Questionable eucharistic adoration practice

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In my parish, the reserved sacrament is kept in an open room in the back of the church. directly after Mass, every Sunday I observe a few parishioners who have received communion go back and sit in front of the reserevd sacrament. Now let’s think about this: assuming they receievd worthily, they’ve just received the Body and Blood of Christ; they have Christ living in them. What sense does it make to contemplate/adore the reserved sacrament at this point? The purpose for which Christ became present in the Eucharist has been achieved. This seems seriously out of whack to me. Note: I’m not arguing against the validity of Eucharistic adoration in general. Joe
 
:confused: :eek:

When would it ever be bad to worship God or sit with/be with Him? People should be lined up day and night to get into that room (with the exception of Mass, of course).
 
Actually, their actions make complete sense to me. When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, He is present with us in this form until it become indistinguishable in our bodies (broken up through digestion) which is normally about 15-20 minutes. Since most masses end within 10 minutes of receiving Holy Communion, Jesus is present in us in a very special way for another 5-10 minutes. I believe they are showing reverence and thanksgiving for the beautiful gift they have just received. Of course, Jesus is with us always, but in a unique and special way when we receive him in holy communion. Just like my spouse is with me always (in my heart :love: ) but we are together in a most intimate way during the marital act.

This is why it bothers me when people leave mass right after communion, or shortly thereafter. It’s like being intimate with my spouse, then immediately jumping up and heading out the door without even saying “I love you,” or “goodbye” or “thanks.” How would that make him feel? How much more so we do not want to offend Our Lord! :bowdown2:
 
In some parishes, immediately after Mass it gets pretty noisy with people talking to one another on their way out of the church, which makes it distracting for those who wish to pray quietly in the pews. So maybe they are just going to the adoration room in the back for some quiet prayer time.

JimG
 
Sitting in contemplation after receiving Holy Communion makes sense to me. A good way to show appreciation for Emmanuel.
 
jco2004,

Have to agree with the others on this - this is a terrific way to give thanks after recieving our Savior.

Mike
 
I think I can see the original poster’s logic on this one: technically, if one has just received communion, there is no “need” to sit in eucharistic adoration. However, Shakespeare gave King Lear a marvelous speech which begins with the line, “O, reason not the need!” I agree with the poster who said they thought people should be lining up to get into that room, and as one who has been devoted to Nocturnal Adoration, I see no problem with sitting in the Real Presence whenever and for however long one desires.
 
What an interesting comment…I would have never thought that anyone would question wanting to be in the presence of Our Lord…even after just receiving Him…I think especially after just receiving Him. We also have our Blessed Sacrament Chapel to the side of the main church. My whole family will go there after Mass to offer a prayer of thanksgiving. It has given us all a greater love and appreciation for Our Lord in The Eurcharist! Although I wish He were back in the main church where He belongs…we’ll keep praying 😃
 
This is why it bothers me when people leave mass right after communion, or shortly thereafter. It’s like being intimate with my spouse, then immediately jumping up and heading out the door without even saying “I love you,” or “goodbye” or “thanks.” How would that make him feel? How much more so we do not want to offend Our Lord! :bowdown2:
Amen!!!:clapping:

Often it looks like someone said, “The last one out is a rotten egg.” We should spend a few minutes regarding the Lord and thanking Him for dying for us.:bowdown:
 
I can only agree with the consensus group on this one. Spending some real quality time in the presence of our Lord exposed in the monstrance directly after Mass–wow what a beautiful concept.

I know that in my experience that following Mass I don’t feel like I’ve completed the Mass until I spend a few more minutes kneeling and giving thanks to our Lord for the ability, the desire and the happiness to thank him for sharing his LOVE with me through the Liturgy!

May God Bless us All. And may we all feel compelled to Love our Lord enough to spend a few personal moments with him on many occassions throughout each week.
 
