Wedding Prep during Eucharistic Adoration

[klapatch]

My Fiance and I are getting married in the fall and I am working on a program to have at the wedding. Unlike your standard program, I am prepping a program with the Missal on the left hand page and an explanation on the right. There are multiple non-Catholics attending the wedding and many Catholics and I believe it is important that everyone attending have the opportunity to understand the vocation we have chosen for both understanding reasons and evangelization purposes. I would like to do research and take notes during adoration for this project. I am using multiple books from my local Pauline Bookstore and can’t think of a better way to do this preparation than in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this ok. I know that during Eucharistic Adoration we should be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ but having his presence while undergoing a task such as this can only be helpful. Does anyone know if this is inappropriate?
Praised be Jesus Christ.
Joe

 

[kamaan]

My Fiance and I are getting married in the fall and I am working on a program to have at the wedding. Unlike your standard program, I am prepping a program with the Missal on the left hand page and an explanation on the right. There are multiple non-Catholics attending the wedding and many Catholics and I believe it is important that everyone attending have the opportunity to understand the vocation we have chosen for both understanding reasons and evangelization purposes. I would like to do research and take notes during adoration for this project. I am using multiple books from my local Pauline Bookstore and can’t think of a better way to do this preparation than in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this ok. I know that during Eucharistic Adoration we should be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ but having his presence while undergoing a task such as this can only be helpful. Does anyone know if this is inappropriate?
Praised be Jesus Christ.
Joe

First of all,** congratulations on your marriage!**

About the adoration… I understand that you mean well, but I don’t think that it seems very appropriate to do “research” in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It almost seems like you will be ignoring Him!

 

[ConstantineTG]

My Fiance and I are getting married in the fall and I am working on a program to have at the wedding. Unlike your standard program, I am prepping a program with the Missal on the left hand page and an explanation on the right. There are multiple non-Catholics attending the wedding and many Catholics and I believe it is important that everyone attending have the opportunity to understand the vocation we have chosen for both understanding reasons and evangelization purposes. I would like to do research and take notes during adoration for this project. I am using multiple books from my local Pauline Bookstore and can’t think of a better way to do this preparation than in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this ok. I know that during Eucharistic Adoration we should be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ but having his presence while undergoing a task such as this can only be helpful. Does anyone know if this is inappropriate?
Praised be Jesus Christ.
Joe

I would advise not to do it that way. Don’t forget that Jesus is with us everywhere, no matter what. He will inspire us if we pray and ask Him to be with us. The Blessed Sacrament serves a different purpose. Remember, Jesus is God, He is omnipresent.

 

[lizaanne]

I do not think this is an appropriate use of time before Christ.

Go to the library or something to do research.

~Liza

 

[PatriceA]

I wonder too how “discreet” you could be about the “note taking”. It sounds like it could be a potential distraction to others at adoration. I wouldn’t do it. If it was me, I would go to adoration, visit with Jesus, and then home or somewhere else to work on the program.

 

[PaulJason]

I tend to find that when I ask myself " Should I be doing this?" I should not be.

 

[ljubim]

My Fiance and I are getting married in the fall and I am working on a program to have at the wedding. Unlike your standard program, I am prepping a program with the Missal on the left hand page and an explanation on the right. There are multiple non-Catholics attending the wedding and many Catholics and I believe it is important that everyone attending have the opportunity to understand the vocation we have chosen for both understanding reasons and evangelization purposes. I would like to do research and take notes during adoration for this project. I am using multiple books from my local Pauline Bookstore and can’t think of a better way to do this preparation than in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this ok. I know that during Eucharistic Adoration we should be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ but having his presence while undergoing a task such as this can only be helpful. Does anyone know if this is inappropriate?
Praised be Jesus Christ.
Joe

I know that at least our last Holy Father wrote his encyclicals in front of the Blessed Sacrament… but since marriage prep is a totally different topic, etc, maybe, maybe not…

Could you remove the distraction factor and go to your parish and just be near the Tabernacle? That way you are alone.

Maybe put this in to Ask an Apologist to get a definitive answer.

 

[lizaanne]

Maybe put this in to Ask an Apologist to get a definitive answer.

