Prayer Life

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Rosary Group provides opportunity for group rosary and novena prayer leading up to the Feast Day of our patroness, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, and other Marian Feast Days such as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Watch the parish calendar, bulletin and eNewsletter for more information and specific locations, dates and times.

In addition to our Weekly Eucharistic Adoration schedule, Rosary Group leads Eucharistic Adoration on the First Friday of every month and the First Saturday Devotions on the First Saturday of each month. Each is a divine opportunity to deepen our connection with God and receive His abundant blessings.

The 9 First Fridays
St. Margaret Mary Alocoque received revelations from Jesus, including the request for the establishment of a feast day in honor of His Sacred Heart and the practice of receiving Holy Communion on the first Friday of each month. The Church grants a Plenary indulgence to those who attend Mass, receive Communion and spend one hour in Adoration in honor of The Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of each month for nine (9) consecutive months.

The 5 First Saturdays
“Look at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least, try to console me and announce that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall: go to confession, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.” –Words of Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fatima is a title given to Our Blessed Mother based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, at the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. The three children claimed to have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary in a total of six apparitions between May 13, and October 13, 1917. The events were declared worthy of belief by Jose Alves Correia da Silva, Bishop of Leiria, on October 13, 1930 and on April 25, 1946, Pope Pius XII granted a pontifical decree of canonical coronation. Our Lady of Fatima shares her Feast Day, May 13^th, with our patroness, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.

Each year during October, the month of the Holy Rosary, and near the anniversary of the final apparition, we are visited by a Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Most people are unable to make the pilgrimage to Fatima each year, so with characteristic humility and love, Our Lady overcomes this difficulty by becoming the pilgrim. She comes to us courtesy of the Ambassadors of Mary, founded in 1947 by Fr. James Mary Keane, OSM. In 1954, the Ambassadors of Mary began bringing Pilgrim Statues to locations in and around Chicago to promote devotion to Our Blessed Mother, and by 1987 there were 190 Pilgrim Statues. Our Mother is collecting prayers and sacrifices in reparation for the sins committed against her divine son. With the help of many volunteers, the Ambassadors of Mary are able to provide First Saturday Retreats, the Pilgrim Virgin Apostolate and an annual celebration of Our Lady of Fatima at Holy Name Cathedral. Please join us nightly to pray the Rosary while Our Lady of Fatima Pilgrim Statue visits:

Welcome Prayer Service – Saturday, October 8 | 1:30pm
Nightly Rosary – Sunday, October 9 - Friday, October 14 | 7:00pm
Farewell Prayer Service – Saturday, October 15 | 12:30pm

Download the flyer or contact the parish office (847) 979-0901 to discover more.

Public Prayer Is Powerful! Join fellow parishioners and thousands across the country in praying a public Rosary on the Saturday closest to the Miracle of the Sun, Saturday, October 15, 2022 from Noon to 2pm. We will gather in front of St. Julian Eymard (601 Biesterfield Road, across the street from the Hospital) on the parkway near the signpost.

Download the flyer to discover more or let others know about the Public Rosary Rally.

See our Rosary display in church vestibules for prayer materials and rosaries throughout the month of October.

Watch The Rosary: A Prayer of Miracles on Formed. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament has a subscription to Formed. Simply visit Formed.org/signup and enter our parish zip code (60007), click next and enter your Name and eMail Address, then click Signup. Search Formed for additional Rosary materials.

See something great, on Formed or somewhere else? Please contact the parish office (847) 979-0901 and let us know!

The Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, or Eucharistic Adoration, in its most basic terms is worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the Altar in the Monstrance so that we may see and pray in front of the real presence of Christ. It is an opportunity for us to express and deepen our love for Him. But, what makes Eucharistic Adoration different than other prayers we say throughout our life?

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. —Proverbs 15:3

Yes, God is in all places and always near, and so we can always enter into His presence in prayer.

Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, You know it all. —Psalms 139:4

And, also true is that God is all-knowing, including knowing even our inmost thoughts.

But, because the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are present in the Eucharist, in Adoration we worship and pray to the Lord in a more intimate and present way. The Eucharist represents the body of Jesus, the Son of God who died to save us from sin so that we have eternal life with Him. When we participate in Eucharistic Adoration, we are in the true presence of Jesus. In the presence of the Eucharist, we receive a more powerful spiritual nourishment and deepening of relationship with Christ than we might during our daily prayer.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament offers Eucharistic Adoration weekly, beginning with morning Mass at 8:15am, as follows:

Wednesdays, Adoration will begin with Exposition immediately following daily Mass at 8:15am at St. Julian Eymard Church and continue until the Closing Benediction at approximately 8:00pm. Reconciliation will be offered from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.*

Saturdays, Adoration will begin with Exposition immediately following daily Mass at 8:15am at Queen of the Rosary Church and continue the Closing Benediction at approximately 1:00pm. Reconciliation will be offered from Noon until 1:00pm.*

On the First Friday of each month, Adoration continues at St. Julian Eymard from the conclusion of the 8:15am daily Mass until the Closing Benediction at 11:30am.

On the First Saturday of each month, we pray the Rosary immediately following Exposition.

*Please note, our weekly Adoration and Reconciliation schedule is consistent with the location of the Mass of the Day (Wednesdays at St. Julian Eymard Church, and Saturdays at Queen of the Rosary Church).

Always remember that we are in the presence of God! When we see the Lord in the Host, we should genuflect, and generally maintain an attitude of respect during Adoration. When others are present, we should also be silent. Kneeling, sitting and standing are all appropriate for prayer during Adoration. We don’t really have to “do” anything, but below are ideas to help us enter into the presence of Jesus with confidence and humility and experience the blessing of Eucharistic Adoration.

Be Present. The first step is simple, but very important—show up. Approach Jesus with reverence and adore Him for all He has done for us.

Pray the Rosary. Meditate on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary to feel closer to God.

Write in a Prayer Journal. The act of writing allows our inner thoughts to come forward and can help us process information more clearly.

Free-Form Prayer. We needn’t have anything planned or memorized, and may simply wish to converse with Jesus as we would a friend of relative. Be sure to listen for the Holy Spirit to hear Jesus’ answers.

Listen to Music. As St. Augustine says, “When we sing we pray twice.” Create a playlist to help you focus on God and the gift of His only Son. Just be sure to bring earphones.

Read. Meditating on scripture, reading a daily devotional or other religious book may help you focus on God and enrich your spiritual journey.

If you’re new to Eucharistic Adoration or maybe just out of practice, understanding the main elements will help you feel more comfortable and let you get the most out of the experience.

Tabernacle. The locked cabinet behind the Altar where the priest places the Eucharist. The priest opens the Tabernacle to retrieve the Eucharist during Communion and Eucharistic Adoration.

Consecrated Host. During the consecration at Mass, the Host and Wine become the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of God. The technical term for this is transubstantiation. While they still look like bread and wine, during consecration, God transforms the substance or essence and they become the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Monstrance. The item where the Eucharist is exposed and displayed is called the Monstrance. While it can take various appearances, the most common type of monstrance, and that which we have at both Queen of the Rosary and St. Julian Eymard, is a sunburst shape atop a long stem and base. The monstrance contains the luna, or lunette.

Luna. The compartment at the center of the monstrance where the priest places the Eucharist during Adoration. The luna is at the center of the monstrance to display the glory of Christ’s presence within the Eucharist.

Prayer. Important prayers are used during this rite which may be found inside the back cover of the Breaking Bread Hymnal, located in the pew pockets at both Queen of the Rosary and St. Julian Eymard.

Follow this link to listen to Fr. John Bartunek and Dan Burke talk about adoration, what it is, and why it is important.

