Adoration, even for a few minutes, can be a kids’ blessing

Stacy LaMorte, NOLA Catholic Parenting
Clarion Herald

Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist has been on my mind nonstop so far in 2024. I received a book by Matthew Kelly, “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory,” just before Christmas. Another friend received it, too, and we introduced the idea of doing a “Consecration to the Eucharist” to our “Walking With Purpose” (WWP) Bible study group.

As I write this, we are making our consecration tomorrow on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (the consecration dates coincide with Jesus’ feast days).  Between this book and WWP, I feel so clear about my purpose and direction in life and want to share it with you!

I invite you to join me in consecrating yourself and your family to the Eucharist this year.

The next start date is Feb. 21 and ends on Palm Sunday, March 24. If you need a little more time to get the book, another window begins on Feb. 26 and 28 and ends on Good Friday and Easter, respectively.

Each day, you read a meditation and make an act of spiritual Communion. The first several days can be accessed in an audio format on YouTube. Please consider giving yourself this gift.

Coincidentally, while doing research for this article, I was led to the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (www.usccb.org). We happen to be in the middle of a worldwide, three-year eucharistic revival! It began in June 2022 on the Feast of Corpus Christi and continues until Pentecost 2025 (Sunday, June 8, 2025). It is a grassroots campaign to bring greater awareness and love of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist to heal our world physically, mentally and spiritually.

You can learn more about how to get involved locally at your parish level at eucharisticrevival.org. Young children are also invited to get involved.

Have you ever brought your children to adoration? When my kids were in grammar school, they were dismissed an hour early each first Thursday of the month. We are fortunate enough to have a perpetual adoration chapel in our parish, so on these early dismissal days, I would remind the kids that after school we were “going to see Jesus.”

I would prepare them by explaining that we had to be quiet in the chapel so that we wouldn’t interrupt other people praying. We would reverently make ourselves small by kneeling and bowing to him. We would talk to him in our minds and tell him that we love him, want to be more like him and just be with him.

This would last only five to 10 minutes before the fidgeting would begin to be distracting, but I was glad they were there with me. Before leaving, we would reverently bow again, bless ourselves with holy water and tell Jesus “goodbye,” but carry him with us. Once, my youngest child audibly said, “Bye, Jesus,” and all the people in the chapel laughed.

I was reminded of that this past weekend when my adoration partner had her small children with her for our devotional hour. They did not bother me at all; I was just so excited that she brought them with her to see Jesus. When her littlest one was leaving, he said, “Bye, Jesus!” I laughed. I think Jesus did, too.

Stacy Glynn LaMorte is a wife and mother of three teenagers. She is a personal trainer and is also enjoying her new profession as an ADHD and life coach to adolescents and adults. She feels that coaching is a culmination of her passions: faith, family, education and fostering change. In addition, she enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs, gardening, writing, travel, reading and exercising.