Too Dependent on Adoration?

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This might come across as a little poorly phrased, but is it possible to become too dependent on adoration? I was recently talking to people about the traditions of the Eastern Rites (something I am rather interested in) and when I mention that a lot of Eastern Catholic Churches don’t have adoration like in the Roman form, people freak out.

I’ve gotten everything from “I can’t live without adoration” to “adoration would boost vocations in the Eastern Rite.” Granted, we all agree that the Eucharist is the real presence, but is it possible to become too overly dependent on adoration to the fact where we think we don’t need the Mass. I feel that the most profound place we encounter Jesus is at the Mass, and that should be where we have deep experiences with the Lord. Yes, adoration is a nice sacramental we have but is it possible we’ve become too dependent on it to the fact where people put all their energy in prayer there versus the Mass.

Granted a lot of people who I have spoken to about this are charismatics (and the charismatic movement is very devoted on adoration), but I just want some other thought or even Eastern Catholic insight. Are we in the Roman Rite too dependent on adoration?

Personally, I don’t get much from adoration, but I’m curious if we in the West have pushed people too hard to make their deep, spiritual moments happen in adoration rather than in the Mass.

Again, I am trying to better my thoughts on adoration. I don’t mean to come across as critical.
 
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Possible, I suppose. But that question might be rephrased to be “Too dependent on God?”

I don’t think that’s possible. Mass/Divine Liturgy is public prayer. Eucharistic Adoration is one on one… the person and God. Both forms are necessary in our lives.

My direct answer would be, no, we’re not too dependent on Adoration. We’re, if anything, not dependent on it enough.

That is not to say we should not also be dependent on Divine Liturgy / Mass as well.

Blessings,
 
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@StephieNorthCo, thanks for your answer. I also think it should not be shocking to hear our Eastern brothers and sisters DON’T have the sacramental. I mean, they can still do it at a Roman parish, but we shouldn’t force our devotions on them, per the Vatican II declaration on the subject.

My friends think they SHOULD have adoration as we understand it in the West, but if it’s foreign to the Rite, it doesn’t belong.
 
I’m western, but I absolutely love Fr. Loya’s Light of the East (Sunday mornings, EWTN). My sense is the Eastern lung has other and alternative ways of getting prime one on one time with Our Lord. Still, I would not ever want to give up my Adoration time.
 
@StephieNorthCo, right. The Jesus Prayer is awesome for that. Very contemplative/meditative.

I think when at a Roman Church, do what the Romans do, and when at a Byzantine Church do what the Byzantines do. We don’t need to force our devotions on other Rites.

In fact, I’d even argue the Byzantines are much more devoted to Our Lady, but that’s another discussion.
 
Some of the Eastern Catholic Churches can’t have Adoration with the Blesses Sacrament present in a monstrance on the altar as they use leavened bread during the Divine Liturgi instead of unleavened. The priest would consume every piece of the Body of Christ after giving the laity. The Body and Blood of Christ are in the same chalice and given on a spoon so that is another reason why it is not possible.

Could some of the Bysantin Catholics tell us what you would do instead, please?
 
@HeDa, correct. They do that. I think instead of Adoration, they do have Iconography, the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Is how it goes), and they do adoration in the sense of praying in front of the tabernacle.

I don’t know ALL the Eastern Rite devotions, but these listed are common.
 
I haven’t exactly seen Adoration being mobbed with junkies out to get their “fix”.

We - those of us who do go - like Adoration. We like to spend time with Jesus. I really don’t understand why the Eastern Catholics don’t, but the last time I tried to politely ask this on the forum, several people including a priest got mad at me so I guess it’s one of those topics we’re not supposed to bring up around here.

I have almost no real-life friends these days. Jesus is always home, even when he’s not out in the monstrance. All I have to do is find an open church and I can visit with him. I was taught to do this since I was small. When I was having a horrible anxiety attack after my husband died and it went on for days and would not let up, it finally just left…in the middle of Adoration.

There is no such thing as being “too dependent” on Jesus. I cannot do anything on my own. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I have no idea why you would even think we could possibly be “too dependent” on spending time with our God. In Heaven we will be doing it 24/7.
 
