Questions on assisting Adoration

[GoGoDiego]

1. A fellow altar server of mine told me out on my setup in the chapel for adoration (I usually prepare the chapel for Adoration during my breaktime, on which I put on the altar the empty monstrance and two candles)
   He said that the monstrance should be flanked by six candles. I insisted that the minimal requirement is at least two. Should I follow him or continue my own setup?
2. Father exposes the Blessed Sacrament, gives benediction and reposes It in silence. No singing of the O Salutaris or Pange Lingua nor prayers. Our typical school adoration would take place for an hour in silence. Is this practice licit?

 

[brad90956]

1. A fellow altar server of mine told me out on my setup in the chapel for adoration (I usually prepare the chapel for Adoration during my breaktime, on which I put on the altar the empty monstrance and two candles)
   He said that the monstrance should be flanked by six candles. I insisted that the minimal requirement is at least two. Should I follow him or continue my own setup?

Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass, no 85. For exposition of the blessed sacrament in the monstrance, four to six candles are lighted, as at Mass, and incense is used. For exposition of the blessed sacrament in the ciborium, at least two candles should be lighted and incense may be used.

 

[corsair]

Every Friday our TLM parish does Adoration and Benediction. The Altar is fully dressed with 6 candlesticks plus two 7 candle candelabra. The Seven Dolors Rosary is recited and all of the hymns are sung. The last one being “Adoremus in Aeternum”.

Years ago I went to Adoration at a OF church. Only two candles and no hymns.

 

[L_Marshall]

A rubrical difference exists, which two prior commentators have mentioned.

In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Novus ordo, Mass of Paul VI, Post-Conciliar, what have you) 4-6 candles are prescribed by the Worship of the Holy Eucharist Outside of Mass, the document which contains instructions for Eucharistic Adoration. It’s also a helpful guide to review the ceremony.

In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Vetus ordo, Tridentine Mass, Pre-Conciliar, et c) the six altar candles are used, in addition to the two candelabra (each holding 7 candles).

Assuming your parish is using the Ordinary Form, your fellow server is (partially) correct. You ought to use at least two more candles.

To answer the second question, again assuming the Ordinary Form, the Worship of the Holy Eucharist Outside of Mass directs that “suitable songs” should be used at the beginning and end (typically O salutaris and Tantum ergo, as you mentioned). I don’t have the text in front of me, but I do believe that something in accord with either of those songs is necessary.

 

[roveau]

My policy is that the priest is always the boss. You are obliged to do it the way he prefers it. To do otherwise is to cause discord… and perhaps may be a form of disobedience. We must be humble.

Our priests are happy with the Monstrance (initially set up with the pointy bits in an east-west direction) and then two lit candles. When he places the host into the Monstrance it is then orientated in the usual way.

We do sing the O Salutaris Hostia and the Tantum Ergo. When we have a visiting priest we end up singing in English or reciting words that are usually sung.

Also with serving I serve according to what the priest prefers, not what I prefer. I quite enjoy the differences between the priests, no two priests are exactly the same. So, as I say, the priest is the boss.