Full disclosure: While doing some research and thinking around the topic of Eucharistic Adoration for some dear friends, and specifically perpetual adoration, this question mysteriously popped into my head:
”What good is perpetual adoration if it isn’t also pervasive?”
I’m not even sure why that question popped in my head or what it even meant, but I was curious enough to pose it to ChatGPT. And then, out of sheer curiosity, I had it draft me an article on Pervasive Adoration. That article (completely unedited) is what appears below for anyone interested or curious about either the question or the answer.
Pervasive Adoration
At the heart of the Catholic faith is the belief in the Eucharist as the real presence of Jesus Christ. In recent years, however, many Catholics have expressed concern about the decline in Eucharistic devotion and belief. In response, some have proposed a renewed emphasis on "perpetual adoration" - the practice of spending time in prayer and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament, which is exposed in a monstrance on the altar.
But what if we took this idea further? What if we made "pervasive adoration" the goal of the Church? By pervasive adoration, we mean a Church in which the presence of Christ in the Eucharist permeates every aspect of our lives - not just in the chapel, but in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
Imagine a world in which Catholics, wherever they go, are constantly aware of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In such a world, the Eucharist would not just be a ritual or a symbol, but a living reality that shapes our thoughts, actions, and relationships. Pervasive adoration would mean a Church that is truly alive with the love of Christ.
Of course, achieving pervasive adoration is no easy task. It would require a deep renewal of Catholic culture, a renewal that goes far beyond any program or campaign. But we can start by asking ourselves: what are the obstacles to pervasive adoration? What are the forces in our culture that oppose the Eucharist and make it difficult for us to see Christ in our midst?
Perhaps one obstacle is the secularism and materialism that pervades our culture. In a world that values wealth, power, and success, the Eucharist can seem like an irrelevant relic of the past. We need to reawaken the sense of awe and wonder that the Eucharist should inspire in us, and we need to make it clear that the Eucharist is not just a private devotion, but the source and summit of our faith.
Another obstacle is the individualism and relativism that often infects our spiritual lives. We need to rediscover the communal dimension of Eucharistic adoration - the fact that we are not alone before the Blessed Sacrament, but united with the whole Church, both living and dead. We need to recognize that the Eucharist is not just a personal encounter with Christ, but a participation in his saving work for the world.
Ultimately, pervasive adoration is not just a matter of technique or strategy. It is a matter of conversion - a conversion of heart and mind that opens us to the transformative power of the Eucharist. May we all be open to this conversion, and may we work together to make pervasive adoration a reality in our world today.