Eucharistic Adoration, Spiritual Communion, and the Practice of the Presence of God Online

The National Eucharistic Revival continues to be a divine invitation to the Church to be united once again around the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist. During its third year, Catholics are being invited to go on Eucharistic Mission and help others come to know Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.¹ We are to “transform lives through eucharistic accompaniment!”²

We need to utilize this source of grace to bring Christ in our everyday lives and to bring it to others. Adoration via the internet is perfect for daily, even hourly, personal Adoration.

In this study, we will first examine Adoration as a fundamental part of this Eucharistic Mission and of our personal prayer and worship. Then we will discuss the efficacy of online Adoration. Finally, we will detail how one can incorporate this practice into the routine of everyday life.

ADORATION: AN OVERVIEW

Historical Development of Doctrine of Adoration

The evolution of the realization of the real presence, as exemplified in Adoration of the Eucharist, is a dramatic “example of doctrinal development.”³ Mid-third century hermits “reserved the Eucharist in their cells. . . to give themselves Holy Communion.⁴ By Nicaea (325 A.D.), the Eucharist began to be reserved in the churches of monasteries and convents. . . for the sick and the dying and also for the ecclesial ceremony of the fermentum.⁵

Pope Gregory VII’s teaching on the Real Presence in 1079, recently quoted by Pope Paul VI in Mysterium Fidei in its entirety,⁶ sparked a “Eucharistic Renascence. From the eleventh century on, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle became more. . . prevalent in the Catholic world.”⁷ “By the thirteenth century, Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of Corpus Christi.”⁸ “The Council of Trent in 1551 treated this subject exhaustively . . . clarifying and defining every aspect of the Sacrifice of the Mass, Holy Communion and the Real Presence.⁹

“By the end of the [fourteenth] century, the practice of people visiting the Blessed Sacrament became fairly common.”¹⁰ Adoration piety continued to grow with Pope Clement VIII instituting the Forty Hours devotion in 1592.¹¹ Its counterpart, Perpetual Adoration, begun in the fourth century as a practice for new converts, soon spread to religious orders and, after Trent, worldwide. Today, “monthly, weekly and even daily exposition of the Eucharist in churches and chapels, in one country after another, have become commonplace.”¹²

“What has become increasingly clear, however, is that Christ in the Eucharist is not only adorable but entreatable. . . countless believers have begged the Savior in the Eucharist for what they needed, and have come close to Him in the tabernacle or on the altar,. . . how literally Christ spoke when He promised to be with us until the end of time.”¹³

Modern Papal Encouragement of Eucharistic Adoration

In 1881, Leo XIII “praised the laymen for ‘the great extension of the work of Nocturnal Adoration’ and for the report of ‘how this salutary institution is taking root, progressing and bearing fruit everywhere.’”¹⁴ His successor, St. Pius X, “promoted “early and frequent Holy Communion.”¹⁵

Pope Pius XI “urged the faithful to ‘make expiatory supplications and prayers, prolonged for a whole hour — which is rightly called the ‘Holy Hour’ ” (Miserentissimus Redemptor, May 8, 1928). . . . even as the original message was received by St. Margaret Mary, before the Holy Eucharist.”¹⁶

His successor, Pius XII, devoted much of Mediator Dei to “Adoration of the Eucharist,” providing what has been called “the most authoritative explanation of . . . ‘the worship of the Eucharist’.”¹⁷

“When, therefore, the Church bids us adore Christ hidden behind the Eucharistic veils and pray to Him for the spiritual and temporal favors of which we ever stand in need, she manifests living faith in her divine Spouse who is present beneath these veils, she professes her gratitude to Him and she enjoys the intimacy of His friendship.”¹⁸

Indeed, he stressed ‘not only do we not commit a sin by adoring it, but we do sin by not adoring it.”¹⁹

Recent Popes, particularly Paul VI in his encyclical Mysterium Fidei (September 3, 1965), a doctrinal analysis of the Real Presence, also encouraged devotion to the Blessed Sacrament:

“As long as the Eucharist is kept in our churches and oratories, Christ is truly the Emmanuel, that is ‘God with us.’ Day and night He is in our midst, He dwells with us, full of grace and truth. He restores morality, nourishes virtues, consoles the afflicted and strengthens the weak. . . all forms of divine grace which Christ confers by His presence in the Eucharist.”²⁰

