TGIF

The Church uses the first Friday of each month to encourage the faithful to again look to the Cross and recall the events of Good Friday and focus our attention on Jesus. Actually, each Friday of each week has been always held as a day of penance to recall the Lord's suffering for us. We undergo small sacrifices as a way of "offering up" something to God. We are encouraged to spend more time in prayer on Fridays and or to perform an extra deed of charity. We are encouraged to forego eating meat as a small sacrifice. Are these done because I am trying to earn my way to heaven? No, not at all, Jesus did that on the Cross! But, by fasting meat on Fridays, I can show my love for Jesus by "offering up" my creature comfort uniting my "little suffering" to His. (Col 1:24) Why wait until one day of the year (Good Friday) to meditate on the suffering and death of our Lord when each Friday of each week we can focus on this most important event in Salvation History?

Many parishes do this by having Eucharistic Adoration on the first Friday of each month. It is a time when Mother Church calls us to take a pause from our overly busy lives, just for an hour, and come, bow down and worship the Lord Jesus. What a great way to start the weekend! Letting go of myself and my agenda for a moment, and concentrating on Him and His agenda.

As I entered the chapel for Eucharistic Adoration last evening, I was struck by the quiet and peace that was there. As I entered the pew, I knelt on both knees for a moment as a way of honoring my Lord who was physically present in the monstrance on the altar. I noticed that there were elderly couples kneeling together, men and women having just finished their work weeks, and young singles quietly sitting and adoring the Lord. I prayed privately for a time thanking God for this privilege, than prayed some prayers that many saints who have gone before me prayed as they knelt before the Eucharist hundreds of years ago.

"My Jesus! What a lovable contrivance this holy Sacrament was - that You would hide under the appearance of bread to make Yourself loved and to be available for a visit by anyone who desires You!"

- St. Alphonsus Ligouri

You don't have to be Catholic to be blessed by blessing the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration.
I encourage you to find a parish in your area via Mass Times. org and check out the next First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Some Pentecostal folks in Brooklyn go to Eucharistic Adoration at the Franciscan Friary because they "know our sweet Lord Jesus is there."
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/a2.html