It is three in the morning. The adoration chapel is still as early-March snow falls, streaking white against the dark night.
This may not be the usual time one may expect to be in adoration, but there had never been a more important time.
For 40 hours, this small adoration chapel will, not even for a passing second, be empty. These will belong to Him.
What is going on in this quiet chapel?
It is the 40 Hours Devotion–and it is powerful.
The 40 Hours Devotion is a time of continuous Eucharistic adoration, usually spread over three days, is a parish or community-wide opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
Why forty hours? The number recalls several key moments in salvation history: the Israelites’ forty years in the desert, Jesus’ forty days of fasting in the wilderness, and most especially, the forty hours between Christ’s death and Resurrection.
The devotion often begins with a solemn Mass and Eucharistic procession, followed by uninterrupted adoration—day and night—until a concluding Mass or Benediction.
Today, you can find 40 hour Devotions across the world during all different liturgical seasons.
However, this is not a new devotion! The practice gained popularity in the 16th century, particularly through the work of St. Philip Neri and St. Charles Borromeo, who promoted it as a way to encourage deeper faith and reparation for sin. So, yes, it is needed now more than ever!
At its core, the 40 Hours Devotion is about carving out time—real time—to be with Jesus.
It’s a response to His invitation in the Garden of Gethsemane: Could you not watch with me one hour? (Mt 26:40). In the quiet, in the waiting, in the middle of the night when the church is nearly empty, something happens: the world slows down, distractions fade, and we simply sit with Him.
It’s an invitation. The doors are open. The candles are lit. Stay with Him awhile.
Even if there is not a 40 Hours Devotion near you, you can always answer Chrsit’s call to keep watch with Him. Simply, stop by a Church the next time you pass one on your afternoon commute or weekend errand run. He loves your company.
Whether you are in a Holy Hour, just stopping by a Church on your commute, or trying to spend a few moments with Christ in your home as you start the day, He is always there with you!
Transform these ordinary moments into prayerful reflections on the Eucharist, and you will find that His Presence transforms you.
With Mysteries of the Altar: Daily Reflections on the Eucharist, you will no longer struggle to find the time to reflect in his Real Presence. Written as short, daily reflections, this little book helps you take those previous few free minutes and transform them into prayerful moments of union of the Eucharist. A great Lenten and Easter practice.
Order your copy today from The Catholic Company!