St. Pope John Paul II further elucidated this conferral of grace “in three different ways. . . [corresponding]. . . to the three forms in which the Eucharist has been instituted by Christ: . . . a Sacrifice-Sacrament, a Communion-Sacrament, and a Presence-Sacrament.”²¹

On June 19, 2023, Pope Francis lamented to members of the committees organizing the National Eucharistic Revival and the National Eucharistic Congress in the United States:

“. . . many people ‘have lost the sense of adoration. We need to regain the sense of adoring in silence, adoration. It is a prayer we have lost; few people know what this is, and you bishops need to catechize the faithful on the prayer of adoration. . . It is my hope, then, that the eucharistic congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord’s great gift of himself and to spend time with him in the celebration of the holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.’”²²

Theological and Liturgical Underpinnings

The Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship’s Eucharistiae Sacramentum defines “the celebration of the eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life.”²³ Indeed, in the Mass, “we offer our ‘sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving’ in union with the Sacrifice of Christ who offers Himself in a sacramental way back to God the Father. Our prayers and petitions are offered on the altar and are taken up into Christ’s very prayer to God the Father.”²⁴

“The worship that we offer in Adoration outside of Mass both flows from and returns to the celebration of Mass. . . our personal prayer in Adoration is an extension of our personal prayer that we offer at Mass. Christ himself in the Eucharist “is truly the origin and the purpose of the worship that is shown to the eucharist outside Mass.”²⁵

“When the faithful adore Christ present in the sacrament, they should remember that this presence derives from the sacrifice and has as its purpose both sacramental and spiritual communion.”²⁶ “Prayer before Christ the Lord sacramentally present extends the union with Christ that the faithful have reached in communion. It renews the covenant that in turn moves them to maintain by the way they live what they have received through faith and the sacrament. . . so that they may seek to imbue the world with the Christian spirit and, in all things, even in the midst of human affairs, to become witnesses of Christ.”²⁷

That our prayer — our “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving” — can be continually offered in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist in Adoration outside of Mass is truly a gift. “After the sacrifice has been offered . . . as long as the eucharist is reserved in churches and oratories, Christ is truly the Emmanuel, that is, ‘God with us. . . ’ ‘Day and night he is in our midst; full of grace and truth. he dwells among us.’”²⁸

The Internet as a Medium of Worship

All realize that Adoration is not only efficacious, but as mentioned above, both desperately needed and strongly encouraged. In addition, all will agree that personal presence in church is not only the best but also the preferred attendance at Adoration, particularly at Benediction.

While spending time in the spiritually rich communal celebration of Eucharistic Adoration, Exposition and  Benediction which is overflowing with blessings and profoundly moving, often the local parish or deanery schedule does not coincide with ours.  Often, the service is not even on one’s radar or, when it is remembered, it’s often too late. Even when it is, for many, just getting to a church from the office or job in the midst of a back-to-back meeting-filled day or trying to carve out the time in the evening when one is totally exhausted and in need of family time seems impossible. In the end, we exonerate ourselves: “Would love to do it . . . Great idea, perfect for the saints, but I just don’t have the time.” But we are “all . . . called to be saints”²⁹ and Adoration via the internet offers a truly unique, very efficacious, and spiritually enriching alternative when our personal presence in church is not possible.

However, before exploring this possibility, one needs to discuss the question of the efficacy of the internet in worship.

The Efficacy of Virtual Attendance

Christopher White points out: “While it’s been nearly 75 years since the first televised Mass took place — a Midnight Mass broadcast from Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral at Christmas in 1948 — the debate over using such a medium has continued since that time.”³⁰ The trend to accept social relevance of such events grows, though the theological discernment of their spiritual efficacy seems to lag behind.

The expanding use of the internet as a vehicle, not only of evangelization and catechesis but also of attendance at liturgical celebrations, an experience to which many average Catholics were introduced during the Covid pandemic, is becoming commonplace.