“The Eucharist is everything, because from the Eucharist, everything is.” – St. Peter Julian Eymard

“In the Mass and in Eucharistic Adoration we meet the merciful love of God that passes through the Heart of Jesus Christ.” – St. John Paul II

“The Eucharist bathes tormented souls in light and love.” – St. Bernadette Soubirous

“Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you.” – St. John Bosco

“Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

“How sweet and full of comfort are the moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament! Are you in trouble? Come and throw yourself at his feet.” – St. John Vianney

“Whenever I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to him, ‘Lord, I am here.  Tell me what you would have me to do’ . . . And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart.  I tell him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen.  If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen.  God always speaks to you when you approach him plainly and simply.” – St. Catherine Labouré

The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in heaven, and will help bring about an everlasting peace on earth.” – St.Teresa of Calcutta

“Know also that you will probably gain more by praying fifteen minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day. True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, for He has made the promise, ‘Ask, and you shall receive,’ but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament will obtain a more abundant measure of grace.” – St. Alphonsus Liguori

O Christ, let my greatest delight be to see You loved and Your praise and glory proclaimed, especially the honor of Your mercy. O Christ, let me glorify Your goodness and mercy to the last moment of my life, with every drop of my blood and every beat of my heart. Would that I be transformed into a hymn of adoration of You. When I find myself on my deathbed, may the last beat of my heart be a loving hymn glorifying Your unfathomable mercy. Amen. – St. Faustina

From Catholic Link...

1. You develop a sense of awe and wonder

There is nothing like the atmosphere of a quiet chapel or church, the smell of incense and the splendor of the monstrance to help you understand the truth of what is happening in Adoration. We are truly before Jesus Christ, His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The more you sink into that silence in front of the Host, the more you’ll realize that the only response is awe and wonder at the greatness of our God.

2.  You experience peace in other areas of your life

Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27)  The outward peace we can experience in Adoration (the quiet and the stillness) reaches much deeper. It leads to an inner peace that affects all areas of our lives. It doesn’t mean everything in our life will be perfect and without suffering, but Christ’s peace means that we know that the storms of life can’t shake us.

3. You begin to look outwardly

Jesus told us to “love one another as I have loved you”. (John 13:34) Spending time in Adoration connects us to the whole world – after all, we’re spending time with the Creator of all things! More time praising and adoring God means you can look beyond your own concerns and see the needs of others in your life and in the world that we live in.

4. You get bored sometimes

There are going to be times when Adoration can feel anything but glorious. You get distracted, your mind begins to wander, you can hear someone else sniffing next to you. Maybe in the beginning Adoration was full of wonderful feelings! Regular Adoration is when daily life sets in and it can make it feel not so special. But that doesn’t devalue or take away from the truth of what Adoration is. Our faith is more than feelings and God will still be working in you. This is the beauty of the Incarnation – God made man, coming into all our stresses, fears, problems – and yes, boredom. Know that even if an hour spent in Adoration is a continual returning to Him every few minutes when your mind wanders, you are still giving God the best gift you can – your time and company.

5. But you become excited going to Adoration

The more time you spend in Adoration discovering that God is a God who loves you and wants to spend time with you, the more you begin to actually want to go. If Adoration once felt like a chore, you might even find yourself becoming excited to go! Adoration is addictive, not just because of the things we can gain for ourselves, but because we were created to adore. As we say in the Mass, it is “right and just” that we should give thanks to the Lord! Adoration is imprinted on our hearts and “our hearts are restless until they find our rest in Him”! (Thanks, St Augustine!)

6. Grace enters your life

It’s amazing how a simple act of committing to even a short time of regular Adoration makes such a huge difference to the rest of your life. You can carry that moment of being in His presence with you long after you’ve left the church or chapel. His grace sustains you in every moment, especially in moments of temptation. Temptation becomes easier to resist when you’re spending more time in Adoration. Sometimes, it really is that straightforward.

