Frequently Asked Questions Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (& Eucharistic Adoration) Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. In the many Churches that have this adoration, the Eucharist is displayed in a special holder called a monstrance, and people come to pray and worship Jesus continually throughout the time offered. Christ’s great love for us was shown when he was crucified on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and give us eternal life. He loves us without limit, and offers Himself to us in the Holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Can we not give Jesus a few minutes of love and adoration in return? St. Joseph Parish Community provides parishioners and friends the ability to spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at designated times.
The exposition of the Eucharist in a monstrance offers adorers a special way to pray and reflect in His presence in a quiet, peaceful, and appropriate setting. Location: Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the Main Church * unless otherwise noted in the bulletin and similar communication instruments. What Pope John Paul II Himself Says About Eucharistic Adoration. This is an aspect of the Eucharist which merits greater attention: in celebrating the sacrifice of the Lamb, we are united to the heavenly “liturgy” and become part of that great multitude which cries out: “Salvation to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:10). The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing on earth. It is a glorious ray of the heavenly Jerusalem which pierces the clouds of our history and lights up our journey . . . and plants a seed of living hope in our daily commitment to the work before us. . . Let us take our place, dear brothers and sisters, at the school of the saints, who are the great interpreters of true Eucharistic piety. In them the theology of the Eucharist takes on all the splendor of a lived reality: it becomes “contagious” and, in a manner of speaking, it “warms our hearts”. Above all, let us listen to Mary Most Holy, in whom the mystery of the Eucharist appears, more than in anyone else, as a mystery of light. Gazing upon Mary, we come to know the transforming power present in the Eucharist. In her we see the world renewed in love. Ecclesia de Eucharista (17 April, Holy Thursday, 2003
Q. How does exposition differ from adoration? A. You don’t need to be concerned if it is referred to as Eucharistic Adoration or simply Adoration, as many people have become accustomed to those terms. However, the true definition of Eucharistic adoration is prayer before the Blessed Sacrament when it is housed within the tabernacle. Eucharistic exposition is the ritual by which the Blessed Sacrament is displayed outside the tabernacle in a monstrance or ciborium for public veneration by the faithful. Since we provide for the display of the Eucharist, it is actually Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament that we are offering at St. Joseph’s. Q. Why did we choose to offer Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? A. People report experiencing a greater sense of intimacy with Jesus and attentiveness of mind and heart to prayer when they are able to actually “see” our Eucharistic Lord. Moreover, according to Church regulations exposing the Blessed Sacrament for a period of time requires the presence of a sufficient number of people to be there and therefore fosters the commitment needed to establish and sustain a meaningful parish Eucharistic adoration program. But the best reason for having exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is simply that God wills it. During His Eucharistic discourse, Jesus made this unmistakably clear: “Indeed, this is the will of My Heavenly Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son, and believes in Him, shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day” (John 6:40). Q. How many people need to be present? A. It is preferred that at least 2 people are present during hours of exposition. However, as long as one person is present at all times, we are meeting minimum requirements. Q. Who can prepare the chapel for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? A. A priest, deacon, or Eucharistic Minister may be the only people who can prepare the Eucharist for exposition. If none of these people are available, adorers can still go to the chapel during designated hours, however, the Eucharist will remain sealed in the tabernacle. Q. How old do you need to be to be an adorer? A. There is no official age limit. However, it is suggested that the evening hour adoration be reserved to high school age and above. We are working on establishing a separate program of adoration for the youth of the parish. Q. Who is responsible for organizing the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament? A. Several parishioners help to coordinate the activities needed to ensure that each session is managed properly. We have decided to ask one Eucharistic Minister (or priest or deacon) to be present during each of the available hours of adoration. This will guarantee that we will have the necessary coverage for each available hour of adoration. Q. Do I need to know any special prayers or know how to sing? A. No. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Joseph’s is intended to be silent prayer at the discretion of each adorer. We are required to open the evening with a prayer and close the evening with a prayer. If you are attending during the first or last hour, there will be a short prayer which you are invited to recite along with the Eucharistic Minister. Q. Can I stay longer than an hour? A. Adorers are invited to spend any amount of time with the Lord. Spend as long as you wish in His Presence. Many adoration programs provide sign up sheets that start and stop on the hour. For this reason adoration resource material sometimes discusses the concept of “Spending an Hour with The Lord” . For scheduling purposes, we also use the concept of hours. However, there is no obligation to arrive at the start of any particular hour or to limit the time spent in adoration to only an hour. Q. Will adoration be available year round? A. As long as there are no conflicts with masses or other liturgical events, the Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament will be provided at the scheduled times. Exposition of the Eucharist is not permitted during any mass or between Holy Thursday and Easter. During these times the chapel can still be used for adoration of the Eucharist that is not on public display. Q. Why should I go? What can I get out of it? A. Besides providing a way to transition from a hectic week or giving yourself a chance to just take some time for yourself, sitting in His Presence offers far-reaching effects. The power of prayer and reflection offers unlimited benefits to the community and those who are served by our parish family. If you would like to read more about the history and power of Eucharistic Adoration, visit this site as well as other links that are available: http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/history.htm Q. Why should I give up my time? A. Why not? It is an hour or so of your time a couple of times a month. When you think about what you do on a Friday evening, chances are that you will be able to find a way to spend an hour with Jesus before or after your other obligations, recreation, or commitments. Q. Why now? A. Our community should come together in prayer. There is no better time than now to offer such a special way to pray.