Many dioceses live-stream carry both Daily Mass and “Sunday Mass, often from their Cathedral.”³¹ Some podcast weekly updates³² and conduct Diocesan-wide training by live Zoom webinars.³³

Wide use of the virtual attendance continues on an international and national scale:

• On March 27, 2020, the world watched as Pope Francis, an ethereal figure in white, slowly made his way alone into an empty, night-darkened St. Peter’s Square and delivered an extraordinary blessing “To the City and to the World” to pray for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• A few weeks later, we again watched as he celebrated Easter Sunday with a mass held behind closed doors at a deserted St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
• Last Summer, EWTN broadcast hours of live stream coverage of the National Eucharistic Congress.³⁴ The NEC continues to keep one up to date with frequent emails from hello@eucharisticcongress.org or, if one “were unable to join in person for the Congress,. . . [the Congress hosted an] exclusive streaming platform will allow you to [view taped]. . . talks from Congress and explore a whole host of other digital Eucharistic content from the comfort of your home!”³⁵
• On June 19, 2025, “in Los Angeles, the National Eucharistic Congress will host a celebration of Corpus Christi, including a city-wide Eucharistic Procession, which will mark the official end of the three-year grassroots movement of the National Eucharistic Revival.”³⁶ EWTN has a team of digital experts working on an exciting and interactive streaming platform, EWTN+,³⁷  for all its programming, including such live events.

Efficacy of Virtual Attendance

Two questions present themselves concerning the efficacy of such attendance. The first, although often assumed but not enunciated, is: Are there any impediments to God using the internet to communicate grace? The second and more obvious question is: Are there any impediments on the viewer’s part for receiving such grace?

God’s Presence

Much of the rhetoric about the inadequacy and inappropriateness of virtual attendance concentrates solely on the viewer and ignores the object of the viewer’s attention, God. Are space or time constraints on God blessing us with his grace? Since God is omnipresent, eternal and omnipotent, the answer is obviously a resounding “No!” God, being God, is not restricted in any way from conveying grace, mercy, forgiveness, and goodness by any means and in any form He deems fit. Therefore, it follows that there are no limits on God using the internet to communicate grace.

Ps 139 brilliantly exemplifies this theme in the Old Testament’s “hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware:

• of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6),
• of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and
• of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16).”³⁸

In the New Testament, while we are supremely blessed with the imminency of Jesus’ incarnation and witness in the Gospels, his express desire to be physically with us, healing the sick,³⁹ touching the “untouchables,”⁴⁰ and eating with sinners,⁴¹ there are a number of instances in the Gospel and New Testament where he exhibits his omnipresence.

Bartholomew comes to believe in him as the Son of God and King of Israel because Jesus manifests this ability: “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” (Jn 1:48)

The exemplary faith of the royal official in John 4⁴² is based on his belief in Jesus’s universal divine power:

While he was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. (Jn 4:51–53)

In other New Testament examples, another Gentile, the Syrophoenician mother, believes and goes home and “found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.” (Mk 7:30) Jesus’ power over demons does not require his physical presence; his Kingdom is all-pervasive.⁴³ Again, Paul is converted by Jesus’ identification with those afflicted from afar: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5)

The most pervasive and inclusive proof of Jesus’ willingness to be with us always and everywhere is His promise to do so. To his followers then and now, His divine pledge covers all time and space: “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)

His omnipresence is attested to liturgically and theologically. For instance, at the Mass He is present not only in the Word and Sacrament offering and communion but in the person of the priest and the community itself.⁴⁴ Similar presence is true in all the Sacraments.

What the Church applies to the Sacraments is applicable to Adoration: “They are efficacious because . . . Christ himself is at work . . . not . . . by the righteousness of . . . the recipient, but by the power of God.” (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 68, 8)⁴⁵ Therefore, the efficacy of the Mass and the Sacraments or Adoration is not dependent on the dispositions of recipient but ultimately and always on the presence, power, and grace of God.

Our Obligation and Attitude/Intention/Purpose/Presence

The two critical issues of obligation and efficacy must be addressed before discussing the expansion of the devotion of Adoration online.

Our Obligation vs. Elective Participation

While it is obvious that the efficacy of one’s online attendance based on intentionality is critical, this is secondary to the primary question of obligation vs. elective participation.

Mass attendance is obligatory. Can. 1247 states “on Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.”⁴⁶ The Catechism of the Catholic Church, by way of clarification, “participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is [defined as] a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” (#2182)

While the Code of Canon Law itself foresaw that “participation in the eucharistic celebration” might be “impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause” (CIC 1248, §2),⁴⁷ as occurred in the Covid pandemic, today’s lamentable post-pandemic abuse of online Mass attendance and subsequent reduction of in-person parish attendance do not qualify as “impossible” participation.

