late Rev Fr Victor Antoine Herman, who initiated the extension and rebuilding of the Church of St Joseph, Sentul. These 91-year-old tiles were removed from the aisle when our Church underwent major renovations in 2013. All these sentimental tiles were demoted to an unseen corner of our church compound, until we reused them at St Joseph’s Shrine, located next to the parish office, in June 2015. We’ve kept the balance of these tiles in storage, hoping to utilise them in the future.

So, when we wanted to set up an adoration room, we selected 417 tiles and they are now placed on the adoration room floor. We have laid them in the same manner as they were laid in the Church’s aisle, back in 1928. We are indeed blessed to have a small but meaningful token of our Church’s past, still being used in a relevant and significant way. It is important to repurpose these tiles, so that a part of our Church’s history remains. There are still a few more old tiles available which are not in perfect condition, however we will still lay them at grotto in couple of weeks.

At the base of the altar, where the tabernacle is positioned, I have buried a few medals and prayer cards of St George, St John Marie Vianney, St Anne, St Padre Pio, a miraculous medal of Mother Mary and Sleeping St Joseph. I have sprinkled them with Holy Water from Lourdes, France and blessed them with Chrism Oil. These blessed religious objects are sacred signs of sanctity, purification and protection.

The main purpose of the St Joseph Adoration Room is for us to spend time in prayer, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It will be open from 7am to 1030pm every day. The Church too is still open as usual, for those who would like to sit there and pray instead.

What we can do in the St Joseph Adoration Room?

·     Read the Word of God and Meditate using Scripture.

·      Pray the Psalms or the Liturgy of the Hours

·      Pray the Rosary

·      Cry out to the Lord with all your heart and adore Him

·      Pray for forgiveness

·      Intercede for others

·    Sit quietly and just “be” in the presence of God. 

Adoration is a time for our soul. So, slowly increase your time and you will be amazed at how the Lord increases your faith and strength to be with Him! Let us make ourselves available to meet the Lord in adoration, and let our adoration never cease. (cf. Catechism Catholic Church, #1380).