Question about adoration immediately following Mass

[Ahlman]

A priest told me that when adoration immediately follows Mass, the Sacrament has to be inserted to the monstrance and placed on the altar right after the prayer after communion. The final blessing is then replaced with the sacramental benediction at the end of adoration. The reason for this is to underscore that adoration outside of Mass isn’t a devotion totally cut off from the Eucharist but rather an “expansion” of the Mass. This, however, means that those not staying for the whole adoration won’t recieve a final blessing. Also, those who want to leave right after Mass will unavoidedly disturb the adoration somewhat. Moreover, the priest would have to leave during adoration in order to change from chasuble to cope.

Is it liturgically incorrect to end the Mass in the normal way, and then start adoration a few minutes later?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I think it is better to do it the way your priest recommends. Moving directly from Mass to adoration is more inviting for people to stay a while, rather than run right out after the blessing. It may be a way to get someone “hooked” on adoration who had never experienced it.

 

[FrDavid96]

A priest told me that when adoration immediately follows Mass, the Sacrament has to be inserted to the monstrance and placed on the altar right after the prayer after communion. The final blessing is then replaced with the sacramental benediction at the end of adoration. The reason for this is to underscore that adoration outside of Mass isn’t a devotion totally cut off from the Eucharist but rather an “expansion” of the Mass. This, however, means that those not staying for the whole adoration won’t recieve a final blessing. Also, those who want to leave right after Mass will unavoidedly disturb the adoration somewhat. Moreover, the priest would have to leave during adoration in order to change from chasuble to cope.

Is it liturgically incorrect to end the Mass in the normal way, and then start adoration a few minutes later?

It’s not only correct, it’s the required way. Adoration cannot occur during the Mass, and to delay the final blessing until after Adoration would mean doing just that. On another note, the final blessing cannot be replaced with a blessing with the Bl. Sacrament.

Did he ever say where he got those ideas?

 

[Ahlman]

But what about GIRM 170:

If, however, another liturgical action follows the Mass, the Concluding Rites,
that is, the Greeting, the Blessing, and the Dismissal, are omitted.

Is adoration considered a “liturgical action”?

 

[FrDavid96]

But what about GIRM 170:

If, however, another liturgical action follows the Mass, the Concluding Rites,
that is, the Greeting, the Blessing, and the Dismissal, are omitted.

Is adoration considered a “liturgical action”?

You got me on that one. The quote is accurate. Not only that but I checked an older version of the GIRM (1974) and it says the same thing in #126.

That’s not what’s in the actual text of the Sacramentary (which says that only the dismissal itself is omitted), but it is in the GIRM.

Ok. That answers my rhetorical question about where he got it from.

It does present an odd problem though that without the final blessing, the Mass has not yet ended, so I’m not sure where that leaves us. I think this one is going to be an interresting thread indeed.

 

[japhy]

My parish has Mass on Monday evening at 7, followed by Adoration from 7:30 to 8:30. After Communion (but before the Prayer after Communion), the priest places the monstrance with the Host on the altar. He prays the Prayer after Communion, but the Concluding Rites are omitted (as per GIRM 170).

 

[japhy]

That’s not what’s in the actual text of the Sacramentary (which says that only the dismissal itself is omitted), but it is in the GIRM.

The 1985 English Sacramentary says “the rite of dismissal is omitted”. That seems to me to be a conflagration between “Dismissal” (the heading above it) and “Concluding Rite”.

When I look at the 2002 Latin Missale Romanum, the ending part is called the “Ritus conclusionis”, and rubric 146 mentions the “ritus dismissionis”. In the Latin Missale, there are no subheadings like “Greeting”, “Blessing”, and “Dismissal” like there are in the English Sacramentary, so perhaps it’s a less confusing matter. The Latin GIRM (170) refers to the whole thing as the “ritus conclusionis”. So the Missal itself is potentially misleading, because “ritus dismissionis” means “ritus conclusionis”, but it could be mistaken to mean just the dismissal.

 

[Ahlman]

I suppose my priest was right after all, then.

However, which is most fitting, to have adoration right before or right after Mass? And if you also want to celebrate vespers, which is most fitting to have before Mass and which afterwards? In my parish, vespers is usually celebrated before evening Mass every day. But I also know of a parish where vespers is usually celebrated after Mass, and another where adoration is always before Mass.

