About Holy Hours
- How do I make a Holy Hour?
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A Holy Hour is a dedicated time of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Catholics believe that the Holy Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Praying where the Blessed Sacrament resides allows for a closeness to Jesus.
Praying a holy hour with the Blessed Sacrament can happen in any Catholic church where the Holy Eucharist is preserved in the tabernacle.
Dividing your Holy Hour into four (4) 15 minute periods is recommended.
- First 15 minutes: Adoration. Realize WHO is present in the Holy Eucharist in Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
- Second 15 minutes: Repent, express sorrow, and make reparation for your sins.
- Third 15 minutes: Meditate and pray, offering up your petitions and intercessions.
- Last 15 minutes: Give thanksgiving for all that God has done and for the prayers he will answer in His own timing.
- What is an indulgence?
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An indulgence is what we receive when the Church lessens the temporal (lasting only for a short time) penalties to which we may be subject even though our sins have been forgiven.
The Bible indicates some punishments are eternal, lasting forever, but others are temporal. We normally focus on the eternal penalties of sin, because they are the most important, but Scripture indicates that temporal penalties are real.
When someone repents, God removes his guilt (Isa. 1:18) and any eternal punishment (Rom. 5:9), but temporal penalties, including purgatory, may remain.
God uses the Church when he removes temporal penalties. This is the essence of the doctrine of indulgences. The members of the Church became aware of this principle through the sacrament of penance. From the beginning, acts of penance were assigned as part of the sacrament because the Church recognized that Christians must deal with temporal penalties, such as God’s discipline and the need to compensate those our sins have injured.
In the early Church, penances were sometimes severe. But the Church recognized that repentant sinners could shorten their penances by pleasing God through pious or charitable acts that expressed sorrow and a desire to make up for one’s sin.
The Church associates certain pious practices with indulgences for the remittance of the temporal penalties for sin, such as spending 30 minutes in Eucharistic Adoration, praying a Rosary in a community, or spending 30 minutes reflecting on Sacred Scripture.
Source: Catholic Answers
- How do I receive an indulgence for going to Eucharistic Adoration?
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To gain a plenary indulgence (full remission offered only once a day) during your visit to the Adoration chapel, you must:
1. Visit the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration at least for a half hour.
2. Be in the state of grace.
3. Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin,even venial sin.
4. Have sacramentally confessed your sins within several days before or after you visit the Blessed Sacrament (one sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences).
5. Receive the Holy Eucharist within several days before or after you visit the Blessed Sacrament.
6. Pray for the intentions of the Pope (an “Our Father“ and a “Hail Mary“ are suggested).
- How do I track my Holy Hours?
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Log your Holy Hours using this form and they will be added to the count above!
About Works of Mercy
- What are the Works of Mercy?
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According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, works of mercy are “charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.”
The Church identifies seven corporal works of mercy:
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Shelter the homeless
- Visit the sick
- Visit the imprisoned
- Bury the dead
and seven spiritual works of mercy:
- Counsel the doubtful
- Instruct the ignorant
- Admonish the sinner
- Comfort the afflicted
- Forgive offenses
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Pray for the living and the dead
The works of mercy care for the whole person — body and soul — who is made in the image and likeness of God. The United States Catholic bishops encourage the faithful to ground their works in faith and prayer as a continual reminder that, “in tending to our brothers and sisters, we tend to Christ himself.”
The works of mercy are inherently active, calling us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those we encounter.
- What are some ideas of Works of Mercy I can do in my daily life?
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In addition to opportunities at your parish, you can find a list of local organizations to serve here.
Some additional ideas include:
• Bring a meal to a neighbor, coworker, or parishioner who is going through a difficult time
• Donate groceries or cook for a local food pantry or parish ministry
• Keep bottled water or snacks in your car to offer to someone in need
• Clean out your closet and donate gently used clothing
• Call, text, or visit someone who is sick, elderly, or homebound
• Attend a funeral or visitation to support someone who is grieving
• Pray regularly for others, including specific intentions you’ve been given
• Invite someone to Mass or a parish event
• Listen attentively to someone who needs to talk
• Offer encouragement to someone who is struggling or uncertain
• Practice patience in frustrating situations like traffic, long lines, or workplace stress
• Reconcile with a friend or loved one with whom you've had a falling out or lost touch
• Offer to help a coworker with a task or lighten someone’s workload
• Set aside time each day to pray for the needs of our country
- How do I track my Works of Mercy?
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Submit your works of mercy through this form and they will be added to the count above!