The Forty Hours Devotion is a special forty-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition.  Of course, the focus of this devotion is on the Holy Eucharist.  As Catholics, the words of our Lord burn in our hearts: “I myself am the living bread come down from Heaven.  If anyone eats this bread, He shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

The Forty Hours Devotion can be seen almost like a parish mini-retreat or mission.  A guest priest may be invited to give a series of homilies. 

In our own country, St. John Neumann (1811-60), the fourth bishop of Philadelphia,  was a strong promoter of the Forty Hours Devotion. While the practice had already existed in individual churches throughout the city (as well as in other places in the country), no organized, cohesive diocesan schedule for it had ever before been attempted.  St. John had an tremendous devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and desired to foster such a spiritual life in his people.

The Forty Hours Devotion provides a wonderful opportunity for the spiritual growth of each person and the parish as a whole.  In a world where temptation and evil abound, where devotion to the Mass and our Lord in the Holy Eucharist have declined, where the practice of penance and confession have been forgotten, we need the Forty Hours Devotion more than ever. (catholicstraightanswers.com)

Sign Up for an Hour of Adoration Here