I would like to propose the concept of ordinariness as the avenue to happiness, and I think Pope Francis would, too. Ordinary life entails feeling happy and excited at some times and sad and frustrated at others. It means kicking a soccer ball, or gliding down a slide, or acting in a play. It means dancing around the room when no one else is watching (which is simultaneously a relief and also everyone else’s loss). It means biting into and savoring a crispy apple or a juicy burger or a soft piece of vanilla cake. Being ordinary means noticing the breeze as the trees start to look like fall, and taking great joy in holding someone’s hand, and belly-laughing so hard it hurts. Being ordinary is being grateful. And prayerful. And real. Being ordinary is the simple act of wonder at being alive. In Pope Francis’ homily at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia on Sunday, he spoke about “little gestures” that we learn in the home. These are “quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children. They are little signs of tenderness, affection and compassion.” Examples of these little gestures include “the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work…a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work.” Little gestures are, basically, ordinary things. He practices what he preaches. Pope Francis kissing and blessing a baby in Philadelphia. Photo from cdn.newsday.com Faith shows us that happiness and holiness, Pope Francis says, are “always tied to little gestures,” like Jesus’ example in Sunday’s Gospel: “Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name will not go unrewarded” (cf. Mk 9:41). “Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love,” encouraged Pope Francis. Having a spirit of hospitality is an ordinary thing, and it is a simple thing. We are called to welcome others as their ordinary selves. As the selves we are created to be, we are tasked with welcoming the selves of others. So, when we dare to be daughters and sons and sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers and classmates and friends and neighbors who love through gifting little gestures and through, in turn, experiencing joy in little gestures, we live and shape love in community. And happiness is always caught up in this dance between faith and love. So happiness always accompanies the ordinary life, when we live it in love. In this way, in “tak[ing] part in the feast of the Gospel,” the good Word of love, as Pope Francis urges us to do, the ordinary life takes on the properties of the extraordinary. And the extraordinary can be mediated through something as ordinary as giving someone else a cup of cold water.

During my freshman year at Notre Dame, I remember sitting next to a non-Catholic friend during a two-hour Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation service at a retreat. At the end of the two-hour period, he asked me to explain “what just happened.” I was surprised at his question, since this model of Adoration was fairly common at many high school retreats I had been on. But for him, it was the first time he had encountered such a service. Looking back on that experience, I realize that Adoration could appear strange, intimidating, or confusing, especially if encountered out of context. But the concept behind Eucharistic Adoration is simple: it is the opportunity to spend time in the presence of Jesus in the form of the Eucharist. This is done by kneeling before or sitting in the presence of a consecrated host, contained in a cross-shaped vessel called a monstrance. Attending Adoration does not replace receiving the Eucharist while celebrating Mass, but rather is one of many ways we are invited to enrich our faith lives. What better way to encounter Christ than to sit in a chapel with Him for a while? Photo from stbrenansatl.com Here are my five tips about Eucharistic Adoration: 1.  There are lots of different ways by which we are invited to participate in Adoration. These include: praying individually, reading the Bible, praying the Rosary, journaling, doing other kinds of spiritual reading, or simply embracing the peaceful silence of Christ’s presence and allowing God to do the talking. This last option is my personal favorite activity during Adoration. 2.  Adoration is a great way to find peace in the midst of busy schedules. I typically leave Adoration feeling clear-minded and re-centered. At the end of rehearsals, The Notre Dame Folk Choir prays “in thanksgiving for silence when the world is loud.” Adoration is a fantastic opportunity to enter into this silence. 3.  It can be done in community, or individually. My story about Adoration from freshman year occurred at a retreat, which was a communal Adoration setting. Sitting in the presence of Jesus with friends or family can be a very powerful way to encounter the Eucharist, as is going to Adoration as an individual. 4.  It does not matter how long you stay at Adoration. Whether you sit in the presence of Christ for fifteen minutes or two hours, Adoration is like a refreshing retreat in and of itself. 5.  Adoration is for YOU! All are welcome. Adoration is not something you have to be particularly “good” at. In fact, as discussed above, there are lots of great ways to engage in Adoration. It’s not required, but offered as a gift and as an invitation to further engage our faith lives. In honor of Pope Francis' visit to the United States this week… Photo from saltandlighttv.org Many find it particularly helpful to schedule Adoration in and to make it a part of their daily or weekly routines. Campus Ministry hosts adoration in the Notre Dame Our Mother Chapel inside the Coleman-Morse Center from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. every weekday. Anyone is free to drop in for any length of time, and there are sign-ups for half-hour slots throughout the Adoration period for those who wish to come on a weekly basis during particular periods. See this link for more information on Eucharistic Adoration, as well as the sign-up sheet for Adoration in CoMo.