Adoration

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ElizabethPH

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Is it alright to play a guitar and sing during Adoration…Is it appropriate for children to sit in front of the Blessed Eucharist on the floor coloring; albiet they are religious coloring books and Mom is on the floor as well making sure they behave? And they are behaving. One parishioners reaction was that they thought it was beautiful. I just think that it’s good that they go. 🤷
 
I agree with your reaction. Would you go to a wedding and have your kids sit in front of the bride and groom coloring? The bride and groom and just people while the Blessed Sacrament is Jesus Christ. I would make sure I give him my full attention.

While I applaud the intention for including kids in prayer life, I think people have to pick things that are age appropriate. Adoration is one of those events that small kids just can’t comprehend. Heck, even we as adults have a hard time wrapping our heads around Adoration.

Then there’s also the logistics in that people don’t like it when others break their meditation in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I’ve seen people get up and move when someone comes and sits behind them because the other person, as quiet as they may be, is a distraction.

In my opinion, if the kids need to bring a toy to Adoration then they shouldn’t be going to Adoration.
 
If you go to the EWTN catalogue you will find a DVD of Fr Antoine teaching a group of children about Adoration.

If the children are little and taking them is the only way mum can get to adoration I think it ok if they are kept quiet by colouring in. On the other hand if they are primary school age I think it would be quite inappropriate for them to be colouring in during adoration.

As for guitars and music - I attended a youth adoration a couple of years ago and the silent periods of adoration were broken up by the priest talking about adoration and some reverent hymns. I think that adolescents today would find it difficult to remain silently adoring for an hour. The talks and the music lead them gently into adoration as we know it.
 
Are you alone with Jesus while you are playing guitars and singing? I don’t have any problem with that, but as much as I enjoy peaceful guitar music and worshipful singing, I would not want to hear it while I was trying to adore the Lord during that precious hour.

We have a perpetual Adoration Chapel at our parish, and for the most part, it has a crowd of adorers all the time. I’ve heard that at 2:00 A.M. and such hours, it has only the one assigned adorer, but I assume no children are there at 2:00 A.M.

I really don’t mind what children do in Adoration as long as they are quiet, but I think that rather than long periods of Adoration that allows them enough time to color a picture, it would be better to visit Jesus with children for just a few minutes, and concentrate on Him entirely, then leave. This way, the children associate the Chapel with a pleasant time with Jesus, rather than a prolonged period of boredom while Mommy or Daddy sits silent. As the children grow older, increase the amount of time.

One of the families in our church has seventeen children, and this seems to be their rule. All of their children, from older teens to young toddlers, enter the Adoration Chapel and are quiet and prayerful. Usually within a few minutes, the younger children begin to trickle out the door (in the company of older siblings), and within ten minutes, only the oldest children and mom or dad is still in the Chapl. (There is a huge playground next to the Chapel.)
 
As a child, religigous color books and story books really helped my faith like it is today. I don’t see a problem with this. The color books would probably teach them about stories of faith, and I think that’s what the Lord would want.
 
jeanne71350 said:
As a child, religigous color books and story books really helped my faith like it is today. I don’t see a problem with this. The color books would probably teach them about stories of faith, and I think that’s what the Lord would want.
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Makes sense I mean after all we pray the rosary and read in the Adoration Chapel.

Coloring books are like prayers for children and I say anyone that is annoyed by other people in the chapel need to suck it up and offer it up.

I’m sick of anti-social Catholics using Jesus as an excuse to be anti-social.
 
cyberwolf001 said:
I’m sick of anti-social Catholics using Jesus as an excuse to be anti-social.
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I wouldn’t say people are being anti-social by wanting minimal distractions during Adoration or mass. To my knowledge, Adoration is not supposed to be a social event. Whenever you are near the Blessed Sacrament you should show respect and reverence. Save the social time for coffee and donuts after church or the parish festival.

That being said, of course kids have a different way of praying and you can’t expect them to approach Adoration and mass the same way as an adult. But I think we should be teaching kids early the proper way to attend church. That means putting away the toys and paying attention. That sows the seeds that church time has a very different nature than other occasions. I like Cat’s idea that kids should go and concentrate at Adoration, but for a shorter period of time and slowly ratchet it up as they get older. It’s like that old saying, “Practice makes Permanent.”
 
PrayHarder said:
I wouldn’t say people are being anti-social by wanting minimal distractions during Adoration or mass. To my knowledge, Adoration is not supposed to be a social event. Whenever you are near the Blessed Sacrament you should show respect and reverence. Save the social time for coffee and donuts after church or the parish festival.
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Do you not consider getting ticked off because a child has a coloring book to NOT be anti-social.

Or the part mentioned earlier of someone being annoyed because someone sat BEHIND them?

I’ve been given dagger glares for the sound my rosary made when it clicked while praying in adoration. Another time for when I hiccuped.

I’ve seen people glared at for simple nodding and whispering hi to a friend in adoration (After bowing or genuflecting to Jesus) before sitting silently themselves or saying good bye when leaving (After good byes to Jesus).
 
cyberwolf001 said:
Makes sense I mean after all we pray the rosary and read in the Adoration Chapel.

Coloring books are like prayers for children and I say anyone that is annoyed by other people in the chapel need to suck it up and offer it up.

I’m sick of anti-social Catholics using Jesus as an excuse to be anti-social.
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Hmmm…
What Does Jesus Say?

15**** Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.*** 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Luke 19:15-17

I would think that if someone is staring daggers, (obvious body language for anger and irritation), they have some sin in their heart they need to deal with. Certainly nothing that the fires of Purgatory can’t cleanse you from.
 
We have a couple of groups who wish to sing and pray aloud during Adoration. We schedule an hour or two for them and have it quiet otherwise. With a little effort, and good will, everyone’s [or most everyone’s] tastes can be accommodated.
 
Kids and their coloring books do not bother me.

Mom wants to be with Jesus. Maybe the only thing she can do is take her kid and have him/her color. The mom is modelling a great spiritual practice for her child.

As for guitars and such, not my thing. I like Adoration to be quiet. I understand that there will be sounds that can’t be helped, like a cough or click of roasary beads.
 
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