Conscripted into Adoration Service

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Madaglan

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I have recently been conscripted into adoring the consecrated host inside a monstrance at a chapel near me.

However, I am not sure if I am the person for this job. While I agree with most of what the Catholic Church teaches, I am having difficulty with Adoration. I agree with the Real Presence, but I haven’t seen anything yet to show Adoration as something of the early Church, so I cannot help but think of it as an invention of the Medieval period. I tend to think of the consecrated host as something to be eaten during Mass, not viewed and worshipped in itself for an extended period of time. I recognize the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic hosts, but I usually think of these as part of the Holy Sacrafice performed at Mass, and not meant for individual worship outside the Sacrafice of the Mass.

So, I need to commit an hour of my time to adoration. I just wonder if I can bring a book along…a spiritual work of course. I’ve been to the adoration chapel before, to try it out, so to speak. I prayed the rosary while there, but when I looked at the monstrance, I didn’t see Christ in it, and I tended to forget about the monstrance when I prayed there. The monstrance was a distraction, in my opinion.

Should I have expressed my reservations about Adoration to the person who conscripted me, in order to get away from doing this in the future, or should I just go through with this, even though I feel that it is somewhat ridiculous?
 
If you acknowledge the Real Presence, then why does Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament strike you as “somewhat ridiculous”?
 
Eastern Christians certainly believe in the Real Presence but generally don’t believe that Adoration or Exposition would be the proper use of the Sacrament/Mystery (IIRC, the Unia of Brest specifically mentions this issue).
 
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Madaglan:
So, I need to commit an hour of my time to adoration. I just wonder if I can bring a book along…a spiritual work of course. I’ve been to the adoration chapel before, to try it out, so to speak. I prayed the rosary while there, but when I looked at the monstrance, I didn’t see Christ in it, and I tended to forget about the monstrance when I prayed there. The monstrance was a distraction, in my opinion.
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When I use to do adoration, it was usually in the early evening. I usually did the Evening Prayers and Reread the Office Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. Sometime I did the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and/or some Spiritual Reading.

However, I reserved at least 15 minutes just to sit in silence to adore the Lord.

At first it was hard filling the hour, but, as time went along, it seem that it was too short. In fact, a couple of time, I stayed 5 to 10 minutes over.

That is one thing I miss when I moved here to Scranton, I have yet to find a Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

PF
 
Hello Madaglan,
Code: 
I can certainly commiserate with you! I am a convert, and during the process of my conversion I had come to believe in the Real Presence, but I would still get doubts when I was in adoration. Nagging questions like "What if I am wrong, what if I am committing idolatry?" 
What worked for me was to say to Jesus that I believed in Him, that I trusted Him, and that I certainly would never want to do anything contrary to what He would want. I then asked him to help me during adoration, to let me know it He really wanted to be adored in the Eucahrist. The result was an increase in faith in the True presence, and in the authority of the maginsterium.
A little prayer that helped me a lot was “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
My advice is to go to adoration, speak candidly with Jesus about your feelings, submit yourself to the guidance of the Church, and watch Him work on your heart! It may take a while, but all uncomfortable feelings will probably go away. One can not spend time in front of the Blesed Sacrament without being changed. It is a “Son” burn-- just like when one is out in the sun a sunburn can happen without noticing, so when one is in front of the Blessed Sacrament growth happens without our noticing.

Yours,
Jessica
 
Also, it is fine to read a spiritual book while in adoration!
 
spiritual reading is great, LOTH, rosary, whatever form of prayer induces calm receptive silence for you, this is a great time for silent conversational prayer, even if in your own mind you are not entirely convinced He is there, you certainly do accept that He does hear your prayers, so now is a good time to go into depth about your wants, needs, fears, questions, doubts. After each “statement” or “question” just rest in silence, not necessarily expecting a thunderclap and an answer written on the wall, but just waiting with an open heart.

One question I suggest you put to him, because is has helped so many in RCIA and beyond, is “Jesus, are You there, I want to believe, help me.”
 
Do you ever pray before Jesus in the Tabernacle? It isn’t really different. If you belive that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, then you know he is present in the Tabernacle.

My advise would be not to think of it as “Adoration” rather “making a visit”. You can read, say the Rosary, we even have people that walk the Stations of the Cross privately.

The reason for signing people up (what you call conscriping) is to make sure that Jesus isn’t left alone. That is the real reason for getting all the time slots covered. It’s not to make sure that someone is always “adoring”. The Host in the Monstrance is open and unprotected unlike the hosts locked in the tabernacle.

As a wise person once wrote on another board, sometimes the only thing you can bring is your body. That’s ok.
 
I foget who it was, but someone, when asked what they do at adoration, said, nothing, I just look at Him and He looks at me.

Just being in His presence is enough.
 
Dear friend

You have no doubt that when you receive the Eucharist at Holy Mass that you Sacramentally recieve our Lord truly Present In Body Blood Soul and Divinity. I know this from what you have said in your post, what disturbs you is to be in His Presence without ACTIVELY doing anything.

When you attend Eucharistic Adoration and this is whether the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the Tabernacle or exposed in the Monstrance (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament) you come before the Lord as an adorer a petitioner and a friend and lover. You have no need to be afraid or worry. It appears to me you are just not familiar with this rather than you do not know how to love our Lord as you love Him all these ways whenever you pray, so you can do the same before His Real Presence. Now when you say your prayer alone at bed at home your prayers are always answered. but when you make the effort to come and keep the Lord company in His Real presence, such special graces are bestowed in this, such graces pour forth that you cannot imagine.

