Mass and Exposition/Benediction

[Pandora17]

Hi…this is my first time posting, and I have a question.

A wonderful young priest in our parish has reintroduced a First Friday celebration. He presides at Mass, then before the final blessing, Fr. begins Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction. It is a wonderful experience…

My question, though, is my pastor has a bit of a problem with our celebration. He says that Exposition/Adoration/Benediction is inappropriate following Mass…that it should be one or the other. Any clarification?

Thanks!

 

[Dorothy]

I had never heard that before. Perhaps it is just the opinion of the pastor?

In my parish we have first Friday Mass, and then afterwards Father exposes the Blessed Sacrament. People sign up for their times of adoration and come back at various times during the day, until 4:00 PM when they have the closing ceremony. We have been doing this for many years.

 

[ANNE_2]

Hi…this is my first time posting, and I have a question.
A wonderful young priest in our parish has reintroduced a First Friday celebration. He presides at Mass, then before the final blessing, Fr. begins Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction. It is a wonderful experience…
My question, though, is my pastor has a bit of a problem with our celebration. He says that Exposition/Adoration/Benediction is inappropriate following Mass…that it should be one or the other. Any clarification?
Thanks!

Ask your Pastor where he got his opinion from.
Ask him what Church document he is using.
Sometimes asking questions is the best way to teach and correct others (especially when you already know the answers and where to find them. )

We have Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction every Wed immediately following Mass.
(It is not during the Mass).

I could find nothing that prohibts this immediately following Mass.

All Bishops, Priests and Laity are bound to follow GIRM for the Litergy of the Mass.

FYI - GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) explains both the Priest’s behavior and our behavior. This can be found on the USCCB web site for the USA.
This GIRM is for the Third Edition of the Roman Missal which goes into effect NOV 27.
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/roman-missal/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/

 

[zab]

I think your pastor may be correct. Our pastor has celebrated Exposition/Adoration/ and Benediction many times but Benediction is not done at a time when just following the Mass. However, every First Friday mornig at the end of Mass Father Exposes the Blessed Sacrament. There is no Benediction at that time. The Blessed Sacrament remains Exposed for 24 hours. (well maybe 23 hours. It is reposed before Mass on Saturday morning.)

 

[mfrances]

Hi…this is my first time posting, and I have a question.

A wonderful young priest in our parish has reintroduced a First Friday celebration. He presides at Mass, then before the final blessing, Fr. begins Exposition, Adoration, and Benediction. It is a wonderful experience…

My question, though, is my pastor has a bit of a problem with our celebration. He says that Exposition/Adoration/Benediction is inappropriate following Mass…that it should be one or the other. Any clarification?

Thanks!

We have Adoration following the 12:15 Mass every day Monday thru Friday, I have never heard of any restriction or problem with this. My parish (in a busy downtown area) is very devout and attendance to the Adoration is about 20 people (Mass attendance being about 40 or 50)

 

[jimrob]

Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are liturgically correct after Mass. Mass ends with the Prayer after Communion. There is no blessing or dismissal. The exposition host is then placed on the altar in the monstrance. Ideally there should be additional candles although the requirement for a minimum of twelve no longer applies.

At my Church we normally have Exposition after weekday Mass. On Corpus Christi and the Feast of Christ the King, we have a Blessed Sacrament Procession and Benediction at the end of Mass.

The priest from a nearby Anglican Church recently transferred to the Catholic Church, along with a number of his congregation under the Ordinariate dispensation. He temporarily joined our parish staff during his Catholic diaconate and following his ordination until an Ordinariate church became available. He was due to celebrate Mass on one of the days when we have a Blessed Sacrament Procession and Benediction so I produced for him full service notes with the traditional hymns and chants. This seems to have been reproduced and become the definitive work on the subject among the Ordinariate - without ever having been subject to an Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat.

When the Sacred Congregation for the Liturgy find out, I’m not sure whether I’ll be burnt at the stake by our Diocesan Archbishop or by the Ordinariate.

 

[zab]

I am wondering if there is some misunderstanding about what the pastor has said. Is he really against Exposing the Blessed Sacrament immediately after Mass? Or is he saying that it is inappropriate to have Benediction at that time? Our pastor and previous pastors have not had Benediction (Father blesses the people with the Host in the monstrance) immediately following Mass when they Expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration.