The First and Greatest Commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mt 22:37 in light of the presence of the Son of God, Christ himself, body, blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist, is the fundamental reason and motivation to participate in adoration and worship both at Mass and outside of Mass. The Catechism states: “Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. . . ” (CCC §1418)

Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the “King of Glory,” respectful silence in the presence of the “ever greater” God. Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications. (CCC §2628, citing cf. Ps 95:1–6, Ps 24, 9–10 and cf. St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 62,16:PL 36, 757–758.)

While it is thus canonically obligatory that in-person attendance at Mass, Adoration is seen to be morally obligatory in light of the Greatest Commandment and “is a proof of gratitude and a pledge of love . . . that is owed to Christ the Lord who is present there.”⁴⁸

Our Personal Presence in Adoration

“Devotion to the Eucharist . . . should be the focal point and goal of all other forms of devotion.”⁴⁹ As stated above, it is preferable and most excellent and desirable that in-person adoration and worship be the norm of one’s devotion to the Eucharist. This is the norm with the Mass and in most circumstances, the same applies to adoration. Being in the personal presence of Christ imbues one with a sense of reverence and awe and, in reciprocation, Christ in the Eucharist emanates grace and healing simply because we have taken the time and made the effort to be with Him as He is with us. It is a testament to our recognition of our love of Him and our dependence on His mercy and generosity.

Our Online Presence at Mass and in Adoration

There are similarities between attendance online at special or regular Mass and adoration, but there are also significant and important differences. Theologians’ opinions on the efficacy of online Adoration can be gleaned from their views on the value in remote viewing of the Mass. “Theologians have differing opinions on whether, to use the language of Vatican II, one can engage in ‘full, conscious, and active participation’ in a Mass if they are watching via television or online.”⁵⁰ According to Dr. Teresa Berger, professor of Liturgical Studies and the Thomas E. Golden Jr. professor of Catholic Theology of Yale Divinity School, “initial responses to televised Masses from theologians . . . were decidedly negative and dismissive. In part, they relied on now-outdated ways of theorizing what it meant to watch something on TV in their response, understanding such watching as merely passive and non-participatory.” On the contrary, she argues: “People entering into an online Mass in faith and devotion participate in that Mass, even if the specifics of their bodily participation differ from offline liturgical participation in a brick-and-mortar sanctuary.”⁵¹

The same arguments can apply to Adoration. The need for full and active personal presence before our Lord in the Eucharist is the basis and criteria for full participation in Adoration, whether one is in the pew or online. If one is “merely passive and non-participatory” and lacks reverence, faith and devotion in either venue, this severely diminishes, if not negates, the value of one’s attendance. In both cases, Timothy O’Malley, the academic director at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Liturgy, notes that “’we are not in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament strictly speaking’. . . [but] that the real work of active participation is ‘always attunement of our inner and outer lives. . . ’”⁵²

The aforementioned post-pandemic misuse of online Mass attendance and reduction of in-person attendance may have negatively influence our ability to approach online adoration with an open mind.

However, unlike the Mass, adoration is not the fulfillment of an obligation but intentional involvement in the Church’s devotion of the true Presence, which flows from and returns to its origin, the Mass. With respect to online adoration, even the Archdiocese of Boston states: “Our Lord is truly present in the Eucharist, and what a gift it is to adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament! But, for whatever reason, we aren’t always able to make our way to a Church or chapel. Thankfully, the Internet can bring Adoration directly into our homes,”⁵³ our lives and our business.

Efficacy of Online Adoration

Some may write off such online Adoration as totally inadequate and indeed disrespectful, an aberration of “true” in-person Adoration. Certainly, as mentioned above, all agree that in-person Adoration, being totally present and joining in the worship of the community of faith, is always preferable. Both in person and online, true adoration calls for one’s full and active presence before our Lord in the Eucharist, the conditions for full participation.

Online or virtual Adoration at one of the many adoration sites online offers a holy and grace-filled alternative to encounter Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, at any time, day or night. He becomes incarnate in our life. He accompanies you in your schedule. He is in the palm of your hand, at your desk, home, or office, or walking down the street.