Well, thanks to everyone who responded. I still think it’s profoundly backwards, although obviously I’m in the minority here. To me, receiving Christ in the Eucharist is the culmination of everything associated with the Eucharist. To me, if one has received the Eucharist worthily, one has no reason to immediately seek out the presence of Christ anywhere else, including in a monstrance; one has Christ living within them. I’m not sure that a lot of Catholics understand that the whole purpose for the Eucharist is for us to be gradually transformed into Christ, as awesome as that is, so that Christ may live in us. This is related to the ancient idea of theosis, by which we able to become partkers of the divine nature, an idea which has been sadly neglected ine western Catholicism. I will make the statement that, if we have worthily received the Eucharist, Christ is now present in us in a way a thousand times more signficiant than He is in the reserved host in a tabernacle. The best way to honor that presence, after giving thanks to God and finishing the liturgy, is to go out and live the life that has been infused into us. Although any analogy is inadequate, to immediately go from receiving the Eucharist to adoration of the reserved sacrament, is, IMO, almost akin to one who has just been united with his or her spouse in marital union leaving them to gaze on a picture of them. It does not make sense for one who truly understands what receiving Christ in communion entails. Perhaps therein lies the problem. Joe
 
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jco2004:
It does not make sense for one who truly understands what receiving Christ in communion entails. Perhaps therein lies the problem. Joe
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hmmm…did you really mean to suggest that you (the minority) truly understand what receiving Christ in communion entails, and the rest of the posters do not? I don’t think you did, but that is how it comes accross.

Scott
 
jco2004, I think where your analogy breaks down is in your likening of the “reserved sacrament” to a picture of our spouse, rather than the Spouse himself. It is not like like looking at a picture of her at all. It is much closer to sharing a quiet, intimate moment of silence, in which we recognise the gift we’ve been given and adore the giver. I understand the impulse to go out and “be Christ” to other people, but remember that other people, ourselves, indeed everyone, are in a way all destined for the same end hopefully: praise and adoration of Christ. I really don’t think there’s anything else to do in Heaven besides that. In that sense, the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is merely our poor finite anticipation of the Beatific Vision, and who wouldn’t want a tiny taste of that here on earth? I know that after my adoration sessions, I feel energised and ready to, as you say, be Christ to others.
 
jco2004, When you state there is no further need to be with Jesus in eucharistic adoration immediately after receiving communion, and that it does not make any sense, and you attempt to make the analogy of a married couple being intimate, are you saying I need a reason to stare longingly into my wife’s eyes after being intimate? Do I need a reason to hold her, and love her immediately after? If so, How long must one wait before adoring the Eucharist after receiving it? Just wondering.

Eph. 5 rocks!
 
"To me, if one has received the Eucharist worthily, one has no reason to immediately seek out the presence of Christ anywhere else, including in a monstrance; one has Christ living within them. "

So if Christ were sitting there in His glorified form to talk to people after Mass, you wouldn’t stop by and say ‘Hi’?👋
The reason I ask is because He is there and we should all acknowledge His Presence in any form.

God bless!
 
Did You Remember to Thank Him?

After he rose [the Angel of Fatima], he gave the Host to Lucia and Chalice to Jacinta and Francisco saying at the same time:

** "Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ terribly outraged**
by the ingratitude of men. Offer reparation for their sins and console God."

It was the habit of many saints to spend long lengths of time in thanksgiving to God after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. Here is what some had to say:

( St. Mary Magdalene di Pazzi )
  • "The minutes that follow Communion are the most precious we have in our lives. They are the minutes best suited on our part for treating with God, and on His part for communicating His love to us."*
(St. Teresa of the Child Jesus)
  • "Let us detain ourselves lovingly with Jesus and not waste the hour that follows Communion. It is an excellent time to deal with God and put before Him the matters that concern our soul. …As we know that good Jesus remains within us until our natural warmth has dissolved the breadlike qualities, we should take great care not to lose such a beautiful opportunity to treat with Him and lay our needs before Him."*
(St. Louis de Montfort)
  • "I would not give up this hour of Thanksgiving even for an hour of Paradise."*
** Therefore, let us resolve to spend more time in Thanksgiving after receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion ~ bathing in those precious few moments ~ when our souls touch the God of all Creation!**

1 hour? 1/2 hour? 15 minutes? Or are we to be counted
among the first to leave?

I’ve heard it said that being the first person to leave Mass -
could be compared to Judas being the first to leave Christ
at the Last Supper!

In your busy life ~ How much are you willing to spare for Jesus?

"Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is rather time gained,
so that our relationships and indeed our whole life
may become more profoundly human." ~ Pope John Paul II
 
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jco2004:
Well, thanks to everyone who responded. I still think it’s profoundly backwards, although obviously I’m in the minority here. To me, receiving Christ in the Eucharist is the culmination of everything associated with the Eucharist. To me, if one has received the Eucharist worthily, one has no reason to immediately seek out the presence of Christ anywhere else, including in a monstrance; one has Christ living within them. I’m not sure that a lot of Catholics understand that the whole purpose for the Eucharist is for us to be gradually transformed into Christ, as awesome as that is, so that Christ may live in us. This is related to the ancient idea of theosis, by which we able to become partkers of the divine nature, an idea which has been sadly neglected ine western Catholicism. I will make the statement that, if we have worthily received the Eucharist, Christ is now present in us in a way a thousand times more signficiant than He is in the reserved host in a tabernacle. The best way to honor that presence, after giving thanks to God and finishing the liturgy, is to go out and live the life that has been infused into us. Although any analogy is inadequate, to immediately go from receiving the Eucharist to adoration of the reserved sacrament, is, IMO, almost akin to one who has just been united with his or her spouse in marital union leaving them to gaze on a picture of them. It does not make sense for one who truly understands what receiving Christ in communion entails. Perhaps therein lies the problem. Joe
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:eek: :mad:

I am shocked at this callous disregard for Our Lord, the Saviour, Him by whom all things were made. One ALWAYS has the need to seek out Christ, whether he be in us having consumed His Body as he directed during communion or reserved in the tabernacle or in view for us in a monstrance. To suggest that ‘if we have worthily received the Eucharist, Christ is now present in us in a way a thousand times more signficiant than He is in the reserved host in a tabernacle’ is absolutely utter nonsense. The creator of the universe is present ‘equally’ in both places and His signifigance in both places is equally to be adored with our whole being.

I will agree with you that there is a problem with ‘It does not make sense for one who truly understands what receiving Christ in communion entails’ but not the problem you incorrectly diagnose. The problem is that you have failed to grasp the significance of the greatest mystery the Church has to offer for us - the making present of the Christ in the consecration and the continued presence of our Lord in the consecrated Host by God. Receiving unworthily is certainly a very grave and serious matter. Not realizing that Christ is present in the tabernacle and offering our adoration there is an equally grave matter whether one has just partaken of Him or not. 😦
 
IMO, almost akin to one who has just been united with his or her spouse in marital union leaving them to gaze on a picture of them.
Click to expand...
Mmm, no. It is HIM, not a picture. I go into the little chapel for quiet time with Jesus. It’s bedlam in the rest of the church, so it’s not really quiet, but no one disturbs me. If I stay in my pew, people will stop to talk, even if I’m kneeling.

I’ve noticed that on coffee & donut Sunday, it gets quiet a lot faster than other Sundays - everyone is rushing to get the maple bars! 😃
 
I certainly agree with all the other responders. There is no time inappropriate for adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament unless duty requires that we be somewhere else. I attend Mass daily and, time permitting, find so much peace sitting there in the chapel for twenty or thrity minutes after Mass. No prayers, just Presence.

However, one thing I have often thought is unnecessary (but not necesssarily wrong) is the habit (I think unconscious) of making the Sign of the Cross immediately after or before receiving Communion or even occasionally genuflecting as one passes in front of the tabernacle immediately after receiving. .
 
Yes, I think you have missed the point of Adoration following reception of the Eucharist. In my area it is becoming a habit that each parish has one day of Eucharistic Adoration and this normally begins right after Mass. I would love to have an Adoration Chapel to duck into in my parish as on Sundays it is noisier than a school gym as soon as the Mass is over. I and a few others are still trying to say our Thanksgivings when all the bedlam breaks out! It really is awful. If I had my way, there would be flashing neon signs that all read “SILENCE” in the front and back of the Church after Mass. There is a concern I do have for your example though. It is wrong to have Adoration DURING Mass. At your parish is the Host exposed during Mass? If so, this is an abuse and should be addressed.

As for the Real Presence remaining within a person who has just received, this is true for the approxiamtely 15 minutes it takes for the Host to be digested. But you wouldn’t suggest the person bring a mirror to Mass and look at him or herself in it after receiving would you?

I think going to Adoration right after Mass is a beautiful thing and have done so myself in places where this is possible. I frequent Adoration as much as I can. 👍

Peace and all good,

Thomas2
 
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