I was able to participate in my first National Night of Prayer for Life which is always at the end of the Feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. I had just become a new mother last year, so I was not able to participate. This year my husband was able to watch our toddler so that I could stay all night.
If your parish is one of the hundreds that participates, I highly recommend spending a few minutes or hours praying for an end to abortion, euthanasia, unjust war, violence, the protection of traditional marriage, religious liberty, etc. The night is comprised of 4-6 hours (depending on the year) of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. At our parish we do each mystery of the Rosary beginning at the top of the hour, Scripture at the half hour, and formal prayer with Divine Mercy and intercessory prayer. There is a lot of time for silent prayer or reading.
Staying the entire night is a great exercise in patience, perserverance, and charity. I don't know about you, but since I am the mother of a toddler, I turn into a pumpkin at 930pm. She gets me up everyday around 5am. Even though my husband let me sleep in Saturday morning, I was still becoming quite delirious by 11pm. I recommend a cup of coffee. I brought some cookies to put out for folks in case they needed a sugar rush to propel them on to Benediction, which begins at 1am. I know this is unhealthy, but I ate a cookie and it helped.
I was truly blessed this year. I was able to go to dinner with a friend who recently lost her father after Mass and then we returned to the church for 4 hours of the vigil. Another wonderful friend of mine who serves on the Sanctity of Life Committee with me, organized the Vigil. She asked me to do a few of the Scripture readings. I was deeply honored and humbled to help. I am not a lector because of pride. I was a professional instructor and a debate coach, so public speaking is in my make up. It can easily become a source of pride and attention for me. I do not want to serve formally in the Liturgy of the Mass until I know that it is in service to God and not myself.
The last reading of the night was the Magnificat. What an experience to read the Magnificat as a mother. Becoming a mother has truly shown me Our Blessed Mother in a completely new light. Oh to be a mother like her!
If you have never participated, then make a plan to do so next year. You do not have to stay the whole time. After all, Our Lord asked, "Can you not wait one hour with me?" That is the idea behind the Eucharistic Adoration movement. Trust me, spending even a few minutes in front of Our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament is never a waste. Our country is in great need of prayer. It is time for Catholics to remove their rose-tinted glasses; persecution is upon us. This is not the country it once was and our Catholic Faith is under attack. The most innocent among us are under attack. The elderly, infirm, disabled, sickly, etc. are under attack. Our families are under attack. The only answer is Christ and the Sacraments. We must cling to the Real Presence of Our Lord. He waits for each one of us. So spend some time with him praying for our country, the world, His Church, and that he deliver us from evil. God bless you in this Advent season.
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