Eucharistic Adoration can feel intimidating, especially if you’re not sure what you’re “supposed” to be doing.
Jan from Olive Branch, Mississippi, called into The Inner Life with an honest confession. A cradle Catholic, she longed to make Adoration part of her Lenten “toolbox,” but felt stuck. “I still don’t know what to do when I’m in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” she admitted. “I don’t get it. I don’t know what to do, and I’m ashamed to admit it.”
Father Tom Wilson, priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, responded with both encouragement and clarity.
First, he thanked her simply for showing up. “Thanks for your perseverance in continuing to put yourself before the Lord in Adoration. That’s a gift and a prayer in and of itself.”
Then came the advice that lifted the burden: “Pray as you can, not as you can’t.”
If you pray the Rosary each day, pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament. If you read Scripture, bring your Bible. If spiritual reading feeds your soul, do that. Adoration isn’t about discovering a secret formula, it’s about being with Jesus.
And what about dryness? That feeling that nothing is happening?
Father Wilson offered a beautifully simple solution: talk to Him about it.
“Jesus, this is very difficult for me.” That honest, heart-to-heart prayer, he said, “can never be beat.” The Lord can handle whatever we bring to Him, even frustration.
He also pointed to St. Teresa of Avila, who advised those entering prayer to “always bring the book with you.” Come prepared. If silence feels heavy, open a spiritual book, pray familiar prayers, or simply sit patiently. The point is presence.
“It’s not a time to be frustrated,” Father Wilson reassured. “Just love the Lord and let the Lord love you and speak to Him as you are able.”
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