Eucharistic Adoration

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monica729

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Hi–I’m new to this forum, and I have a question.

I attended Eucharistic Adoration for the first time a while ago. When I came in, I genuflected and made the sign of the cross. I then knelt in the pew and began to pray. I was chastised for this immediately by a person near me who said I must kneel in the aisle on both knees and bow before the blessed sacrament.

I guess I felt embarassed that I did something wrong, and probably a little miffed. I know that in spite of prayer to let this little thing go, I had trouble concentrating and didn’t get or give much during my time in adoration.

My question is this: Did I commit a major faux pas? I’d like to try again, but next time I will probably stay in the back.
 
Double genuflection used to be the norm, but it isn’t anymore. You did not commit a faux paus. The person who chastised you meant well, but was wrong on 2 counts: for “correcting” you when no mistake was made; and for intruding on you right then and there. It was inappropriate and he should have waited until a later time to discuss the matter.

1973 – From Eucharistiae Sacramentum
  1. Genuflection in the presence of the blessed sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration, is on one knee.
 
Because of my recent ankle surgery, I can’t genuflect or kneel at all. A profound bow is acceptable, too. There are quite a few people in my parish that also have physical limitations who do a profound bow before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Make sure to go to a different Holy Hour next time so you won’t meet up with that person again. And if you keep having trouble with people bothering you in the Adoration Chapel, go the chair of the Adoration Committee and ask him/her to please make some kind of announcement. Or even talk to the priest.

I find your post extremely sad and depressing. A few weeks ago in our community, a little child drowned, and I happened to be in the Chapel when about 12 people from that family came in. They were sobbing and hugging each other and several of them just sat on the floor right in front of the Lord and cried. A few of them got down on both knees and genuflected, but most of them were in such deep grief that they didn’t pay attention to the “norms.”

Frankly, I don’t think the Lord was upset with them.

In fact, I was so glad to be there with them because I could feel the love and compassion of Our Lord for them as they sought Him out and stayed with Him in their time of extreme mourning. It was good to be able to lift them up in prayer to Jesus who was right there with us.
 
Because of my recent ankle surgery, I can’t genuflect or kneel at all. A profound bow is acceptable, too. There are quite a few people in my parish that also have physical limitations who do a profound bow before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Make sure to go to a different Holy Hour next time so you won’t meet up with that person again. And if you keep having trouble with people bothering you in the Adoration Chapel, go the chair of the Adoration Committee and ask him/her to please make some kind of announcement. Or even talk to the priest.

I find your post extremely sad and depressing. A few weeks ago in our community, a little child drowned, and I happened to be in the Chapel when about 12 people from that family came in. They were sobbing and hugging each other and several of them just sat on the floor right in front of the Lord and cried. A few of them got down on both knees and genuflected, but most of them were in such deep grief that they didn’t pay attention to the “norms.”

Frankly, I don’t think the Lord was upset with them. And neither was anyone else in the Chapel. We were so sad with them, and joined with them in their grief.

In fact, I was so glad to be there with them because I could feel the love and compassion of Our Lord for them as they sought Him out and stayed with Him in their time of extreme mourning. It was good to be able to lift them up in prayer to Jesus who was right there with us.
 
Cat said:
I find your post extremely sad and depressing. A few weeks ago in our community, a little child drowned, and I happened to be in the Chapel when about 12 people from that family came in. They were sobbing and hugging each other and several of them just sat on the floor right in front of the Lord and cried. A few of them got down on both knees and genuflected, but most of them were in such deep grief that they didn’t pay attention to the “norms.”
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How sad. 😦 Isn’t it such a special gift that Our Lord gave us such a special gift like his Real Presence to turn to for comfort when our grief is so unbearable? He really does take care of his children!
 
I have mixed feelings about your post and I will go through a few different points.

First is that the person that talked to you should have been charitable and maybe helped you with what the proper behavior is by addressing it outside the chapel.

Second a list with set of proper/improper behaviors should be posted at the entrance of the adoration chapel for all to see and understand. A proper explanation of the rules should also be posted because people are there to worship the Lord and not just to follow what appear to be man made formal rules.