A brief prayer before getting on with life acknowledges Jesus as the center of one’s life and actively demonstrates one’s trust and love of Him. Unlike Holy Hours or Exposition and Benediction, mini-visits don’t have to be long. Such a “mini-visit,” a virtual drop in on the go to an online Adoration site, is an excellent example of “applying faith more fully to daily life,” (CCC, 93), adaptable to all schedules and available in all situations. As with other friends, it is an opportunity to “pop in” and say “hi” to Jesus. And there are times, depending on one’s circumstances, where “Help!” or “Thanks!” may be more appropriate.

This form of individual worship provides a unique opportunity to follow Jesus’ guideline on personal prayer: When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. [Mt 6:6] Viewed from a virtual perspective, though we may be seemingly alone, some sites report literally hundreds of others joining one in adoration at any particular time.

If one is at a loss getting started, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ easy and comprehensive booklet, Prayer Companion for Eucharistic Adoration, is an excellent companion, including numerous scripture passages, psalms, prayers, litanies as well as excerpts from Papal and USCCB documents. The Virtual Adoration Blog also offers numerous prayer ideas⁵⁴ for virtual Eucharistic Adoration with links to each.

Spiritual Practices of Online Adoration

The habit of frequent online Adoration provides a unique opportunity to practice the continual presence of God and to enrich one’s relationship with the Eucharistic Christ through frequent Spiritual Communion.

The Practice of the Presence of God

“From the very beginning, God has desired to be with his people. From the Garden of Eden to the Exodus, from the Tabernacle in the wilderness to the Temple in Jerusalem, the God of the universe has chosen to accompany his people and dwell with them . . . When he reveals his name, God also reveals his faithfulness — not just ‘I Am’ but ‘I am with you, always’ . . . This is Jesus’s promise to you: ‘Behold, I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20). He is present in the Eucharist, to accompany you through every moment of life.”⁵⁵

Thus, it is up to us to invite God into our lives. Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, invites “all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them.”⁵⁶

Psalm 63 expresses our yearning to be with God: “O God, you are my God — it is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, In a land parched, lifeless, and without water.”(vs 2) In the Eucharist, “I look to you in the sanctuary to see your power and glory.”(vs 3). The practice of online adoration is a frequent reminder to be present to Jesus, to share some alone one-on-one time with Jesus, the most important person in one’s life, who loves one eternally, completely and unconditionally.

Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist, be it an hour or a quick mini-visit on your smartphone on the way to work, raises the mind and heart to God in the midst of a busy day. Jesus is constantly at our door, knocking, (Rev 3:20); He invites us to come and see . . . and stay “with Him that day” (Jn 1:39) and every day. He provides an opportunity to heal and be comforted with his Divine radiation of grace. When this becomes not just a habit but a way of life, then one truly transforms what was a normal day into what Br. Lawrence described as “the practice of the presence of God.”⁵⁷

Spiritual Communion

⁵⁸

Adoration online also provides a unique opportunity to make a “Spiritual Communion,” also called “Communion of desire,” with which many became acquainted during the pandemic. Aquinas described spiritual communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace as though we had already received him.”⁵⁹

Spiritual Communion had its origin in the Middle Ages. Throughout Catholic history, “regular reception of the Eucharist has been a rare thing. In the fourteenth century . . . few would receive the Eucharist weekly but would ‘receive’ the Eucharist through ocular communion,” meaning “they would gaze upon the host, often with accompanying prayers. This was understood as a ‘real’ albeit spiritual communion.”

Indeed, Adoration is a unique opportunity outside of Mass to receive ocular or spiritual communion.⁶⁰ St. Alphonsus de’ Liguori describes “An Act of Spiritual Communion,”⁶¹ in his prayer. It affirms one’s belief that Jesus is truly “present in the most Blessed Sacrament of the altar.”⁶² He continues by describing Spiritual Communion: “Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, please come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to You now and forever.”⁶³

Countless other saints⁶⁴ incorporated this type of prayer into their daily lives. “Saints have encouraged the practice anytime you feel the desire to unite to Christ more fully. St. Francis de Sales is said to have made a spiritual communion every fifteen minutes in order to offer all the events of his day to Christ.”⁶⁵ “Padre Pio also had a habit of making a spiritual communion throughout the day outside of the celebration of Mass.”⁶⁶

