Is it right during Eucharistic adoration to drink Coffee?

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Background: I am right now in Saudi Arabia and as you all might know there are limitations in practicing ones on religion. So a prayer group rented a 3 bedroom apartment and converted one room to a chapel. Mass is held occasionally here and I consider it a great blessing in this country.

Recently we had Eucharistic adoration all through the night. Coffee was served in between inside the chapel. I personally didn’t feel it right to drink coffee in front of the Blessed sacrament so I went out of the room to have it. Is right to do that in front of the Blessed Sacrament?
 
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I think you did the right thing. Its sort of like would you drink tea or coffee during mass. The answer is no,and you have shown respect to our lord.
 
I’ve been to all-night Adorations before where they had coffee and food. Usually they put it in a room outside of the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is and you step out to eat or drink.

Usually we don’t eat or drink in front of Jesus. However, in some situations I can see it happening, such as where there is only one person in the chapel and they really need to eat for some reason (maybe a health issue) and they don’t want to leave Our Lord alone. Or where there is not an extra room available to have the coffee in.

If you had another room to step out and drink in, and there were other people to stay with Jesus while you stepped out, then there’s no problem with you stepping out.
 
Thank you for your courage to practice our Faith in such a hostile place. We can all learn from you and your friends. I will pray for you every day.
 
I take coffee to adoration every Thursday. I enjoy coffee and it is part of my prayer routine. It helps me be alert in the morning. And I think Jesus enjoys that I enjoy coffee. In moderation of course.
 
When you attend a Eucharistic Adoration, you do not eat and drink in front of the monstrance in the chapel under any circumstances.

If you’re compelled to drink or if you have blood sugar issues, then you exit the chapel completely, satisfy yourself, and then return.
 
You are bringing a beam of light into the darkness of that country.
Thank you for your courage and letting us know your are there.

Scripture tells us that Moses came before the burning bush, which points forward to our time, when we come before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Since He hides himself as bread, we know by the Moses account that this is what’s really going on. God bless and keep you safe.

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I am not sure I agree with the absolute nature of this advice.

Let’s use your example if blood sugar issue. If one has to eat due to this ( I can imagine my diabetic grandfather who knew at times he had to have a candy bar asap) and was the only one present at adoration, I feel that the “rule” that Our Lord is never to be left unattended during Exposition overrides the "no eating " rule, by far.

As to the OP, I would also leave to have coffee, but if I was alone and literally could not stay awake without the caffeine, I might consider it acceptable at that point also.
 
These may be the rules set by your Chapel coordinators, and I understand because spills happen and one wants to keep the Chapel clean.

These, however, are not rubrics from the Church.
 
SteelArchangel said:
When you attend a Eucharistic Adoration, you do not eat and drink in front of the monstrance in the chapel under any circumstances.

If you’re compelled to drink or if you have blood sugar issues, then you exit the chapel completely, satisfy yourself, and then return.
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I don’t think Jesus is going to expect the elderly diabetic who is there alone and may suddenly get dizzy and may not even have access to a room outside the chapel (some of these places are just one room) to stumble out before eating their emergency candy bar.

Likewise, I don’t think Jesus expects the disabled person with a walker who takes 10 minutes to just get into the chapel and into her seat (I see these people at Adoration regularly) to get up and spend 10 minutes heaving herself out of the room if she needs fortification during her time there.

In either of those cases the person could easily pass out while they’re trying to get out of the room.

Jesus was very understanding towards people needing to eat in the Scriptures, including the grain picking on the Sabbath, the feeding of the crowds with loaves and fish, etc. That doesn’t mean you should be having a picnic in the Adoration chapel but it does mean that you can use common sense and that “absolutes” are just your personal opinion.

Likewise I am sure that if a chapel has a sign “No Food and Drink” it is because people have committed abuses in the past, which may have resulted in messes or distractions from worship, but no one is going to throw a person in chapel jail if they have a serious health need to consume something while in there.
 
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There’s a difference between emergency situations (diabetes being about the only one), and someone coming in with a coffee and muffin and begins sitting down while commencing to slurping and munching.

Have no idea what you’re talking about in regards to people using a walker…?

You’re right, there is no chapel jail. But if one cannot sit even thirty minutes without having to eat and drink without sufficient reason, then perhaps Adoration isn’t for them? Similar to people who talk on cellphones in Adoration.
 
I take my coffee into the house chapel in the rectory every morning when I pray my office and do my morning lectio. I obviously don’t intend irreverence, and if I thought it were somehow irreverent, I wouldn’t do it. But it helps me stay alert while I’m praying in the morning and still waking up.

-Fr ACEGC
 
They were a small group doing an all-night Adoration. They were not guzzling soda but having some coffee.

Christ admonished the Pharisees for burdening the people; I think that we should avoid burdening people as well, esp. if the Chirch has not.

Lots of people shared an entire meal with Christ in His time here on earth.
 
SteelArchangel said:
I reference this above in another answer, and diabetes is about the only case.

If you can’t stay awake for the minimum of at least thirty minutes at an Adoration time you found convenient to choose suitable to you, then you might want to see a doctor.
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I’ve done adoration many times at 1-2am hour. And I can tell you that more often than not I fell asleep in front of Jesus.
And I think Jesus is happy that my soul was at peace such that sleep was possible.
 
SteelArchangel said:
There’s a difference between emergency situations (diabetes being about the only one), and someone coming in with a coffee and muffin and begins sitting down while commencing to slurping and munching.
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Ok f course there us a difference, but because we say the latter is wrong, we should not make absolute statements which would disallow the former.
 
The person you are talking to above with the bat picture is a priest- just so you know.

I think we ought to remember we aren’t consuming the body or blood of Christ here so there’s no reason why we cant have coffee other than people’s preferences and the rule of the individual church. You should obey the places rule but if as in your case it’s not a rule, then just be respectful of noise and mess, as well as it not being other’s preference. I personally don’t like the idea but if I were doing an all nighter I may well change my mind.

God bless you. . . .
 
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SteelArchangel said:
If you can’t stay awake for the minimum of at least thirty minutes at an Adoration time you found convenient to choose suitable to you, then you might want to see a doctor.
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Again, this is your personal opinion.

You seem to have no understanding or empathy or leeway for the personal lives of other people, including what their work schedule is like, why they are coming to Adoration, what time of day it is, their health, what medication they may be on, their age, etc.

Fortunately, as I said this is all your opinion and we do not have to justify our prayer behaviors to you.

I’ve likely nodded off at Adoration a couple of times in my life and I’ve definitely seen some others do it. One of the people I saw dozing off during the last hour of Adoration one night is someone I constantly see at that church praying and doing ministry. I can’t imagine saying something to her like you just said in this thread.
 
I don’t think the Church abandons the principle if subsidiarity to that extent. I suspect few diocese set such rules. Check with parish instead.
 
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