Third when we enter the adoration chapel we should prostate ourselves. We are so close to our King and God, and we are to fully understand our position of sinners respect to him. Just remember the story of the woman that was simply identified as a sinner and how she humbled herself in front of Jesus.

I have seen people that bow, genuflect, kneel, and completely prostrate themselves by lying on the floor (mainly religious orders). That depends a lot on the physical ability. We have to humble ourselves but not to try make a show of piety in front of the others. I think that a person should kneel at all times but if that is distracting (my back kills me after 10-15min) than they should find a proper position that allows enough comfort to just focus on Jesus.
 
masondoggy said:
So would it be wrong now to double genuflect?
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No, it’s not “wrong” to double genuflect (that is, to kneel on both knees and bow your head slightly), but it is not the norm. After I have genuflected (on one knee) and have stood back up, I then kneel for the duration of my adoration (sometimes also prostrating myself before the Blessed Sacrament). When I stand up again, I genuflect again.

I’m not actually double genuflecting (since that is something brief) but the entirety of my adoration is spent kneeling.
 
I start out kneeling in prayer, then I read something I have brought with me to meditate on. At our First Friday Adoration this morning, I brought some reading on the mystical body of Christ. I even brought a pencil so I could write notes in the margins. By the time I was through, I had such clarity on the mystical body and the sacraments and grace and the Communion of Saints, and on and on. I know this clarity was by the grace of God in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
monica729 said:
Hi–I’m new to this forum, and I have a question.

I attended Eucharistic Adoration for the first time a while ago. When I came in, I genuflected and made the sign of the cross. I then knelt in the pew and began to pray. I was chastised for this immediately by a person near me who said I must kneel in the aisle on both knees and bow before the blessed sacrament.

I guess I felt embarassed that I did something wrong, and probably a little miffed. I know that in spite of prayer to let this little thing go, I had trouble concentrating and didn’t get or give much during my time in adoration.

My question is this: Did I commit a major faux pas? I’d like to try again, but next time I will probably stay in the back.
Click to expand...
No you do not have to kneel in the aisle or bow to the Blessed Sacrament. You used to have to do a double genuflection, right then left but now just a simple genuflection is sufficient. Bowing is acceptable if you cannot genuflect. Many do kneel in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, some for the entire hour. Others do not and merely sit or stand. It is really a matter of personal preference on those issus.

I wouldn’t worry too much about what the other person told you. When you are involved in Adoration your mind should be focused on God, not what those around you are doing.
 
Thank you all for your responses. I think I will feel much more comfortable about adoration the next time I attend.
 
monica729, I just have to say how much I love adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I hope that you receive as much joy out of it as I do!

Here’s one more story for you, a true story.

A few years ago, my daughter, who wasn’t Catholic at the time, experienced an awful breakup with a long-time boyfriend. It was 2 A.M., and she didn’t want to go back to her apartment all alone.

She drove to the Adoration Chapel at one of the Catholic Churches in her city. Since it was 2 A.M., the door was locked, but my daughter pounded until a tiny elderly Asian lady let her in. (The poor lady was probably terrified!)

My daughter had no idea of “rules” of visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. She didn’t know she was supposed to bow, genuflect, or kneel. She was raised Protestant, and had never visited Jesus Truly Present before.

All she knew was that her heart was broken and Jesus was the Only One who could fix it! And she knew that Jesus was there in that Adoration Chapel, truly there.

She sat down in the pew and sobbed bitterly for a long time.

The little lady just sat there and continued to adore the Lord, although I wonder if she wasn’t scared to death of this strange visitor!

I’m sure the Lord heard my daughter and gave comfort to her. I doubt very much that He turned His Face away from Her because she didn’t know about kneeling and genuflecting.

BTW, that daughter will enter RCIA this fall.
 
Hi monica,

I hope you’ll continue to go and maybe make Adoration a habit. It will bring so many graces into your life! I even took my laptop into our chapel while I was writing my nullity petition (I tried to type ever so quietly) and it was the only way I completed it without anger or pain. My pastor later asked me how I did it so factually and I was embarrased to tell him I’d taken my computer in front of the Sacrament, but even he approved. Except causing a commotion, there is hardly anything you can do “wrong” at Adoration.
 
Thanks for the inspiration. I will definately go again and now I am looking forward to it.
 
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