Vocal prayer at adoration - question

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I’ve been to adoration twice now, last Thursday and today (Friday). The first time I went, it was completely quiet throughout the hour, except for Benediction at the end.

Today I went again, expecting it to be the same. It had been a very difficult week and a very busy day and I was really looking forward to being able to pray to Jesus in the Eucharist in silence. It was silent for the first ten minutes or so, and then one woman began reading prayers out of a book and another woman joined her. I didn’t know the prayers, so I couldn’t pray with them. I thought maybe they would just a pray out loud for a few minutes, but they continued to read aloud for half an hour, and when it became apparent that they were going to do so for the whole hour, I left. I have nothing against vocal prayer, but I just needed quiet right then. It was very hard, though, to leave the Blessed Sacrament before I wanted to and have no chance to pray in silence.

Anyway, are there rules regarding vocal prayer during adoration, and how often does this happen? I just want to know.

Thanks.
 
You should contact whoever is in charge of adoration at the parish and ask. It might be a scheduled thing, or it might be that the ladies were “inspired” to do it on their own. If it is scheduled, you can just avoid that time in the future. At our adoration, we sometimes have distractions like that, but I have learned to come back another time. I agree silence is best.
 
It was a little inconsiderate of them to impose their form of praying on others.
They can pray out loud any time in the church surely.
Perhaps speak to your pastor and ask if he could give worshippers some guidance regarding respecting others’ need for quiet meditation with the Lord during adoration.
 
I have been to adoration only once when there was vocal prayer in progress. Then a few ladies were saying the rosary. I came in around the third decade, so it didn’t go on too long.

I know what you mean about quiet, though. One weekday I went nice and early to Mass because I wanted time to pray in the quiet presence of Jesus. Once again, the Rosary was in full swing. And when it mercifully ended, they tacked another half dozen prayers to the end of it. Nothing against the rosary, but I was looking forward to some peace and quiet, which is way too hard to come by in this world.
 
People are always quiet during my hour every week, thank the Lord! One time I went to an overnight Adoration in the middle of the night, hoping for some wonderfully austere stillness. Instead there were some older parishioners that had a boom-box set in the sanctuary near the altar (and monstrance) and they were listening to and responding to Fr. Groeschel praying the Rosary.

That really made me twitch and it took a lot for me to get over my (possibly selfish) expectations. These were, after all, people had been going to this church for much longer than I have. I felt that I had no recourse in talking to the Liturgist about it at a later time. Instead I stayed for as long as I could before quietly departing, doing my best to get over myself. Still, I felt sort of ambushed by the whole thing, if you know what I mean.
 
basenji said:
That really made me twitch and it took a lot for me to get over my (possibly selfish) expectations. These were, after all, people had been going to this church for much longer than I have. I felt that I had no recourse in talking to the Liturgist about it at a later time. Instead I stayed for as long as I could before quietly departing, doing my best to get over myself. Still, I felt sort of ambushed by the whole thing, if you know what I mean.
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That’s exactly how I felt, too - ambushed, and trying really hard to get over myself. :o I guess God was humbling me, saying: “Look how selfish you are! You get annoyed when a couple of elderly women are praying to Me out loud because you wanted silence.” Ha!

I actually went back this evening and different people were there, praying the rosary. I was in a better state of mind, at least, and I know the rosary prayers, which helped me not feel overwhelmed. Then they said more prayers out of a book. And then … there was silence for a good long while. 🙂

Everyone seemed to have these little booklets, but I didn’t know where they were getting them. I am wondering if there isn’t some special First Friday Devotion booklet or something that parishioners are encouraged to use when it’s a first friday. I guess I should ask my pastor.
 
I had an unusual experience during my adoration hour a couple of weeks ago. I was all by myself in the chapel, having a hard time concentrating on prayer, beset with distractions (internal), but doing my best. In comes a Spanish-speaking woman who goes up to the kneelers in front of the monstrance, and begins praying out loud, VERY loud! Full of emotion, beseeching … At first I was annoyed. But then I started listening, and starting to piece together the twelve words of Spanish I know, I began to understand (more than I expected) and to realize how beautiful and fervent and sincere her prayer was. I was put to shame! I went and knelt next to her, silently prayed for her (and I think I heard her praying for me, althought I didn’t really understand most of what she was saying), said “Amen” with her when she reached the end of prayers I recognized (e.g., Hail Mary). When she left she gave me a big hug. I think I made a friend. What I initially expected to be an annoyance ended up being one of the best prayer times I have had in a while.

So, yes, I usually prefer silence, but there are exceptions …
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I had an unusual experience during my adoration hour a couple of weeks ago. I was all by myself in the chapel, having a hard time concentrating on prayer, beset with distractions (internal), but doing my best. In comes a Spanish-speaking woman who goes up to the kneelers in front of the monstrance, and begins praying out loud, VERY loud! Full of emotion, beseeching … At first I was annoyed. But then I started listening, and starting to piece together the twelve words of Spanish I know, I began to understand (more than I expected) and to realize how beautiful and fervent and sincere her prayer was. I was put to shame! I went and knelt next to her, silently prayed for her (and I think I heard her praying for me, althought I didn’t really understand most of what she was saying), said “Amen” with her when she reached the end of prayers I recognized (e.g., Hail Mary). When she left she gave me a big hug. I think I made a friend. What I initially expected to be an annoyance ended up being one of the best prayer times I have had in a while.

