Holy Hour

Years ago, SS Philip & James Church had the chapel open 24 hours per day.  Each hour on the hour, parishioners came to the chapel for one hour of prayer.

As time went by, it became more difficult to find enough people and the days/times were cut back considerably.  This past Sunday, the first steps were taken to bring back the 24-hour holy hours. 

Remembering the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus implored His disciples to remain with him and pray, we can relate to these tired and exhausted men who nodded off one by one until not even one remained awake.  And Jesus commented, "Could you not stay and pray with me even for one hour?"

Our natural selves often war with our immortal souls in a battle of control.  If we are tired, hot, hungry, cold, or in pain, we tend to falter.  This path that we follow to Jesus is wrought with all sorts of diversions and side roads that can distract us from the race we run towards Him.

Whether you have a place at church for quiet prayer or not, each and every one of us would be moving farther down that path if we find one hour to pray.  Just the one hour.  Like in the garden.  In memory of Jesus.  If you would like to keep a holy hour at SS Philip & James, just call the Rectory and sign up; you do not have to be a member.

Father Kevin says that keeping that holy hour allows God to work in our lives to a greater extent.  He says that there are many blessings from keeping a holy hour.  We will know that it has made a difference in our lives.  God will show us.

Doesn't it just break your heart for Jesus when he returned from his place of prayer only to find that his loyal disciples had fallen asleep?  He was facing the unthinkable -- not merely death because that would have been much less gruesome and unspeakably horrible.  But no, he was facing the reality of all of our sins that he bore for us!!  Sins that would be forgiven us by his death on the cross, a life that he willingly gave in perfect obedience to God, the Father. 

During the holy hour, perhaps we can imagine ourselves as Veronica who took a cloth and wiped the face of Jesus as he dragged the cross towards Golgatha.  With this vision, we can remain alert and peaceful and listen for the quiet whisper of our Lord.