Paper on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

 

Prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament: A Communion in the Body of Christ

By Robert P. Rousseau, SSS

Printed in Emmanuel Magazine , May/June 2006

Introduction

            During the past fifteen years, ‘adoration chapels’, along with the practice of

perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, has enjoyed a renaissance in numerous

dioceses throughout the United States.  From Grand Rapids to El Paso, from Hartford to

San Diego, American Catholics are signing up to do their weekly hour of adoration

including the “wee hours” of the morning.  This prayerful phenomenon raises several

questions.  What accounts for the resurgence of this religious devotion?  What kind of

catechesis presently informs its re-inauguration and  practice?  How well grounded,

theologically and liturgically, is the ecclesial understanding of exposition and adoration

in U.S. parishes?

 

The Exposition Explosion – Why now?

            It is no secret that many Curia officials during the pontificate of the late

John Paul II had serious concerns regarding abuses and flawed interpretations of the

liturgical changes and directives ushered into the Church in the wake of the Second

Vatican council.  Among these, and high on the list, were a lack of reverence for the

reserved Sacrament, and even more seriously, a loss of understanding concerning the

Church’s teaching on the Real Presence among Catholic populations in general.  To

counter these disturbing trends, the Hierarchy, as well as leaders from influential church

movements such as Focolari, the Neo-Catechumenate, Opus Dei, and the Catholic

Charismatic Renewal, were encouraged by the Vatican to reinstate and promote eucha-

ristic adoration.  A new religious Congregation, the Missionaries of the Blessed

Sacrament, was approbated by the Holy See and entrusted with the mission of

establishing perpetual adoration in parishes throughout the world.  Both Mother Teresa

and Mother Angelica, two recent founders of religious congregations, prescribed

daily adoration as a constitutive element of their Rules.  Here in the States, the

Franciscan College of Steubenville, Ohio encourages its student body to pray before the

Blessed Sacrament.  Finally, the personal witness of Pope John Paul II, a frequent, if not

daily adorer, provided a powerful impetus to the revival of Adoration.

Liturgical and Catechetical Concerns

            The fact that thousands of American Catholics are enrolled in parochial adoration

programs is most certainly a great blessing for the Church in America.  The challenge

that confronts leaders, however, is to ensure that adorers are well informed about the

intimate connection that exists between the celebration of the Eucharist and its worship

outside of Mass.  Having traveled extensively throughout the country as a promoter of

eucharistic evangelizing programs for adults, there exists several “irregularities”

surrounding the practice of Adoration/Exposition that betray a lack of understanding

regarding its theological and ecclesial meaning and purpose.  The following observed

situations are in need of catechetical attention.

            Adoration chapels are not the Catholic equivalent of Christian Science reading

rooms.  Recently, while praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, all six of my

co-adorers spent the greater part of their hour engaged in spiritual reading.  The young

man seated next to me was finishing up a chapter of The Purpose Driven Life.  Often,

even though motivated by the best of intentions, adoration recruiters are more focused

on assuring that each hour “will be covered” then with instructing the laity on methods

of prayer that are appropriate to eucharistic contemplation.

            Worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass is an ecclesial work (i.e. liturgy) and

not a personal, private devotion.  While there is, undeniably, an intrapersonal benefit and

solace to adoration, its ecclesial context is relational and communal.  When

eucharistic adoration is disassociated from the Eucharistic Sacrifice it falls prey to

superstition and most regrettably to idolatry.  Eucharistic Worship in all its forms

remains an ecclesial proclamation of the death of the Lord until He comes (1Cor 11: ) and

an entrustment to the Church  “of the pledge of His love” (Eucharistic Prayer IV).

            The preferred way of making Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is in the

Church sanctuary and on the main altar, as the altar, itself, is a consecrated symbol of the

Risen Lord.  This manner of Exposition strengthens and safeguards the Church’s belief

that eucharistic adoration is not an end in itself, but rather, a prolongation and savoring of

our encounter with Christ in Word and Sacramental communion that serves to deepen our

incorporation into the body of Christ and the communion of Saints as it heightens our

anticipation to participate in future celebrations of the Eucharist.  Some adoration

chapels place the Blessed Sacrament on a platform or throne above the tabernacle.  This

manner of Exposition runs the risk of separating the Blessed Sacrament from its rightful

place on the eucharistic table.  It has also led to the bizarre practice of two different

tabernacles of reservation often in visible proximity of one another.