7. You realize how fortunate you are

If it is as simple for you as getting in the car and driving to Adoration at church, or even walking to the chapel nearby, you realise how much you can take it for granted. There are those who would love to spend more time with Jesus in Adoration but who are housebound, sick or busy parents. Then there are those around the world who actually risk their lives for the Eucharist, in places where they are persecuted for their faith. When you remember those who walk for hours or days in dangerous situations in order to be present with Jesus, you realise what a gift it is to be able to pray openly, not to mention having a priest to minister the sacraments.

8.  You realize that God has a sense of humor

The more you are able to sit and let God speak to you (instead of spending all your time filling the silence with talking to Him), you’ll find that God has a really good sense of humor. He likes a joke or two, and sometimes these moments are funny enough to make you want to laugh out loud. Surprising, maybe, but don’t the best fathers show you their love by affectionate good humor?!?

9.  You want to go to Confession more

This might sound scary, but it’s not. Confession allows us to experience the mighty boundless ocean that is God’s mercy. His mercy swallows up all our sins and gives us a true kind of freedom, a freedom without fear, which allows us to make the leap into His love and goodness, complete with all His perfect plans for our life. Time and time again, going to Confession re-enforces the knowledge that we are jumping into the arms of a father who loves us very much and “never tires of forgiving us”. (Pope Francis).

10. You fall in love

Ultimately, you can’t help this one! When you spend more time with an open heart in Adoration and just let Christ love you, then you’ll fall in love too. That love will define you and allow you to be yourself. “I came that they may have life, life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10)

Here's how Melissa Johnson | Faith & Life, Sacraments answered the question for Catholic Link:

Someone asked me quite seriously the other day, “What do you personally get out of Adoration?”

It was a question that gave me pause. How do I explain? If you already accept the belief that the consecrated Host is in fact Jesus Christ, it seems plain to me that you would immediately settle yourself with the certainty that you are in Jesus’s presence, and nothing else would matter. I have to go back a bit, because I wasn’t always one hundred percent convinced; it took knowing a fantastic priest to get me there.

I am a cradle Catholic (to use an over-used phrase); I am, I suppose, somewhat inculturated to Catholicism. I took a rather long break in my twenties and reverted in my thirties, and now at this point in my life, I look at it as either accepting it, part and parcel, the whole kaboodle, the entire package, or accepting none. I choose all.

In making that choice (although I don’t consider it a choice, as such, when there is nothing significant or of use to choose from–one might as well choose a lump of stone if one is hungry, or to clothe oneself in fire if one is naked), there is the reality of Christ proclaiming “This is my Body,” and “This is my Blood.” Therefore, if Christ is who He says He is, the Eucharist is what He says it is, and I’m content.

However, I also know that as a human being, I suffer from a dense intelligence and benighted knowledge, or however St. Thomas Aquinas puts it. I know I do not have the wherewithal on my own to simply will myself into believing a wafer is the Son of God incarnate; I must ask for the grace to believe. And in asking “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,” I am perforce strengthened. It is a mystery; however, when discussing this with poor souls who want concrete evidence and mystic experience and descending angels, I find they usually are not satisfied with “It is a Mystery.”

The priest I know for whom the Presence of Jesus is as necessary as breathing taught me to rest in silence before the Blessed Sacrament and to expect the unexpected. Many times, if we’re honest, we don’t REALLY want Jesus to be manifest to us, either in the species of bread or in the flesh; given the choice, the priest says most people are incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, plonked down right in front of us. And yet, if you believe in the Real Presence, that is exactly what occurs. A Protestant once told him he didn’t think he believed that WE believed in the Real Presence, because if Jesus was really there in the room (even disguised as a wafer in a monstrance), he would never ever want to leave him. I believe St. Jean Vianney would concur.

