12 Minutes with My Kids and God: Why I Take Them to Adoration

Twelve minutes with me, my kids and God. I think I set a new record.

I'm one of those parents. The parent who drags their kids into the adoration chapel for even just a few minutes after Mass. Even though I know we may only be good for a candle lighting for a loved one, a quick seat on the pew and a prayer...before I pray for just a minute more!

Sometimes I am faced with the frustrated adult, who needs silence before the Lord, not the curiosity and energy of a six-year-old boy. But more often, I'm finding the amused faces of regulars who wink at me as we leave and promise me it's okay, as I give up and walk out the door.

Taking a first-grader into Eucharistic adoration is a task for the foolish, some may say. There's too much energy, too little attention. But ... how are they going to learn?

I myself never set foot in an adoration chapel until I was in my thirties. I don't think I've yet spent more than 30 minutes at a time, and I'm deeply in awe of those who commit to a weekly hour slot in front of the Lord each week.

Last night, my children and I attended Mass, and I informed them we were stopping by the chapel before we returned home. And I held my breath and prayed: Just give me a few minutes...

We got past the candles, settled into a pew, and the kids immediately began chatting in loud hushed tones and wiggling. I found two children's books for them to read, and suddenly, it was silent.

And I embraced that silence. (And just for the sake of curiosity, hit my stopwatch on my smartphone.)

I got 12 minutes of peace. Just me, my kids and my Lord.

Perfect, no. But it's a start.