Holy Hour

Our human life is intimately connected to God. Our ultimate goal is to be in complete communion with God.

Every month on the last Friday we gather in the church at 7 o'clock in the evening for an hour of silence in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. In this hour we come to see the presence of God in our journey of life, in all that we do and in all that we receive. This hour helps us live our present moments as fully as possible in love of God and of each other. It refreshes our desire for the Lord in the Eucharist and ultimately our communion with the triune God in the end.

*If you need to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please contact a priest in advance at 424.262.1447 via text or voice message. He will then be in the confessional prior to, but not during, the Holy Hour.

Questions & Answers

What can I do in an hour of silence?

• You may consider bringing something to read or to write with, with the intention of entering into a conversation with Jesus.

• You may just relax and feel how things are in you. Breathe well. You may just feel thankful for being alive in the presence of God.

• You may come to know what is going on in your mind that you have not paid attention to.

• Be creative in the sight of God as long as it does not cause distraction to others around you.

How can a Holy Hour help with so much going on in the world?

• Whether there is so much or so little going on in the world, there is a need to know what is going on in us, in our relationship with God.

• If everyone spends an hour regularly reflecting on Something or Someone beyond themselves, the world will be a better place. What's going on in the world shows that many live the gift of life centering on themselves rather than on God the Creator.

Can I just be with the Lord on my own?

• You are blessed whenever you spend time with the Lord. However, your joy and peace will be multiplied when you are with others of the same mind and heart in the Lord.

• Your presence is a blessing to others, as theirs to you.

• The Lord is delighted to see his friends around him: "Where two or three gather in my name, I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).

• Jesus' prayer is "that they may all be one" (John 17:21).

An hour of silence is too long for me.

• Try this. Set an alarm on your smart phone to vibrate in 15 minutes. Now be free from everything. Tell the Lord that you are all his for the next 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes doing nothing.

• If you are free from distraction more or less, you'll experience how wonderful silence is. If you feel comfortable, why not try another 15 minutes.

• On the other hand, if you are still much distracted, then as Jesus says, "Leave the altar, go and reconcile with your brother first" (Matthew 5:24). Constant distraction may mean that your life needs some fixing or it has been too worldly conditioned. Silence serves its purpose here too.

• Remember that this time with the Lord is for your own good and pleasure, for deepening your love with the Lord. A moment of love is a moment of joy, freedom, and peace.

• Quality is more important than quantity. Stay as long as or as short as you like.

Holy Hour seems to be for religious people to make them passive and indifferent to reality.

• Some people may seem to fall into a passive mode in a continual gloomy mood. However, the true worshipers are not only contemplative but also active and creative.

• To be contemplative is to discover and be aware of the meaning and purpose of what one does. To be active is to carry out one's duty and responsibility with joy and creativity.

• To be contemplative is to see the world through God's eyes, to see God's plan in all. To be active is to live in the world serving one another, leading all to God.

• To be contemplative is to love God in humble adoration. To be active is to love our neighbor in good deeds.