 

Theological Foundations for Eucharistic Adoration

            The starting point for all Catholic sacramental worship is the fullness of the Christ

Mystery (i.e. Creation, Incarnation, Redemption, and the working of the Holy Spirit in 

the life of the Church), and especially, the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord. 

Whether it is the eucharistic celebration, the other sacraments, eucharistic adoration or

the Liturgy of the Hours, all ecclesial prayer is a participation and insertion into the

Paschal Mystery.

St. Paul’s depth perception of this truth is echoed repeatedly throughout his

letters.   He tells us that we carry the death of the Lord in our own bodies.  He proclaims

that he considers all else as garbage except for the privilege of knowing the power of

Christ’s resurrection.  Whether in life or death, Paul assures us that, we are the

Lord’s. Even though we are many members, he insists, that we all form one body.

            In eucharistic adoration, the Paschal Mystery is imprinted into our consciousness

and consciences.  The Blessed Sacrament is not an idol or object in front of which we

barter for favors and curry blessings, but a sacred icon that engulfs us into our future with 

God and plunges us evermore deeply into communion within the Body of Christ.  Our

adoration of Christ adds nothing to His greatness, but rather fosters the emergence of His

greatness and  power in us, His body.  “It is no longer I who live, but Christ Jesus who

lives in me.”  “The Lord has done great things for me, blessed be the Lord.”

            Eucharistic adoration is relational, dialogic, and testimonial.  Prayer, for the

Baptized, is always about relationship – our relationship with God in the Christ-Spirit,

and our relationship to one another as Christ’s body, the Church.  As children, learning

our prayers, celebrating the sacraments of Eucharist and Penance, and attending religious

instruction acquaints us to the saving love of Christ and the gifts of His Spirit.  As we

become teenagers and young adults, the faith that we handed on from family and teachers

is either affirmed, temporarily set aside, or rejected.  Cooperating with God’s grace

transitions us from mere acquaintance of the Lord to friendship with Christ and His body.

In other words, we move from creedal acceptance to affective bonding, from knowing

about Christ, to experiencing Him.  As we mature into adulthood, prayer – the intentional

giving of our attention to God – deepens our friendship and enables us to converse heart

to heart with the Lord.  At this juncture of faith development, our prayer is both relational

and dialogic.  Friends spend time together and best friends become vulnerable with one

another by entrusting to each other’s confidence the deep truths of life that are discerned

and discovered on our journey to the Kingdom.  When this process is nurtured and

sustained by prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, we arrive at the

culminating phase of our relationship with God in Christ Jesus.  The gift of intimate

communion with Christ and his disciples is woven into the fabric of our existence and our

daily living becomes an evangelical witness to what God has and is accomplishing in us. 

Once again, we make our own the words of Our Lady: “The Lord has done great things

for me.”

            The movement from acquaintance, to friendship, and finally to intimacy needs

our cooperation, but let’s not deceive ourselves, the One who accomplishes this in us is

God.  Our desire to adore Christ is itself His gift to us.  We can yearn for divine union,

but only God grants it.  Our intimate communion with Christ and our fellow pilgrims is a

a testimonial of love and this love is manifested in the world through the witness of our

lives.

 

Conclusion

            That eucharistic adoration is enjoying a rebirth in dioceses throughout the country

is cause for rejoicing indeed.  Prayer, like golf, is always good even when the scorecard

is not.  Nevertheless, without proper catechesis and the safeguarding of the theological

and liturgical underpinnings that ground adoration/exposition in our sacramental tradition,

we may land in a bunker of devotional blindness and be sand-trapped in an arrestment of

our faith development.

            Eucharistic adoration must be firmly anchored in a spirituality of the Paschal

Mystery.  Methods of affective and silent prayer must be imparted to adorers.  The con-

templative dimension of the gospel (i.e. the interiorization of the Word of God that is

proclaimed within the eucharistic assembly) must inform and accompany our

Para liturgical worship of the Eucharist.  The indissoluble link between the Mass and

Adoration/Exposition must never be dismissed for whatever reasons, including safety

concerns or mere convenience.  Finally, the stages of relationship that undergird our

spiritual maturation  must be taught and shared in order to help us all arrive at an intimate

communion in the body of Christ.

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Robert P. Rousseau, SSS is a religious educator, composer, and author who specializes in the creation of catechetical programs in eucharistic theology and spirituality for adults.  He is the originator of the Life in the Eucharist seminars and the founder of the Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing in Houston, Texas.  He is currently writing the final chapters of a new book to be entitled, The New Evangelization: What Is It?

©2006 Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament , (440) 449-2103, email: [email protected]