The inspiration for a “Holy Hour,” one hour of prayer spent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, comes from Scripture, when Christ was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before being handed over to be crucified. Jesus found his disciples asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch one hour with me?” (Mt. 26:40). Thus, it has become a Roman Catholic devotional tradition to spend an hour in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament, in an attempt to make up for the apostles falling asleep in the garden. This is especially true on Maundy Thursday, at the end of the Mass in coena Domini, where the Most Blessed Sacrament is placed at the altar of repose.
I first learned about the tradition of keeping a Holy Hour from Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, who was known to spend a continuous Holy Hour, every day, in the presence of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. As someone typically moving at a fast pace, the idea of praying continuously, for one hour, seemed far too difficult for me. I can barely sit still for 15 minutes of prayer, before my eyes start wandering and my rumbling stomach grabs my attention. This past semester, though, I was tasked with the assignment of praying for an hour. So, I decided to spend this hour of prayer in the presence of Our Lord, and try my first Holy Hour.
Unfortunately, my first attempt ended with me falling asleep after 15 minutes. The Venerable Sheen used to joke, “that’s the way the Apostles made their first Holy Hour in the Garden, but don’t do it again.” Indeed, I made sure to be wide awake the next time I went for a Holy Hour. For my second attempt, I decided to go to St. Mary’s Chapel, at 8:00 AM. I put my phone away from my body so that I could focus, and set a timer so that I wouldn’t have to check my phone, or watch, to see if an hour had passed.
During my Holy Hour, I wanted to converse with Our Lord. Accordingly, I intentionally dedicated a period of prayer to reciting memorized prayers, silence, and journaling. Reciting memorized prayers helped me focus and enter the Lord’s presence. My period of silence, however, was a little bit more difficult. I struggled to silence all my inner thoughts, especially when I got distracted by little things, like the stained glass, or the chirping of the birds outside. I felt that this silence was extremely important if I was going to converse with the Lord. Cardinal Robert Sarah says that, “Through silence, we return to our heavenly origin, where there is nothing but calm, peace, repose, silent contemplation, and adoration of the radiant face of God.” And so, despite my struggles I knelt in completely silent prayer for about half of my Holy Hour.
I spent the next part of my Holy Hour journaling, addressing my journaling to God. The words were coming straight to the paper, without any hesitation. I recalled the words of the apostles, “were not our hearts burning within us?” (Luke 24:32). It was a beautiful experience being able to feel like I was talking directly to God, with my heart aflame. Then, before I knew it, my timer went off, and my Holy Hour was over.
Having completed my assignment, the concept of a Holy Hour has become much less intimidating. Though it was difficult, I enjoyed dedicating an hour of my day to prayer. The concept of praying for a continuous hour everyday may still be a bit lofty for me, but prolonged prayer, now, seems more accessible. Further, I found that I was able to take away certain aspects from my Holy Hour that will be of benefit for my spiritual life. Setting aside time in my day allowed me to pray without rushing. I also enjoyed praying in complete silence. It was a nice change of pace for me, as I often get carried away listing off my prayer intentions. Journaling after the silent prayer was a nice contrast, and allowed me to express my reflections.
With finals season fast approaching, an hour of prayer might seem unattainable. Notwithstanding, even thirty minutes of prayer time, in front of our Lord, would be fruitful. Even if we feel unprepared or unable, the Holy Hour will not be as difficult as we expect. God’s grace is sufficient.
Featured image courtesy of wwwuppertal via Flickr
- Sufficit Tibi Gratia Mea - April 30, 2021
- What’s up with Catholics and Meatless Fridays? - February 25, 2021
- Sacred Music in the Western Tradition - October 29, 2020