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NNord said:
I think when at a Roman Church, do what the Romans do, and when at a Byzantine Church do what the Byzantines do. We don’t need to force our devotions on other Rites.

In fact, I’d even argue the Byzantines are much more devoted to Our Lady, but that’s another discussion.
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I agree with this. I just wish people wouldn’t “freak out” when a question is asked. I think the Jesus Prayer is lovely, the devotion to Mary is lovely.
 
What devotions do the Byzantines have?
 
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I love to have adoration time when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. It is a beautiful quiet time to love and listen to the Lord. We can also make reparation for those who do not believe or adore.

I am aware that the Mass is the source and summit of our faith. It is a great blessing to be able to go to weekday Mass. Adoration is wonderful, and of course it certainly does not take the place of the Mass.
 
Right, though it seems in youth culture, people are trying to make adoration the main focus. I never get invited to Mass by my friends in these groups that are über dependent on adoration. More and more it’s invites to adoration, and where I currently am right now location-wise. We have access to so many priests and we could have so many Masses.

I like the idea of adoration following a Mass. That way, we are reminded what the focus is of the faith (the Mass), and then we can reflect on the mystery of the Mass right after in prayer to the Lord.
 
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NNord said:
@HeDa, correct. They do that. I think instead of Adoration, they do have Iconography, the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Is how it goes), and they do adoration in the sense of praying in front of the tabernacle.
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@SeriousQuestion, look here.
 
We often get these situations where somebody feels that the people around him are doing too much of prayer type A when they should be doing more of prayer type B.

The Mass is very important. I try to go to Mass every day (sometimes I miss, but daily is my goal).

But if somebody wished to attend Adoration, or say a Rosary, or read the Bible at Bible study, instead, I’m not going to say, “well, you should be going to Mass instead, like me” or say, “You are doing too much of Adoration (or Rosary or Bible) when you really need to be doing more Mass.”

All we are required to do is to go to Mass to meet our Sunday and holy day obligations, and fast on the obligated fast days. Anything we do beyond that is an “extra”, and different people are drawn to different forms of devotion and, when it comes to God, of worship. Just let them be drawn to what they are drawn to and be happy they are praising the Lord in the ways they prefer. And you can go do what calls to you.
 
I suppose, like any obsession, if an obsession with adoration is stopping, or contributing to stopping, someone functioning normally in life it could be a problem. Certainly religious obsessiveness can occur in some mental illness, but I very much doubt adoration would be the cause of that.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
We - those of us who do go - like Adoration. We like to spend time with Jesus. I really don’t understand why the Eastern Catholics don’t, but the last time I tried to politely ask this on the forum, several people including a priest got mad at me so I guess it’s one of those topics we’re not supposed to bring up around here.
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@Tis_Bearself, they likely got mad because back before Vatican II there was a huge push by Rome to Latinize the Eastern Churches/make them look and act like the West. But with Vatican II, Rome told the West to leave them alone and to their tradition. The East is VERY PROTECTIVE of their culture/history of their rite. That’s probably why they got mad at you. They didn’t mean to be rude, but they are just afraid of being Latinized.

It probably wasn’t intended to be cross, but it just came out that way because of their history.
 
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Some of them were nice about it. I knew it was a little contentious because there was a past thread about an Eastern group of religious brothers who apparently incorporated Adoration into their practices and some of the EC’s were annoyed about it, so I tried to be nice about it, but the thread kind of got out of my hands.
 
Adoration is Jesus Himself in the tabernacle, truth be told Eucharistic devotion is a characteristic mark in most of the saints. You can never depend too much on God.
 
Several lady friends and myself from our Catholic Parish visited an Orthodox Church to have a tour of it. It was lovely, and our guide explained many things to us. She asked us if we had any questions, and I asked her where the Blessed Sacrament was kept because I saw no genuflections or bows taking place.

She explained that the Sacrament was behind the screen where the holy images were (I hope I am remembering correctly), and then she said that when they had Divine Liturgy it was a very solemn and highly revered moment, and that was the reason they did not have the genuflection as we do.

So, customs of reverence do differ.
 
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