 

[benedictgal]

Here is a monkey wrench for y’all. The local hospital chapel has adoration from 8AM to 8PM. However, there is Mass at 11:30AM. My parochial vicar, when it is his turn to celebrate Mass, will approach the altar, in alb, stole and humeral veil, bless us with Our Lord, remove the Blessed Sacrament and repose the Blessed Sacrament into the Tabernacle. He then goes back to the sacristy and puts his vestments on and walks out for Mass.

After Mass, he retreats to the sacristy, removes his chasuble and returns with alb, stole and humeral veil to resume exposition.

What the other priests do is the exact opposite. They will come, in full vestments, repose the Blessed Sacrament (no blessing) and launch into the Mass. Then, after the dismissal, they will stay up there and resume exposition.

This is a lunch-time crowd and many of us have to go back to work. I do not have my ritual book with me, but, I suspect that my PV is doing what he is supposed to do.

 

[Ahlman]

Maybe you do things differently based on whether the adoration durates for 12 hours or 30 minutes?

 

[Joannm]

You got me on that one. The quote is accurate. Not only that but I checked an older version of the GIRM (1974) and it says the same thing in #126.

That’s not what’s in the actual text of the Sacramentary (which says that only the dismissal itself is omitted), but it is in the GIRM.

Ok. That answers my rhetorical question about where he got it from.

It does present an odd problem though that without the final blessing, the Mass has not yet ended, so I’m not sure where that leaves us. I think this one is going to be an interresting thread indeed.

On our parish we have on Monday mornings, the Novena to the Miraculous Medal immediatly following the prayer after communion, with the final blessing afer the Novena. But one of our priests will do the final blessing then come out after removing his chasuable and do the novena then, giving those not staying for the novena a chance to leave without disturbing the novena.

 

[FrDavid96]

Here is a monkey wrench for y’all. The local hospital chapel has adoration from 8AM to 8PM. However, there is Mass at 11:30AM. My parochial vicar, when it is his turn to celebrate Mass, will approach the altar, in alb, stole and humeral veil, bless us with Our Lord, remove the Blessed Sacrament and repose the Blessed Sacrament into the Tabernacle. He then goes back to the sacristy and puts his vestments on and walks out for Mass.

After Mass, he retreats to the sacristy, removes his chasuble and returns with alb, stole and humeral veil to resume exposition.

What the other priests do is the exact opposite. They will come, in full vestments, repose the Blessed Sacrament (no blessing) and launch into the Mass. Then, after the dismissal, they will stay up there and resume exposition.

This is a lunch-time crowd and many of us have to go back to work. I do not have my ritual book with me, but, I suspect that my PV is doing what he is supposed to do.

There realy should be some kind of ceremony when Reposing and then Exposing again after Mass. I suppose the ceremonies could be somewhat abbreviated if the Exposition is an extended time, with Mass “in the middle” (can’t think of a good way to phrase that, but you know what I mean), but to do nothing at all just doesn’t seem proper, so I think your priest is indeed doing the right thing.

 

[FrDavid96]

The 1985 English Sacramentary says “the rite of dismissal is omitted”. That seems to me to be a conflagration between “Dismissal” (the heading above it) and “Concluding Rite”.

When I look at the 2002 Latin Missale Romanum, the ending part is called the “Ritus conclusionis”, and rubric 146 mentions the “ritus dismissionis”. In the Latin Missale, there are no subheadings like “Greeting”, “Blessing”, and “Dismissal” like there are in the English Sacramentary, so perhaps it’s a less confusing matter. The Latin GIRM (170) refers to the whole thing as the “ritus conclusionis”. So the Missal itself is potentially misleading, because “ritus dismissionis” means “ritus conclusionis”, but it could be mistaken to mean just the dismissal.

It is confusing. In the US English Sacramentary (1974 and the most recent) there is conflicting information given in the GIRMs and in the actual text of the Mass. In my usage, I will do the post-communion prayer, the greeting, the blessing, but omit “Ite Missa est” if there is some service following the Mass. The big question in my mind is that when one reads the GIRM in English, when does the Mass end? I don’t see how there can be a service after Mass if the Mass isn’t yet over.

