Two sections of “red” on the adoration part of Eucharistic worship. This is usually where people come in, after the exposition and sometimes just before the Benediction. Our parish does this once a month, but we don’t provide the “direction of attention” mentioned here:
95. During the exposition there should be prayers, songs, and readings to direct the attention of the faithful to the worship of Christ the Lord.
When Bishop Finn came for last year’s Eucharistic adoration and procession, his office requested readings during the ninety minutes of prayer. We were given John 6 in pieces and asked to find six or so lectors to assist in the focus of the prayer.
To encourage a prayerful spirit, there should be readings from scripture with a homily or brief exhortations to develop a better understanding of the eucharistic mystery. It is also desirable for the people to respond to the word of God by singing and to spend some periods of time in religious silence.
Few places I know utilize singing in the middle. I have no pre-conciliar experience with it, and nobody seems to be insisting we add it. One can pray the liturgy of the hours however:
96. Part of the liturgy of the hours, especially the principal hours, may be celebrated before the blessed sacrament when there is a lengthy” period of exposition. This liturgy extends the praise and thanksgiving offered to God in the eucharistic celebration to the several hours of the day; it directs the prayers of the Church to Christ and through him to the Father in the name of the whole world.
Any thoughts, experiences, or insights?
4 May 2008 at 7:57 am
I was told that scripture readings, prayers,reflections, songs during adoration should somehow connect or bring our thoughts back to the previous Sunday Eucharist. This makes sense to me if adoration is to be a community prayer and not only private devotion.
4 May 2008 at 8:20 pm
My parish has Holy Hour the evening before First Fridays — Exposition, Adoration, Vespers and Benediction. This month was the first time I’d ever been and I enjoyed it — especially the long (5 mins, or so) silence after each psalm and canticle. We don’t usually get that kind of silence at mass. It was a wonderful service.
5 May 2008 at 2:26 pm
In my experience English-speaking communities tend to favor all-silence, Spanish-speaking tend to favor song-and-silence. I’ve heard Scripture passages at both.