How much more definitive does it have to be? Do you honestly think this question requires a priest or apologist to say that doing research and taking notes while in adoration is a bad thing? A little common sense goes a long way.

:doh2:

~Liza

 

[otjm]

If Christ appeared bodily and was sitting next to you, would you be doing the research? Would you look up from time to time and ask Him what he thought? Would you do likewise and ask His blessing on your work?

Well, if you would do that, then what is the difference if He only is there in the Eucharist?

And if you wouldn’t, then again, you would have your answer.

Some times we get a tad bit anal. There is not a specific rule for every possible permutation of things we do; and one priest could tell you it is perfectly ok to be doing your research on your up-coming sacrament, and another could tell you it was a no-no, and both would be expressing their personal opinion.

“The problem with common sense is that it is not all that common.” Voltaire

 

[CB_Catholic]

I, for one, cannot see why it would be a bad thing to sit in the presence of Our Lord and prayerfully ask for His guidance in such an undertaking. It is not like you are doing a term paper for school, you are trying to evangelize and teach others (and not just non-Catholics, there are plenty of Catholics who don’t have a clue) about the vocation and Sacrament of Marriage, and perhaps He will inspire you and help you find the right words. I see people at Adoration all the time reading Scripture or other spiritual material and jotting things down or underlining things as they read and don’t think it is inappropriate at all. I think what you are doing is God’s work, and it is for the benefit of others, and shows you are very committed to God being in your marriage. It is a great witness for Christ. I cannot imagine at all that Jesus would be displeased at your wanting to bring this before Him. I have to disagree with most of the others here. I say go, sit in the presence of Jesus, read your material prayerfully, and ask Him for the help to discern what He would like you to write, and if you need to take notes, take them. This is for His Glory.

And as far as I know, there have never been any “rules” about what to do when one is at Adoration, other than to be respectful of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to be respectful of others.

 

[klapatch]

First of all,** congratulations on your marriage!**

Thanks for the well wishes. She is an amazing woman and someone who brought me back to the faith, as I was poorly catechized as a youth and wandered away for many years. Hence the nature of my concern, I have only been going to adoration regularly for about 6 months.

I wonder too how “discreet” you could be about the “note taking”. It sounds like it could be a potential distraction to others at adoration. I wouldn’t do it. If it was me, I would go to adoration, visit with Jesus, and then home or somewhere else to work on the program.

This is what I have been doing, as I didn’t want to distract people from their prayers. But I have noticed quite a few “regulars” who always have some sort of book, whether it be prayers or other Catholic Literature. So I had the thought that it would be appropriate to bring a few books (2 or 3 max), a highlighter to highlight those sections that had information I wanted to include in the program and a pen to jot notes in the margins. I scrawl all over my books. I wouldn’t bring huge amounts of books and copious notepads.

If Christ appeared bodily and was sitting next to you, would you be doing the research? Would you look up from time to time and ask Him what he thought? Would you do likewise and ask His blessing on your work? Well, if you would do that, then what is the difference if He only is there in the Eucharist?

I had the same thought when I was thinking about this and my answer was, NO I wouldn’t be doing the research. After I got over the initial extreme elation of His presence in human form and finished praising Him, I would definitely ask Him questions, lots of them, after all He would be there to give me the answers, RIGHT THERE!!! I am always slightly jealous of the Apostles for having been able to ask all their questions. (is that a sin by the way?) While easy to talk to our Lord during adoration the answers don’t always come real freely.

So, to answer your question, would I read a book or two and then ask Him questions?

No.

I’d just ask HIM, seems kind of dumb to read a book when the author is right there next to you. save the reading for later. And thats the point of what I am talking about, reading a portion of the rite of marriage, asking our Lord Jesus who is “sitting” right there in front of us to help give me inspiration and then reading a commentary on that section of mass, seems to me an ideal way to obtain an “inspired view” of that portion. Since I have a really bad memory I would want to write down what was shown to me in the reading I had just done.

I tend to find that when I ask myself " Should I be doing this?" I should not be.

I’m in the same boat PaulJason, which is why I haven’t done it, but I will definitely be asking my priest next week when I see him. Thanks all for all the food for thought.