Adoration, for me, is often (not always) somewhat like opening the Ark of the Covenant. I don’t mean there’s a floor show or melting Nazis; on the contrary, it’s usually silent, with the exception of bodily noises and often a feeling of being a complete clod creaking away on the pew. There is, however, a moment where the conversation gets intense. It becomes very much Me and Thee, and usually whatever complaints or hurts or disappointments I bring before Him are completely blasted away. If you’ve attempted Adoration in the past and had an unfruitful experience, I’d suggest attempting it again, this time without preconceived notions of what you should experience, and rather–just sit with Jesus. Wait for Him to speak. Consider Whom it is you go before; imagine it is your Judgement; imagine it is your moment to talk to Christ. If you had the chance, what would you say? Say it now! Consider too that even if He never makes His Presence known, even if you do not feel something, that you are still in the Presence of your Lord and Savior–and wait for that to settle in.

I’m not a very good apologist. I can’t speak from theology or offer scientific proofs or rebuttals to atheist challenges. What I’d rather do is speak from personal experience in my limited way and encourage others already on their journey to continue forward, to seek Christ in all things, and to never lose sight of His love.

Melissa Johnson is a regular Catholic Link author.

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.

Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words "division", "hatred" and "war" be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be "brother", and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!

Amen.

Eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

our source of unity and strength,

bless us as we become

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish.

Grace us with courageous and compassionate hearts,

working together as companions on the journey of faith

to build this new Catholic Community of Elk Grove Village,

dedicated to your glory by sacrament, service, and witness.

You proclaim: “See, I am doing something new!”

Soften our hearts to your will,

and make us respond with ready gratitude and love.

Through Christ, Our Lord.

Amen

O Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament,

the glory of Christians, the joy of the universal Church,

and icon of hope, pray for us.

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it.

Trusting that You will make all things right

If I surrender to Your will.

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen

Father,

I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you:

I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my spirit; I offer it to you

With all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord,

And so need to give myself,

To surrender myself into your hands, without reserve,

And with boundless confidence,

For you are my Father.

Amen

–Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Give me O Lord all the courage I need,

Give me courage to face this uncertainty with hope during the long days and even longer nights.

Give me courage to keep on trusting even when I don't understand.

Let me remember that it is the one who trusts in you who will be saved.

Let me remember the words of Jesus, "l will be with you always."

Amen.

–Shared by Dcn Jerry Szostak during his 2020 Advent Homily

For the sick, homebound and those unable to join us in person due to serious reasons, Pope Francis assures the faithful that we can receive “spiritual Communion” while watching Mass on television or livestream.

“United to Christ we are never alone, but instead form one body, of which he is the head. It is a union that is nourished with prayer and also with spiritual Communion in the Eucharist, a practice that is recommended when it isn’t possible to receive the sacrament,” said Pope Francis on March 15, 2020.

ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is recited using ordinary Rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and followed by a closing prayer. Discover more.

It is reported Mother Teresa often prayed a flying novena whenever big problems arose that needed an immediate dose of grace. With a flying novena, you pray nine Memorares immediately in a row. Because she often experienced miraculous effects through her flying novenas, Mother Teresa typically added a tenth Memorare as a gesture of thanksgiving for what was sure to be an answered prayer. Discover more.

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Discover more.

"Without Mary, we shall never find Jesus, for she possesses Him in her Heart." —St. Peter Julian Eymard. Pray the Novena to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard promoted the frequent reception of Holy Communion and a profound respect for the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  He encouraged prayer in the presence of the Sacrament and felt that this prayer transformed lives. Discover more.

O my God, teach me to be generous, to serve You as

You deserve to be served, to give without counting
the cost, to fight without fear of being wounded, to
work without seeking rest, and to spend myself
without expecting any reward but the knowledge
that I am doing Your Holy Will.
—St. Ignatius of Loyola

Dear Lord, keep us in peace. Pray for Our Country.

Watch Penitential Service with Consecration of Russia & Ukraine with Pope Francis.

Watch Mass from Holy Name Cathedral with Consecration of Russia & Ukraine with Cardinal Cupich.

Download Consecration Prayer.