As I walked down the dark hallway to my first official nightly Holy Hour, I reflected on just how much my life had changed since entering the convent. This past year, I actually lived right next to a perpetual adoration chapel, and would often end my day with a Holy Hour between the hours of 11 pm-2 am. Adoring Jesus at night wasn’t a sacrifice for me because I loved staying up late! Now, having a Holy Hour at 10:15 pm meant that I would either have to stay up past my bedtime in anticipation, or interrupt my night’s sleep. I decided to stay up this first time, nervous that I would sleep through an alarm and so excited to “keep watch” with Jesus. As I sat in the front pew before the Eucharist, I prayed my way through the list of prayer intentions that had been submitted that day. It was an honor to be entrusted with such a meaningful and important mission; people I didn’t even know were relying on me to bring their most vulnerable and desperate intentions to Jesus. God was allowing me, just a one-month-old postulant, to join the Sisters in acting as a spiritual mother for His children of all ages, circumstances, and walks of life. What a great joy and unique privilege!
Song of Songs 2:10 “My Beloved speaks and says to me: ‘Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away with me.’”
Song of Songs 4:9 “You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes.”
I couldn’t stay away from reading Song of Songs during my first night of adoration. How exciting it is to get up in the night to meet the Bridegroom who speaks to us this way, so in love, so tender, and yet His love is always inviting, never forced. Though about 40 minutes in, my body felt the tiredness and weakness, I was so happy to be with Him, who is always waiting to love and to be loved. I’d imagine He delighted in His poor, little bride-to-be’s tiredness and effort to stay awake with Him. It is a privilege to be a part of a community that commits to adoring our sweet Jesus perpetually, to begin what we will continue in all eternity!
For my first night adoration I chose the hour 10:15-11:15 pm. I know what you might be thinking, “That is not late at all!” I would have totally agreed with you before I entered the convent. However, the culture in the convent is a little different. I have been going to bed at 8 pm every night since my entrance. I know, you can be jealous. It’s a great life!
The night of adoration I can remember switching my alarm clock to go off at 10 pm, so that I would have plenty of time to get my robe on, walk down the four flights of stairs, through the tunnel, back up the stairs, and finally through the hallways to the Adoration Chapel. Catherine and I signed up for the same hour, so we walked together.
So much was new to me when I entered the convent but praying holy hours was something I was familiar with. Before entrance my holy hours were always time when Jesus and I could just be together without an agenda. So my first holy hour at the convent was so nice and peaceful. I didn’t have to worry about what page I was supposed to be flipping to or if my chanting voice was blending in with the other Sisters. I could just be. All in all, my hour was exactly what this little postulant needed: uninterrupted quality time where I was able to receive God’s love and to love Him in return.