What is Adoration? Eucharistic Adoration is a posture of love, the placing of oneself in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, whether reposed inside the tabernacle, or exposed inside a special stand called a monstrance. Eucharistic Adoration (Adoration) is a time dedicated to personal prayer and reflection in the Presence of Jesus Christ. Generally, when a parish or organization holds a specific time of Adoration they are referring to a time where the Blessed Sacrament is visible in the monstrance for the people to pray before. Adoration is available to all parishioners. What are my obligations and requirements if I attend? There are no required prayers, readings, or other participatory events that take place during adoration. Adorers sit and pray in silence using whatever prayers or material they bring with them. There are no pre-registration or other obligations. Why should I consider attending Adoration? People come to Eucharistic Adoration with a variety of motives and methods of prayer. Some people come who are suffering in some way, who are experiencing turmoil in their lives and who seek refuge in the love of Jesus. Others come to give praise and thanksgiving to God for His grace working in their life. Still others come to simply sit or kneel in His presence, to find a moment of peace with God in the midst of a busy life. What should I bring with me? Some people bring the Bible or a spiritual book to read (most Adoration chapels also have books available there for you to read), others pray the Rosary or the Divine Mercy chaplet, to help them focus their minds and hearts on the mystery of our salvation by Jesus Christ. In Adoration, you are invited to come as you are, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey - Jesus is there to meet you where you are at, and to show you His love and mercy in a new and special way, a way just for you! How long is Adoration? The chapel is available for adorers to sit in Adoration between the hours of 7PM and 12AM on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month (unless otherwise noted). While there is no rule, adorers tend to stay for about an hour during these times. Most times adorers arrive at the top of an hour and stay until the start of the following hour. Again, you can show up whenever you want and stay as long as you want. There is no registration and no commitment ahead of time. What is the obligation of Eucharistic Ministers during Adoration? Since the Eucharist is exposed in the monstrance it is required that at least one Eucharistic Minister (EM) be present during all the hours of Adoration. This is to help prepare the chapel at the start of Adoration and to close the chapel at the conclusion. Also, these individuals are able to act in the event the Eucharist needs to be returned to the tabernacle before the conclusion of the evening of Adoration. Only those EMs who wish to be assigned to a particular hour of Adoration for these coverage purposes need to sign up for their hour of Adoration in advance. All other EMs can attend any hour of Adoration without having to sign up in advance.
I adore you, O Jesus, God of Love, truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I adore you Who has come to Your Own but were not received by them. I adore you, Whom the majority of mankind rejected and despised. I adore you, Whom the impious incessantly are offend by their sacrileges and blasphemies. I adore you, Who are grieved by the coldness and indifference of a vast number of Christians. I adore you, O Infinite Goodness, Who has wrought so many miracles, in order to reveal Your love to us. I adore you, with all the angels and saints, and with those chosen souls that are now already the blessed of Your Father and are all aglow with burning love for you. I adore you with all Your friends, O Jesus! With them I prostrate myself at the foot of the Altar, to offer you my most profound homage, to receive Your Divine Inspiration, and to implore Your grace. Oh, how good it is for me to be here with you! How sweet to hear the Voice of my Beloved! O Victim of Divine Love! A piercing cry breaks forth from Your Heart here on the Altar, as it once did on Calvary; it is the cry of Love; "I thirst," You call to You children, "I thirst for your love! Come all, whom I love as My Father has loved Me; come and quench the thirst that consumes Me! Lord Jesus, behold I come. My heart is small, but it is all Yours. You are a prisoner in our Tabernacles, You the Lord of Lords! And love it is, that holds you here as such! You leave the Tabernacle only to come to us, to unite Yourself with the faithful soul and allow Your Divine Love to reign within. O King of Love! Come, live and reign in me. I want no other law but the law of Your Love! No, no, I henceforth desire to know nothing, neither of this world nor of what is in it, nor of myself; Your Love alone shall rule in me eternally. O Jesus, grant me this grace! Break all my fetters, strip me of all that is not of Yourself, in order that Your Love may be my life here below, and my happiness and delight in eternity, Amen. Decree of S. Congregation of indulgences, May 30th, 1908. |
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