 

[thomas_jd]

I am wondering if there is some misunderstanding about what the pastor has said. Is he really against Exposing the Blessed Sacrament immediately after Mass? Or is he saying that it is inappropriate to have Benediction at that time? Our pastor and previous pastors have not had Benediction (Father blesses the people with the Host in the monstrance) immediately following Mass when they Expose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration.

Benediction after mass should also incorporate a devotion along the lines of a rosary, a time of
Adoration silence and meditation or a liturgical service.

 

[Corki]

I have found lots of contradictory information about this. It seems to be one of those things where the Bishop is supposed to set out guidelines. So, depending on what diocese the OP is in, the Bishop may have restricted adoration or set out a guideline that it not immediately follow Mass.

The Vatican’s document, EUCHARISTIAE SACRAMENTUM, has the following two statements.

1. During the exposition of the blessed sacrament, celebration of Mass in the body of the Church is prohibited.

The pastor in question may feel that since the adoration is before the dismissal that this crosses the line or at least confuses the perception of when Mass has ended.

1. Shorter expositions of the eucharist are to be arranged in such a way that the blessing with the eucharist is preceded by a reasonable time for readings of the word of God, songs, prayers, and a period for silent prayer.[9]

Exposition merely for the purpose of giving benediction is prohibited.

Depending on how long the period of adoration is that the OP has experienced, the pastor might feel that the current practice violates this directive.

Perhaps a brief period of prayer or a communal Rosary clearly separating the Mass from the period of adoration would satisfy both parties.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

Adoration / Exposition post-Mass I can understand, but isn’t Benediction in lieu of the dismissal liturgically confusing? If the Eucharistic celebration is the “source and summit” of our worship and sacramental life of the Church, what is the significance of Beendiction when the Real Presence is arguably still inside all who have received Communion at that point?

I remember post-Mass Benediction pre-Vatican II, but I thought it ceased because the Mass was complete unto itself and to add Benediction in a way that appeared to be a continuous liturgical action made the Mass appear somehow inadequate or incomplete.

 

[TheMc]

The pastor in question may feel that since the adoration is before the dismissal that this crosses the line or at least confuses the perception of when Mass has ended.

Actually, when another liturgical action follows the Mass, the dismissal is omitted. So the Mass does end, just without the dismissal.

Depending on how long the period of adoration is that the OP has experienced, the pastor might feel that the current practice violates this directive.

Possibly. The OP doesn’t give a ton of information.

Perhaps a brief period of prayer or a communal Rosary clearly separating the Mass from the period of adoration would satisfy both parties.

This isn’t necessary. There is nothing liturgically incorrect with exposition begining after the prayer after communion (ie, directly after Mass). That is how the rubrics direct it to be done.

 

[TheMc]

Adoration / Exposition post-Mass I can understand, but isn’t Benediction in lieu of the dismissal liturgically confusing?

It’s not “in lieu” of the dismissal. The dismissal is omitted, and the Mass is complete. Then adoration begins. Although it appears to be blured, the line is still strict between Mass and adoration: It’s Mass until the “Amen” after the prayer after communion. After that, it’s expostion and adoration.

 

[MissRose73]

I’ve been to Exposition/Benediction but it has taken place before a Mass and ends about 1 hour or so before a Mass is scheduled to take place. The few times I have been to it, the priest leads those present in the Rosary then does Benediction and Exposition.

 

[thomas_jd]

I’ve been to Exposition/Benediction but it has taken place before a Mass and ends about 1 hour or so before a Mass is scheduled to take place. The few times I have been to it, the priest leads those present in the Rosary then does Benedictio.n and Exposition.

Last saturday we had first sat. devotions , this included Adoration ,Rosary, specfic prayers, ending in Benediction…
This thursday we will have morning mass followed by Adoration ending at ten p.m…
Exposition starts immediatly after mass with Benediction twelve hours later.
As I posted earlier benediction needs to include a liturgal service immediatly after mass.

 

[zab]

Benediction after mass should also incorporate a devotion along the lines of a rosary, a time of
Adoration silence and meditation or a liturgical service.