 

[benedictgal]

It is confusing. In the US English Sacramentary (1974 and the most recent) there is conflicting information given in the GIRMs and in the actual text of the Mass. In my usage, I will do the post-communion prayer, the greeting, the blessing, but omit “Ite Missa est” if there is some service following the Mass. The big question in my mind is that when one reads the GIRM in English, when does the Mass end? I don’t see how there can be a service after Mass if the Mass isn’t yet over.

That is true. I am reminded of the Corpus Christi Procession that the Holy Father participates in every year going from St. John Lateran to St. Mary Major. There is no concluding rite, per se, at the Lateran Basilica. It concludes at St. Mary Major. I realize that this a horse of a different color, so to speak, but, it seems to me that this almost follows along the same lines.

Furthermore, if there is no time set on how long the adoration will take place after Mass (along with the blessing and reposition), would this extend the liturgy to a very long time?

By the way, thank you for affirming what my PV was doing. It frustrates him that the others are not doing things correctly.

 

[FrDavid96]

I suppose my priest was right after all, then.

However, which is most fitting, to have adoration right before or right after Mass? And if you also want to celebrate vespers, which is most fitting to have before Mass and which afterwards? In my parish, vespers is usually celebrated before evening Mass every day. But I also know of a parish where vespers is usually celebrated after Mass, and another where adoration is always before Mass.

For Adoration, before Mass, after Mass or both–any of those would be good options depending on the parish schedule. That’s the practical response. From a theological perspective, I think the best option is to have Mass first, followed by Exposition/Benediction, and even to go so far as to use the Host consecrated at that particular Mass; but that would be the “ideal” and not always practical from a scheduling perspective.

As for Vespers, again I think either option (before or after) would be just fine, but if the Mass is after Vespers, the Mass text should probably be that of the following day; definately if it’s a Saturday evening, but perhaps likewise if it’s Monday - Friday.

 

[John_Lilburne]

It’s not only correct, it’s the required way. Adoration cannot occur during the Mass, and to delay the final blessing until after Adoration would mean doing just that. On another note, the final blessing cannot be replaced with a blessing with the Bl. Sacrament.

Did he ever say where he got those ideas?

The liturgical book for Benediction is “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”. It has:
“94. In the case of more solemn and lengthy exposition, the host should be consecrated in the Mass which immediately precedes the exposition and after communion should be placed in the monstrance upon the altar. The Mass ends with the prayer after communion, and the concluding rites are omitted. Before the priest leaves, he may place the blessed sacrament on the throne and incense it.”
(The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 675).

So the priest in the first post is doing the correct thing.

But there seems to be some interpretation needed. A priest may decide this is not “more solemn and lengthy exposition”. So, perhaps, with a reasonable break, the Mass could be ended as normal, then a separate ceremony for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[FrDavid96]

The liturgical book for Benediction is “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”. It has:
“94. In the case of more solemn and lengthy exposition, the host should be consecrated in the Mass which immediately precedes the exposition and after communion should be placed in the monstrance upon the altar. The Mass ends with the prayer after communion, and the concluding rites are omitted. Before the priest leaves, he may place the blessed sacrament on the throne and incense it.”
(The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 675).

So the priest in the first post is doing the correct thing.

But there seems to be some interpretation needed. A priest may decide this is not “more solemn and lengthy exposition”. So, perhaps, with a reasonable break, the Mass could be ended as normal, then a separate ceremony for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Yes, he is doing it right–he’s doing what the GIRM and the rite of Exposition (the one that you’ve quoted) say should be done. My first post was based on the text found in the Sacramentary (not the GIRM part). What puzzles me is that I just can’t see the “sense” or the “motivation” behind doing it this way. Without a conclusion (especially the final blessing) the Mass isn’t actually ended, so technically speaking what is happening is Eucharistic Adoration during Mass. That’s what confuses me so much about this. I don’t doubt the documents, but I can’t understand the reasoning behind what they say.

If the Exposition/Benediction is indeed a seperate ceremony (like you say in your last paragraph) then I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Mass should be ended with the entire concluding rite.