The First Adoration Chapel

“St. Joseph established the world’s first Adoration chapel: Bethlehem.” from the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father” by Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC

I am in awe of St. Joseph. I have always been in love with our Blessed Mother, but I was not very close to her spouse. After spending 21 days reading and hearing about him, the more I want to learn about him. 

On this 21st day of my Consecration Journey, I learned something that makes a lot of sense, but it had never occurred to me. “Wherever St. Joseph traveled with his wife and Son, his home became an Adoration chapel.” How awesome is that. “St. Joseph is the founder of Adoration chapels.”

Little Flower has an Adoration chapel which is open 24/07. You just need a 4-digit code to enter. What do you think it is? Hint, hint: I just shared it. Every time I have the opportunity to go, I stop for a few minutes. It’s so peaceful in there. Next time I go, I will thank St. Joseph for being the founder of Adoration chapels.

The very first Adoration chapel was established in Bethlehem. Think about that and just be amazed. “Saint Joseph went in haste with Mary to Bethlehem which means ‘house of bread,’ so that the bread of eternal life might be born there.” — Venerable Joseph Mindszenty. “How fitting it is that the first public exposition of the Living Bread from Heaven took place in Bethlehem.” 

I visited Bethlehem in 2018, and I learned that Bethlehem meant “house of bread,” but truly, I had never made the connection to the Eucharist. It makes sense, though. The Eucharist is the living bread. During the transubstantiation, a piece of plain bread becomes the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. And that Bread was born in the “house of bread.”

“The first Adoration chapel was visited by local shepherds, followed closely by Wise Men who came from a distant land to pay homage to the newborn God-King.” Today, the Adoration chapels are open to anyone, and yet, many times, they are empty. “Mary, God’s tabernacle, is replicated in every tabernacle in a Catholic church. What is often missing in front of these tabernacles, however, are souls who resemble St. Joseph — souls who adore Jesus present and hidden in the tabernacle. The Church needs more people like St. Joseph.”

Will I be like St. Joseph and adore Jesus the way he did? Or will I take the Eucharist for granted? I am so blessed that in Miami I have the opportunity to visit many Catholic churches with an Adoration chapel that is open 24/07 (hint, hint). Even though we currently cannot visit the places where Jesus was born, lived and died, He is present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament of every Catholic Church around the world. “The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. The Blessed Sacrament is the source and summit of the Christian faith, and St. Joseph wants to lead you to a deeper relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist.”

Papa Joseph, pray for us. 

This meditation was inspired by “Adorer of Christ” from the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father” by Donald H. Calloway, MIC. All sentences in quotes were taken directly from the book. 

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