Stations of the Cross during Eucharistic Adoration

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jack
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jack

Guest
Is it proper to conduct a public Station of the Cross service while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for public adoration in a Catholic Church?

Is it proper to conduct a private Station of the Cross devotion while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for public adoration? :confused:
 
Whoa! I never really thought about this before…This is what my parish does, but I found this at the USCCB…

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/adoration/devotions-and-eucharistic-adoration.cfm

“The Stations of the Cross is an ancient and venerable devotion which is designed to foster a devotion to and meditation on the mystery of the Passion of Christ. As commendable as such a devotion may be, it can never fulfill the purpose of Eucharistic adoration, that is to draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, neither the Stations of the Cross nor any other devotion should be prayed during exposition of the Eucharist.”

…and now I don’t know what to do.
 
Stephen_says said:
Whoa! I never really thought about this before…This is what my parish does, but I found this at the USCCB…

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/adoration/devotions-and-eucharistic-adoration.cfm

“The Stations of the Cross is an ancient and venerable devotion which is designed to foster a devotion to and meditation on the mystery of the Passion of Christ. As commendable as such a devotion may be, it can never fulfill the purpose of Eucharistic adoration, that is to draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, neither the Stations of the Cross nor any other devotion should be prayed during exposition of the Eucharist.”

…and now I don’t know what to do.
Click to expand...
Is this one of their “guidance” posts or is there something to back up this opinion? The link posted is interesting.

While I can see not combining** public** stations of the Cross with adoration, I have never known there to be a restriction on what private prayers can be said during adoration. I almost always, for example, say a rosary when I make a Holy Hour. This would seem to be “prohibited” by the USCCB’s “document”.
 
Corki said:
Is this one of their “guidance” posts or is there something to back up this opinion? The link posted is interesting.

While I can see not combining** public** stations of the Cross with adoration, I have never known there to be a restriction on what private prayers can be said during adoration. I almost always, for example, say a rosary when I make a Holy Hour. This would seem to be “prohibited” by the USCCB’s “document”.
Click to expand...
Concur with your opinion.

:hmmm:

tee
 
asia53 said:
From the blog, The Deacon’s Bench:

Entire answer here: Stations of the Cross and Benediction
Click to expand...
That would seem to apply only to public or communal praying of the Stations. The documents cited in the USCCB document, for example, say that the LOTH can be prayed during adoration. In many adoration chapels I have visited, this is not a communal prayer but the private prayer of individuals. A person privately praying the Stations is not anymore “distracting” than a person privately praying the LOTH.

The source cited in the USCCB document seems to focus on the Exposition and Benediction and refers to that as a “service”. It is quite reasonable that other devotions not be injected into those rituals. But it seems a bit of a stretch to apply that to the entire time of adoration, especially in places where there is perpetual adoration or other extended periods of private prayer.
 
Intuitively, it makes sense to me, aside from any USCCB guidance or regulations or rules, that a public Stations of the Cross ought not be done while the Holy Eucharist is exposed for Adoration.

There’s too much activity going on. Also, nearly everyone focuses on the Stations, and would physically turn away from the Eucharist.
 
Stephen_says said:
Whoa! I never really thought about this before…This is what my parish does, but I found this at the USCCB…

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/adoration/devotions-and-eucharistic-adoration.cfm

“The Stations of the Cross is an ancient and venerable devotion which is designed to foster a devotion to and meditation on the mystery of the Passion of Christ. As commendable as such a devotion may be, it can never fulfill the purpose of Eucharistic adoration, that is to draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, neither the Stations of the Cross nor any other devotion should be prayed during exposition of the Eucharist.”

…and now I don’t know what to do.
Click to expand...
There is no mention of the author of that piece posted on the USCCB website. The writer could be just about anyone.

There were many personal opinions posted by the bishop’s liturgy committee which outright contradict the liturgical laws of the Church (for example, telling people it was fine to substitute other hymns for the Lamb of God, or that each church can have only one statue, etc. etc.) I find pieces which do not carry any teaching authority, to be rather questionable when they do not cite any authoritative source for their claims.

The point is this: that web article speaks with no authority.

