Eucharistic Adoration

[lkopteros]

What is the proper way to expose the Eucharist. I go to a small country church who has no local priest. On the first Friday of the month we have Adoration and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This evening it didn’t sit right with me. I thought we were supposed to open with a prayer or hymn, kneel, the EM exposes the Blessed Sacrament that at the end she reposes it, we say a prayer and leave. The way they were told to do it is to simply expose the Blessed Sacrament, no prayer etc I noticed tonight that no one kneeled except for myself, they were still talking I don’t think anyone noticed the Sacrament was even exposed. She then asked me to play a hymn but I told her I didn’t feel right about it as the Sacrament was already in the monstrance. When I asked her why there was no opening prayer she said the priest told her we couldn’t have a prayer before the exposition unless a priest was there. I asked her if she had confused the exposition with the benediction and she said no. Can anyone tell me the proper and respectful procedure for exposing the Blessed Sacrament?

 

[Spirithound]

I don’t think there is a set way to conduct Exposition or Benediction.

 

[brgregmack]

I don’t think there’s an absolute set way to do it either, but there should at least be silence while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.

 

[JM3]

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

newadvent.org/cathen/05713a.htm

Conditions regulating exposition

The Church distinguishes between private and public Expositions of the Blessed Sacrament; and though the former practice is hardly known in northern Europe, or in America, it is clearly within the competence of a parish priest to permit such private exposition for any good reason of devotion, by opening the tabernacle door and allowing the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament to be seen by the worshipers. There is, however, in this case no enthroning of the Blessed Sacrament or use of a monstrance. Public Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament may not take place without the permission, express or implied, of the ordinary.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

newadvent.org/cathen/02465b.htm

Perpetual Adoration

newadvent.org/cathen/01152a.htm

 

[lkopteros]

thank you

 

[zab]

What is the proper way to expose the Eucharist. I go to a small country church who has no local priest. On the first Friday of the month we have Adoration and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This evening it didn’t sit right with me. I thought we were supposed to open with a prayer or hymn, kneel, the EM exposes the Blessed Sacrament that at the end she reposes it, we say a prayer and leave. The way they were told to do it is to simply expose the Blessed Sacrament, no prayer etc I noticed tonight that no one kneeled except for myself, they were still talking I don’t think anyone noticed the Sacrament was even exposed. She then asked me to play a hymn but I told her I didn’t feel right about it as the Sacrament was already in the monstrance. When I asked her why there was no opening prayer she said the priest told her we couldn’t have a prayer before the exposition unless a priest was there. I asked her if she had confused the exposition with the benediction and she said no. Can anyone tell me the proper and respectful procedure for exposing the Blessed Sacrament?

It sounds like she was just doing as she was instructed to do. It might help to let people know that Exposition was about to begin by ringing a small bell.