You might have heard of XLT and thought it was a Life Teen event. (It’s  not.) After all, our Life Teen group has participated in XLT (pronounced “Exalt”) nights a number of times. Our Edge students also got to experience XLT recently. But in this case, XLT refers to a type of adoration of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament that combines music, praise and worship, Scripture and moments of silent prayer.
This XLT, on Thursday, March 30, is designed as a parish-wide event. All ages are invited and encouraged to attend.
Father Chris Cox will lead the service, along with musician/parishioner John Husbands, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. Mass. It will end about 9 p.m.
If your only experience with adoration has been the First Friday nocturnal adoration that has been available here for decades, you may find this service quite different, Father Chris says. XLT presents adoration as an opportunity to communicate directly with the God of the universe, present in the form of bread displayed in the monstrance.

“Sometimes with set devotional prayers, we lose sight that Jesus is actually present in our midst,” Father Chris says. “I think sometimes we’re so worried about getting our prayers done that we have to question, are we actually praying? Prayer is an open communication line to God. It’s emptying yourself out to God, but also receiving God’s graces. In a sense, what we’re doing when we have adoration is we’re emptying ourselves and receiving those graces at the same time.”
The format is based on XLT at Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, where it often attracts 150 to 200 worshipers. It combines very traditional elements with contemporary music in a darkened church and spotlights to emphasize the mystical nature of adoration.
“The beauty of XLT is that it offers us times of silence,” Father Chris says. “So often we fill that time of silence with other set prayers. But what God so deeply wants is for us to have a communication with Him. To share ourselves with Him in that prayer.”
“If you love Jesus, my hope is that you’ll be there,” he adds. “Something like this can have a youthful vibe, but Christ has a great desire to have relationship with all of us. In the midst of Lent, when we’re focusing on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, what better time than for you and your family to experience a new type of prayer?”