Furthermore, it contradicts the very liturgical laws that it supposes to uphold. According to the official (and binding) document Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, which is a part of the Roman Ritual, public prayers and devotions can indeed by conducted during the period of Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

I can think of few other forms of public prayer (Liturgy of the Hours, certainly) which would achieve exactly what the authoritative document wants to achieve: bringing us closer to the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is all about the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross (insert thousands of pages of everything else we can say about the Eucharist, naturally). What better way to meditate on the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist than to meditate and pray about the very Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross?

Are we to separate the Eucharist from the Cross???

Here’s a quote from the article:
The Stations of the Cross is an ancient and venerable devotion which is designed to foster a devotion to and meditation on the mystery of the Passion of Christ. As commendable as such a devotion may be, it can never fulfill the purpose of eucharistic adoration, that is to draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist.

What??? 🤷 Praying about the Passion can never fulfill the purpose of Eucharistic Adoration? That paragraph makes no sense to me.
 
Stephen_says said:
Whoa! I never really thought about this before…This is what my parish does, but I found this at the USCCB…

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/adoration/devotions-and-eucharistic-adoration.cfm

“The Stations of the Cross is an ancient and venerable devotion which is designed to foster a devotion to and meditation on the mystery of the Passion of Christ. As commendable as such a devotion may be, it can never fulfill the purpose of Eucharistic adoration, that is to draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, neither the Stations of the Cross nor any other devotion should be prayed during exposition of the Eucharist.”

…and now I don’t know what to do.
Click to expand...
Hello,

I find that opinion (not sure who wrote it but the author says “I would strongly encourage…” so it was an individual’s response, not from the USCCB as such, or even from a committee of same) to be excessively restrictive. How does this person know that Stations “can never fulfill the purpose of” Adoration?

Besides that, *Redemptionis sacramentum *said that the Rosary (clearly an “other devotion”) could be prayed during Exposition:
  1. Exposition of the Most Holy Eucharist must always be carried out in accordance with the prescriptions of the liturgical books. Before the Most Holy Sacrament either reserved or exposed, the praying of the Rosary, which is admirable “in its simplicity and even its profundity”, is not to be excluded either. Even so, especially if there is Exposition, the character of this kind of prayer as a contemplation of the mystery of the life of Christ the Redeemer and the Almighty Father’s design of salvation should be emphasized, especially by making use of readings taken from Sacred Scripture. vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html
Click to expand...
I suspect that the USCCB article predates this official statement from the Church.

My own opinion on the matter is that Stations of the Cross can be said privately, with proper devotion and decorum, during Exposition. Since they can be said in this manner privately, there is no constitutional impediment preventing them from being said, with the same proper devotion and decorum, publicly. I’d recommend not walking around but staying in the pews, always facing toward the altar. For the one leading the stations, you can walk around but, for example, always turn and genuflect/kneel toward the altar when saying: “We adore you o Christ, and we bless you. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.”

Could the people “get distracted” from the Lord in the monstrance, by the Stations? Sure. They can be likewise “distracted” by anything, even in utter silence. I simply do not see how one can say that praying the Stations necessarily distracts us from the Lord in the monstrance…since He is the subject of every station.

By the way, Bishop Elliott (in his Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite) says: “Other possibilities during the time of adoration include: Scripture readings…litanies…a novena… popular devotions in harmony with the season…” (art. 682).

Dan
 
Saint Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do you, O’ Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into Hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen.

†

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

†

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

†
 
dans0622 said:
…

By the way, Bishop Elliott (in his Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite) says: “Other possibilities during the time of adoration include: Scripture readings…litanies…a novena… popular devotions in harmony with the season…” (art. 682).

Dan
Click to expand...
Bishop Elliott. Now there is a trustworthy and reliable source!

Personally, I do not put any stock in that anonymous article posted on the USCCB website.

Dear readers, take note: just because something is posted on the USCCB website does not mean that those words are being spoken by the bishop’s conference. One must read such articles in light of the authority with which they speak. That article has none.
 
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen
 
Could someone who knows how (I tried, but apparently failed) have this thread moved? We’re kind of on auto-pilot with some of the responses…
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top