For young Catholics, finding a moment of silence can feel almost impossible. Between school, sports, friendships, notifications, and the endless scroll of social media, there always seems to be something demanding their attention.
But Eucharistic adoration offers something increasingly rare: time to stop, put down the phone and simply be with Jesus.
A new movie is bringing the transformative power of Eucharistic adoration to the big screen. “Adore Him: He is Here” uses firsthand accounts of real encounters and transformation and depictions of salvation history to portray the powerful love of God that is found in the Blessed Sacrament.
The docudrama features several prominent Catholic figures including Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Father Chris Alar of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS, evangelist Chris Stefanik, and many more.
The film will be in theaters across the United States Oct. 4–8.
Mark Hart is the chief innovation officer at Life Teen International, a Catholic youth ministry that provides resources for youth ministry experiences in middle school through high school.
In the film, Hart discusses the rise being seen in young people attending adoration and why the youth is in need of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
He spoke to ChurchPop about the importance of Eucharistic adoration and offered some helpful tips for young people.
Here are 10 practical tips Hart offers young Catholics who want to make the most of their time in adoration.
1. Go often — don’t treat adoration as a once-a-week obligation.
Hart compared prayer to exercise: it takes work and requires putting yourself in the position to do it. Rather than deciding, “I’ll go for one hour every Tuesday,” he encourages young people to make the chapel a regular part of their lives.
“You have to just continue to put yourself in God's presence,” he said.
2. Start small. You don't have to stay for an hour.
One of his strongest practical suggestions is that adoration doesn't have to be lengthy or formulaic. A young person can stop by for 10 or 15 minutes, even if they don't have time for a full holy hour.
Hart emphasized that “there isn't one right formula.”
3. Bring a journal or something to write with.
Hart said to “always bring a journal” because “you never know when the Lord's going to speak.” He described God's voice as sometimes “shouting” and sometimes “whispering,” emphasizing the importance of being attentive.
4. Bring a Bible — but don't feel obligated to read constantly.
He recommended bringing Scripture because you never know where your prayer might lead you. But he also makes the point that it's perfectly fine to close the Bible and simply sit with God. A short passage or even a few verses may be enough.
He said, “It doesn't need to be sitting for an hour reading multiple chapters — he can achieve more in three verses than we can achieve in three chapters.”
5. Expect to be distracted — and don't give up.
Hart was very realistic about what a first experience of adoration may be like: “At first, it's probably going to drive you crazy.” He shared that distraction is normal and that they shouldn't interpret it as a sign that they're doing adoration incorrectly.
6. Offer your distractions to God.
Rather than becoming frustrated when thoughts wander, Hart recommended praying something as simple as: “Lord, I offer this distraction to you for your glory.”
If the thought is something worth bringing to God, talk to Him about it; otherwise, offer the distraction to Him and return your attention to prayer.
7. Turn off your phone.
Hart isn't arguing that phones are inherently evil, but he called them one of the greatest sources of distraction. His advice is straightforward: actually turn the phone off rather than merely silencing it.
8. Don't be afraid of silence.
Hart said adoration is an opportunity to learn how to be quiet and listen. Young people accustomed to constant noise and scrolling may initially find that silence uncomfortable, but he sees that discomfort as part of the value of adoration.
“It's an invitation for us to learn how to be quiet,” he shared. “It's an invitation for us to learn how to listen and in that docility is where the Lord meets us and feeds us and heals us.”
9. Remember that adoration is a conversation — listen too.
Hart described adoration and prayer as a dialogue: you don't simply talk at God; you also learn to listen to Him.
“Oftentimes when it comes to prayer, it becomes a monologue and not a dialogue. And the beauty of Eucharistic adoration is that it's always a dialogue,” he expressed.
10. Just rest and let God love you.
Hart reminded young people that adoration is not simply something to do for God, but as a place where they allow God to love, speak to, heal, and nourish them, as well as find rest in the presence of God.
He shared that, “Eucharistic adoration is so beautiful because — it's not that pinnacle communal moment that we have at Mass — it's that deeply personal moment where we can just sit and allow God to speak, to love — it allows us to be in that moment and it develops the interior life in a way that no other form of prayer can outside of the Mass.”