Ascension c at h ol i c c h ur c h
Spending Time in P
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or Catholics, “spending time in prayer” may mean a number of different things — praying the Rosary, reading and reflecting on Scripture, or lighting a candle. We pray in thanksgiving for God’s blessings and we bring our needs, and the needs of others, before the Lord, in petition. Prayer is often a response of gratitude in our highest moments, as well as a cry for help in our most challenging struggles. And in uncertain times like these, it’s more important than ever to remain connected to the One Who holds the whole world in His hands, through prayer. “Spending time in prayer brings a peace to the soul that only God can give,” says Julie Ternes, Director of Music and Liturgy. “Jesus tells us ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). Prayer takes us away from all that is happening in our busy lives and world, and gives us respite. We need that time.” A common form of prayer for many people is spending time in adoration, before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament — often called “Eucharistic Adoration.” However, whether or not our Lord is visible to us in a monstrance, He is always truly present, reserved in the tabernacle, in our church. Here at Ascension, we encourage our parishioners to take advantage of this opportunity to be close to our Lord. “I think when people hear ‘adoration’ they think of the period of time when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar in a monstrance,” Julie says. “But we can do ‘adoration’ personally whenever we come to the church and sit in front of the tabernacle, with the Blessed Sacrament inside. “Even if we sit in church and can’t turn our minds off, we still can experience the peace of God just by being in His presence,” she adds. In addition to the daily Rosary that is prayed at 7:50 a.m., and Eucharistic Adoration with
The Power
Resources are available for those who would like to deepen their prayer life by spending time praying at Ascension.
Benediction on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. until 9:15 a.m., our church is open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. to allow people to stop by and spend time in personal prayer with our Lord. There are many different ways that people may choose to pray while in the Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. Whether it’s praying the Rosary, walking through the Stations of the Cross, praying with the continued on page 5
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