The Forty Hours Devotion is a special forty-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. The Eucharist remains on the Altar in a Monstrance (meaning ”to show”) and is visible to all. All the faithful are encouraged to attend and spend one hour of adoration in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This hour can be at any time you choose: morning, afternoon, evening and through the night and early hours. The number 40 has always signified a sacred period of time: the rains during the great flood of Noah, the years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert, the days Jesus fasted in the desert and also recalls the 40 hours Jesus spent in the grave until his resurrection. Once again, during this Lent, the parish community of St. Bernard’s will have the opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. To be able to sit in the presence of Our Lord, in these most difficult of times, to seek confidence, to give thanks and to pray for those who are in need of strength. The homilist for this year’s mission will be Fr. Timothy Eck, who serves at Saint Bartholomew in East Brunswick, NJ and Fr. Oliver Lacorte from St. Bernard Church. The 40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration will begin on Sunday, March 3rd at 7:30 PM with Evening Prayer and a reflection on the above theme. Evening Prayer with reflections will also be held on Monday, March 4th at 7:30 PM and on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30 PM.