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BY ERIKA ANDERSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--Pope Paul VI said “to visit the Blessed Sacrament is ... a
proof of gratitude, an expression of love and a duty of adoration toward Christ
our Lord.”
The Catholic Church allows the faithful to worship Christ in a unique way
through exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a prayer service which provides
time for adoration of the Lord and closes with Benediction.
Msgr. Louis Naughton, judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal, said that
exposition, adoration and Benediction are “tied together.”
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Msgr. Naughton said, is the exposition
of “our Lord under the appearance of bread, usually in a monstrance.”
Exposition gives the opportunity for adoration, or worship, of the
“fullest form of the Lord’s presence,” he said.
A priest, deacon or eucharistic minister may remove the Eucharist from the
tabernacle, where it is placed in the lunette of a monstrance and put on the
altar for all to adore.
A time of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament usually begins with Scripture
readings and prayers, followed by a period for silent adoration. Eucharistic
hymns such as “O Salutaris Hostia” or “Tantum Ergo” are
included. The priest then completes the service with Benediction. During
Benediction, the priest wears a vestment called a humeral veil around his
shoulders and covering his hands. He traces the sign of the cross with the
monstrance over the congregation, giving them a blessing. The custom of wearing
the humeral veil is an act of reverence whereby the priest does not touch a
holy object directly.
While many parishes schedule specific times for exposition, those wishing to
spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament at any time may visit one
of three perpetual adoration chapels in the archdiocese. The Cathedral of
Christ the King, Atlanta, Transfiguration Church, Marietta, and Corpus Christi
Church, Stone Mountain, provide small chapels where the Eucharist is exposed 24
hours a day. Because the Blessed Sacrament is perpetually exposed, there is no
specific prayer service or Benediction involved, only opportunity for silent
adoration.
Eucharistic devotion outside of Mass developed and grew during the Middle
Ages when there was a strong desire by the faithful to view the consecrated
host.
Msgr. Naughton said that adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a way to
strengthen our relationship with God.
“It makes us more fully aware of God’s love for us and his real
presence in the Eucharist,” Msgr. Naughton said. “It also enhances
our prayer life.”
Father Mark Lacey, chancellor of the archdiocese, said that exposition,
adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are ways to have eucharistic
worship outside of Mass, but that Mass is the “ultimate and most profound
way to experience the Eucharist.”
Father Lacey also said that eucharistic worship outside of the context of
Mass helps Catholics to better understand the meaning of Christ’s presence
in the Eucharist, which should be the focus of their lives.
“The more time we spend in prayer, the more it strengthens our
relationship and our understanding of the Eucharist and its central meaning in
our lives,” he said.
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