We have Exposition/Adoration/Benediction at a time when Mass is not celebrated, such as on Father’s day off when the Deacon leads the service. And Father leads the Service on Wednesday evenings. But we have never had a Eucharistic Worship Service immediately following Mass. As I mentioned before, the Eucharistic worship immediately following Mass is on First Fridays when we have Exposition and Adoration- not another Service. It doesn’t make sense to me to have a Eucharistic Worship Service immediately following Mass. So the question is: Is the pastor wrong in the OP’s question?

 

[Corki]

It’s not “in lieu” of the dismissal. The dismissal is omitted, and the Mass is complete. Then adoration begins. Although it appears to be blured, the line is still strict between Mass and adoration: It’s Mass until the “Amen” after the prayer after communion. After that, it’s expostion and adoration.

Maybe the pastor just wants to avoid that appearance. Even if it isn’t strictly required, he may simply feel that it is better not to have the two liturgical events so closely timed.

 

[thomas_jd]

We have Exposition/Adoration/Benediction at a time when Mass is not celebrated, such as on Father’s day off when the Deacon leads the service. And Father leads the Service on Wednesday evenings. But we have never had a Eucharistic Worship Service immediately following Mass. As I mentioned before, the Eucharistic worship immediately following Mass is on First Fridays when we have Exposition and Adoration- not another Service. It doesn’t make sense to me to have a Eucharistic Worship Service immediately following Mass. So the question is: Is the pastor wrong in the OP’s question?

There is no prohibition against a liturgal service after mass.
Many many churches have the rosary after mass: add the Exposition of our Lord , the prayers of various Marian devotees or Consecration prayers. This becomes a “liturgal Service” that conforms with the churchs. I used Marian devotees because that is what I am familiar with.
While Benediction in itself is a Liturgical Event, the Benediction after mass should include more than a blesssing. This is the reason the church states that Benediction immediatly after mass by itself , should be avoided!

 

[ANNE_2]

Could those who are making statements that the Priest is correct in opposing Exposition/Benediction immediately after Mass, please provide “Official” Church links for their statements ?
I couldn’t find any.

I checked the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”, GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal); and Code of Canon Law.
Did I miss something ?
If I did not, the Priest is wrong.

Mass with Exposition/Benediction immediately following is perfectly fine. And preferable for those who are unable to make several trips to the Church in one day. For Mass, and then later for Benediction.
I found nothing in official documents whereby Benediction should be avoided after Mass.

Again OP, ask the opposing Priest what official Church document he is using. And then look it up on the Vatican web site.

Again, to all posters on this thread - - - please provide link to Official Church teaching if you believe otherwise.

 

[zab]

Could those who are making statements that the Priest is correct in opposing Exposition/Benediction immediately after Mass, please provide “Official” Church links for their statements ?
I couldn’t find any.

I checked the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”, GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal); and Code of Canon Law.
Did I miss something ?
If I did not, the Priest is wrong.

Mass with Exposition/Benediction immediately following is perfectly fine. And preferable for those who are unable to make several trips to the Church in one day. For Mass, and then later for Benediction.
I found nothing in official documents whereby Benediction should be avoided after Mass.

Again OP, ask the opposing Priest what official Church document he is using. And then look it up on the Vatican web site.

Again, to all posters on this thread - - - please provide link to Official Church teaching if you believe otherwise.

Being that you are disagreeing with what the OP’s pastor has said, I think it is you who should provide the quote and link where Benediction, immediately following Mass is commendable or preferable rather than a time other than when Mass has just been celebrated.

 

[thomas_jd]

Could those who are making statements that the Priest is correct in opposing Exposition/Benediction immediately after Mass, please provide “Official” Church links for their statements ?
I couldn’t find any.

I checked the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”, GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal); and Code of Canon Law.
Did I miss something ?
If I did not, the Priest is wrong.

Mass with Exposition/Benediction immediately following is perfectly fine. And preferable for those who are unable to make several trips to the Church in one day. For Mass, and then later for Benediction.
I found nothing in official documents whereby Benediction should be avoided after Mass.

Again OP, ask the opposing Priest what official Church document he is using. And then look it up on the Vatican web site.

Again, to all posters on this thread - - - please provide link to Official Church teaching if you believe otherwise.

Benediction in itself is prohibited after mass!
Keep looking the rubics are there. Yes you did miss something!