So, yes, I usually prefer silence, but there are exceptions …
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wow, what a wonderful story! 🙂
 
I have had this problem as well. We have a group of women at my home parish who pray the rosary out loud, but they pray it at lightning speed and not very reverently. Also some of the elderly women must be deaf because they yell the prayers and they are not in sync with the others. They too tack on what seems like endless prayers. At my work parish we insist on silence except at the opening and closing prayers. We talked about having specific times when maybe a rosary or chaplet or Evening Prayer would be prayed outloud but the majority of the people said they would prefer silence. But I have heard of parishes that have specific times when certain vocal prayers would be said. The time is posted and those who prefer silence avoid those times.
 
When I confessed my aggravation at the rosary being prayed before Mass (because you feel kind of bad being aggravated at the Rosary), Father said he totally understood, and said that was why you would only find the rosary before Wednesday noon Mass at our parish. The rest of the time, it is blessed silence.
 
Many people have a set time for Adoration or have signed up to be there at a certain time, and these ladies might have been doing this for years. Perhaps you could find another time where people are silent. As for the gentleman with the boom box and the Rosary, he just might have picked that time of night figuring no one else would be there to disturb while he did his devotion, because the wee hours of the night aren’t a real popular time.

In our parish the Rosary is said publicy after the 8:30 am Mass, and before the Sat. 4:00 pm Mass, so if one wishes to have quiet time before Mass, they can choose another Mass time.

We have Exposition from 9am Friday to 9am Saturday, and the only times there are public prayers besides Benediction is during the Easter Season, when they do a 9 week Divine Mercy Novena at noon and at 6pm. Other than that there is silence, and there is a sign in front of the chapel asking for silence during the hours of Exposition, so I’ve never heard anyone praying out loud other than at these times. Sometimes it just has to be brought to people’s attention in a nice way if the custom of the parish is silence.
 
Student09 said:
Everyone seemed to have these little booklets, but I didn’t know where they were getting them. I am wondering if there isn’t some special First Friday Devotion booklet or something that parishioners are encouraged to use when it’s a first friday. I guess I should ask my pastor.
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It may have been the Magnificat, which has become fairly popular; it has parts of the Liturgy of the Hours; Or they may have had Shorter Christion Prayer, which would be the LOTH; did the prayers sound like psalms?
 
otjm said:
It may have been the Magnificat, which has become fairly popular; it has parts of the Liturgy of the Hours; Or they may have had Shorter Christion Prayer, which would be the LOTH; did the prayers sound like psalms?
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No, I actually pray the LOTH and that’s not what this was. There were a variety of different Catholic prayers, most of which I had never heard before and most of which concerned the crucifixion and Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I went back yesterday (Thursday) at a different time, and it was silent again; I think there must be a special Friday devotion, whereas Thursdays are silent.
 
Student09 said:
No, I actually pray the LOTH and that’s not what this was. There were a variety of different Catholic prayers, most of which I had never heard before and most of which concerned the crucifixion and Sacred Heart of Jesus.

I went back yesterday (Thursday) at a different time, and it was silent again; I think there must be a special Friday devotion, whereas Thursdays are silent.
Click to expand...
I’m wondering if what you heard last week was a First Friday Novena, the day which is dedicated for the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I had an unusual experience during my adoration hour a couple of weeks ago. I was all by myself in the chapel, having a hard time concentrating on prayer, beset with distractions (internal), but doing my best. In comes a Spanish-speaking woman who goes up to the kneelers in front of the monstrance, and begins praying out loud, VERY loud! Full of emotion, beseeching … At first I was annoyed. But then I started listening, and starting to piece together the twelve words of Spanish I know, I began to understand (more than I expected) and to realize how beautiful and fervent and sincere her prayer was. I was put to shame! I went and knelt next to her, silently prayed for her (and I think I heard her praying for me, althought I didn’t really understand most of what she was saying), said “Amen” with her when she reached the end of prayers I recognized (e.g., Hail Mary). When she left she gave me a big hug. I think I made a friend. What I initially expected to be an annoyance ended up being one of the best prayer times I have had in a while.

So, yes, I usually prefer silence, but there are exceptions …
Click to expand...
 
Once I saw a woman crying in church where I went to spent some time praying. At first I was shy to approach this woman, but at the sme time I wanted to help her, but I did not know how. I prayed to Our Lord, and in the end I just went to kneel near her, gave her a big hug, told her Jesus loves you, gave her a tissue and left her. I do know not if it helped at all, but what I know is that when I pray that woman is always in my prayers. God Bless Mary
 
Can some one please help me. I am looking for either a prayer or a poem for a nun who today is celebrating her 50th year as a nun. Thank you God bless
 
We have exposition the first Friday of the month. We sometime have a Deacon but most of the time I do the exposition myself. We have quiet time from 10 AM until 11AM, then the readings for the day, then the chaplet of Mercy is sung, finally the monstrance is removed. When you don,t have a priest available we laypeople must make up what we think is proper at the time. Don’t get up so tight that there are spoken prayers.
Ben
 
I have actually put in ear plugs in front of the monstrance so I wouldn’t be distracted by the hissing of people loudly whispering prayers. The “s” always comes out clearly. When there are no vocal prayer activities going on, some people still feel the need to vocalise. I want to meditate in front of the monstrance, which consists of my regarding it in silence, trying to feel what God has to tell me. I sometimes think that over-vocalising can obscure listening to God. Our Lord and the saints can “get” our silent prayers and thoughts when we send them. I think it’s called beatific vision. 😉 Doesn’t the word “adoration” imply an adoring, which is something the heart and soul are quite capable of doing without speaking out loud? So to solve my own difficulties with this; I should try to go to the 24-hr. adorations when few people are around, instead of at popular times.
 
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