“Aquinas likened spiritual communion to baptism of desire, in which a catechumen who dies before baptism can be saved through his desire for the sacrament. A member of the faithful, then, could desire the sacrament of the Eucharist so strongly as to reap grace from that desire alone.”⁶⁷ St. Josemaria Escriva encouraged everyone to make a spiritual communion as often as they could: “What a source of grace there is in spiritual communion! Practice it frequently and you’ll have greater presence of God and closer union with him in all your actions.”⁶⁸

“In the 16th century, the Council of Trent noted three ways of taking part in communion: sacramentally only, by those who receive the host but are not properly disposed or prepared; spiritually only, by those who are prepared but do not receive the host; and both sacramentally and spiritually, by those who both prepare spiritually and receive the host. Spiritual communion is the middle way.”⁶⁹

Recent Popes have praised the practice of Spiritual Communion. Pope Benedict XVI pointed out: “the practice of making spiritual communions throughout the day . . . one way to rediscover our Eucharistic form.”⁷⁰ In Sacramentum Caritatis, he urged us to “rediscover the Eucharistic form which their lives are meant to have,”⁷¹ thus making of our lives “a constant self-offering to God” (no. 72). “Even in cases where it is not possible to receive sacramental communion . . . it is beneficial to cultivate a desire for full union with Christ through the practice of spiritual communion, praised by Pope John Paul II and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life” (no. 55).

Pope Francis also encouraged the faithful who pray with him, without being physically present, to make “a ‘spiritual Communion’ . . . by. . . one of the traditional formulas that for a long time had been taught by the good spiritual masters of the Christian people . . . who also knew how to remain in union with God, in their own way, in the midst of their daily occupations.⁷²

It is “not an alternative to sacramental Communion, but in a certain sense continued and prepared for it, for example during visits to the Blessed Sacrament or at other times of prayer. . . it. . . become[s] a time of growth: growth in faith, growth in desire for the gift of sacramental Communion, growth in solidarity with those who for whatever reason cannot benefit from it, growth in freedom from habits of carelessness in receiving.”⁷³

United with online Adoration, Spiritual Communion is “aimed at making us feel continuously united to Jesus, not only when we received Communion during Mass, but also at other times and places. . . It was meant to remind us that the Sacrifice of Jesus, Who died for us . . . [is] being continually renewed around the world, and that we could always unite ourselves spiritually with Him and His oblation.”⁷⁴

Integrating Online Adoration into One’s Life

The two easy steps to set up virtual Adoration on one’s cellphone or computer are:

• On one’s desktop:
  • Choose a favorite Adoration site from the over forty worldwide Eucharistic Adoration Chapels with Live Webcams. Links are found at The Online Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration⁷⁵
  • Either download the app or clip the link to your Bookmark Bar.
• On one’s smartphone:
  • download the Adoration Live! which “brings before you the curated list of Live Adoration Feeds,”⁷⁶ with live 24/7 Webcams from monasteries, convents and parishes from around the globe.

All invite and encourage visitors to the site to join their in-person worshipers in adoration.⁷⁷

The difficult and most important step, however, is to discipline oneself to form the habit of always opening that site first every time one goes online and “dropping in” for a moment, before going on with one’s business. By dropping in every time one goes online, it becomes a routine part of one’s prayer life. However, without the discipline, it is as inefficacious as the unattended in-person Adorations at one’s parish.

Conclusion

During the pandemic, parishes had to close their doors many Sundays and one was urged to “attend Mass online.” The isolation from each other and our worshipping community was both upsetting and demoralizing. At that time, all one had was The Act of Spiritual Communion which, while “one way to rediscover our Eucharistic form”⁷⁸ as Pope Benedict noted above, as the only option was a poor replacement for receiving the Lord in person at Mass. Both were starvation rations compared with what we needed and desired. We know from that experience, the true import and value of the Real Presence.

“At the heart of the Eucharistic Revival is a simple yet powerful truth: God’s Eucharistic love is meant to be shared.”⁷⁹ As is evident, online Adoration including regular mini-visits throughout the day can and will strengthen the bond of friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist, enable one to enjoy his continual presence, and nourish one through spiritual communion at his heavenly banquet.

Through Adoration, one can help others get closer to Jesus, not just as their Savior, not just as their Lord, but as their companion, as their friend. By practicing daily online Adoration, one will be prepared, when the Spirit presents one with the opportunity to witness to the world one is not only Christian, one is Catholic, and to introduce and accompany another in their encounter with Christ in the Eucharist.