The person who signed you up is a friend indeed!!! I am thinking so, because to bring you before our Lord in His most True Presence we have apart from Mass, is a blessing.

YOU do not have to FEEL anything, YOU do not have to DO anything, just come and sit before Him, sit silent if you desire to, read scripture, read prayers, but I urge you to do whatever your heart urges you to do at the time you are with Him because this urge is most certainly from Him. I have been compelled to lie prostrate before Him, been compelled to kiss His feet on the Crucifix behind the Blessed Sacrament, pray for the dead, pray for those in pergatory, pray for mercy upon all souls, pray for Priests, pray for unity of faith, pray for peace in Ireland and Israel, peace in homes His peace everywhere, pray for the sick, pray for the dispossessed, pray for those abused and exploited , pray for the ignored and obscured of society…

You see so many gifts and graces are poured out from His Sacrament, read what ST Faustina says upon this…His grace and mercy is abundant , you only have to seek Him there truly present and ASK Him

God bless you and much love and peace to you and to your very heart

Teresa xxx
 
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Madaglan:
I have recently been conscripted into adoring the consecrated host inside a monstrance at a chapel near me.
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This statement tells me that this is not for you.

You seem to be all over the page. Perhaps it would be better for you to stick to the basics, and pray for guidance rather than running to all the “extras”, to which you are really not committed.

Do you attend daily Mass? If not, try that before adoration or CCR

Pray a Rosary, Chaplet of Devine Mercy or LOTH, go to the Stations or Benediction.

I hope you find something that helps you
 
Are you a warm body? If so, then you are suited for adoration. Most of us wrestle with difficulties over the Real Presence. Yes, you can read spiritual works at adoration. You do believe in God’s omnipresence right? Start with that and meditate on how He could be specially present in the Eucharist. Nothing wrong with the ancient prayer, “Lord, help my unbelief!”

Scott
 
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Madaglan:
I have recently been conscripted into adoring the consecrated host inside a monstrance at a chapel near me.

However, I am not sure if I am the person for this job. While I agree with most of what the Catholic Church teaches, I am having difficulty with Adoration. I agree with the Real Presence, but I haven’t seen anything yet to show Adoration as something of the early Church, so I cannot help but think of it as an invention of the Medieval period. I tend to think of the consecrated host as something to be eaten during Mass, not viewed and worshipped in itself for an extended period of time. I recognize the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic hosts, but I usually think of these as part of the Holy Sacrafice performed at Mass, and not meant for individual worship outside the Sacrafice of the Mass.

So, I need to commit an hour of my time to adoration. I just wonder if I can bring a book along…a spiritual work of course. I’ve been to the adoration chapel before, to try it out, so to speak. I prayed the rosary while there, but when I looked at the monstrance, I didn’t see Christ in it, and I tended to forget about the monstrance when I prayed there. The monstrance was a distraction, in my opinion.

Should I have expressed my reservations about Adoration to the person who conscripted me, in order to get away from doing this in the future, or should I just go through with this, even though I feel that it is somewhat ridiculous?
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I don’t understand how you can have a problem with Eucharistic adoration if you believe in the Real Presence, since if the Real Presence is true then that presence remains after the consecration does it not? Does a consecration (of any kind) end? Mine hasn’t as an M.I. consider thr priestly consecration spoken of in Hebrews…“Thou art a priest forever…”
See the following passages of the Bible:

Psalms 109: 4 The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

Hebrews 5:6 As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

Hebrews 7: 17 For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

Hebrews 7 :21 But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever.)

If consecration to God never ends then it follows that the same is true for the Real Presence… Does this help at all?
Pax vobiscum,
 
Hi Madaglan that’s a pity you’ve been conscripted. It’s supposed to be a devotion and not an obligation. I think you should have said something at the time. It will be harder to say something now.

I’ve seen people read from books and little devotional pamphlets in the adoration chapel. There are some nice ones you can get. Some people just sit and fix their eyes on Jesus. Some get down on their knees and pray.

I’m new to the Catholic Church and somewhat contemplative by nature so for me the adoration chapel is actually my favorite part of it.
 
I usually sit in the adoration chapel and write in my journal.

The first time I ever went into the adoration chapel was almost 2 years ago, about a year before I was received into the Church. (1 year anniversary in less than 2 months!) It was a horrible experience, because it symbolized all the spiritual struggles I was going through prior to answering the call to be Catholic. It was several months before I returned and, though by that time those conflicts had been resolved, I still found it difficult in some ways. I was quite fine adoring Christ-as-Eucharist in the context of the Liturgy, but not outside of the Liturgy. I don’t remember when, but I began to realize why. My problem was a lack of faith in the Incarnation. I had no difficult with Christ’s presence in the context of the Liturgy because it was such a spiritual thing, such a magnificent thing – it made sense that God would be present in the midst of ornate trappings and grand ceremony. But in the adoration chapel? There Christ simply *is. *Seemingly doing nothing.

Plain, ordinary, just sitting there, looking like a commerically produced cracker. Come on. . . what is Jesus doing here? He’s supposed to be magnificent, great, regal, resplendent in glory!

But wait. . . didn’t He come into the world in that very same way? Plain, ordinary, and not doing much. Sleeping, eating. . . baby sorts of things.

If I can’t believe that God would condescend to be present under the appearance of bread even with the lack of religious ceremony, how firm is my belief that God walked the dusty roads of Israel?

Am I really committed to the ramifications of the Incarnation, God-with-us?
 
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