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By Suzanne Haugh, Special To The Bulletin
ATLANTA-Since early church history, reserving the Eucharist, and praying
in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, has been intimately connected
with the Mass. "It's very important to place (eucharistic adoration) in
the context of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which is the church's celebration
of the paschal event that recalls the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus, the total offering of his life to the Father," said Father Norman
Pelletier, SSS, former superior general of the Congregation of the Blessed
Sacrament. Now editor of Emmanuel magazine, Father Pelletier called the
Eucharist a "celebration of mystery." Adoration calls many people to a
more intimate experience of this form of prayer's point of origin, the
Mass. "Because (the Eucharist) is so rich, it becomes so elusive at times.
Adoration is an extension of this celebration in prayer because what people
do in adoration is pray before the sacrament. What emerges came from the
celebration of the Eucharist. You must always make that connection." Eucharistic
adoration developed from the early church practice of reserving the consecrated
host and bringing it to the sick or carrying it home because the community
had Mass only once a week, Father Pelletier said. "They believed all the
while in the real presence of Christ." Eucharistic adoration can enhance
the experience people have of the presence of Christ at Mass, he said,
by extending silent reflection and, for those not able to receive, by
providing a setting for spiritual communion. "(Sometimes) there is little
time to reflect or contemplate the mystery that has occurred (at Mass)
and adoration provides this kind of opportunity," he said. "(Also) because
of people's situations, not everyone feels they can approach the altar
to receive the sacrament. With adoration, they can receive it spiritually.
They have an opportunity to enter into the presence of God that cannot
be done sacramentally." Eucharistic adoration is also one way to contemplate
the inexhaustible depths of Christ's existence, the priest said. "There
are different ways to approach the mystery of Christ. You can focus on
his Passion, focus on a certain sacrament-all are encounters with Christ."
There is a difference between adoration and exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, he pointed out. "Some confuse or fuse (exposition) with adoration."
Exposition is a liturgical rite that "focuses powerfully on the sacrament
of the Eucharist," he explained. The consecrated host is centered on the
altar to show its relationship to the Mass. Specific guidelines for the
rite include singing hymns, sharing readings from Scripture, contemplative
time and a blessing or Benediction. The rite has a specific beginning
and end. The church usually allows for extended or perpetual exposition
if it is the tradition of a religious order or is approved by the local
bishop, who must assure that people are always present before the exposed
Blessed Sacrament. It is also possible to have adoration while the Eucharist
is reserved in a tabernacle. "Perpetual adoration can be before the tabernacle,"
Father Pelletier added. "People can pray before the Blessed Sacrament
without exposition. Our faith is in the real presence of Christ, whether
it is behind glass or in the tabernacle." To further deepen one's understanding
of the Eucharist, Father Pelletier spoke of "Life in the Eucharist" seminars
offered in this archdiocese and nationally. This "catechetical tool" explores
the fruits of the Eucharist, such as God's love as nourishment, reconciliation
and transformation, and integrates people's understanding of it with parish
life, he explained. Many come away from the seminar with greater insights
about the sacrament, often with a greater appreciation for the social
justice dimension of the Eucharist. Without this study, adult understanding
can be stunted. "For other people maybe their only dimension is 'Jesus
and I.' They're only exposed to that and they do not have the expanded
understanding of the Eucharist," he said. His vision of the church is
of a eucharistic people, "a church that is constantly aware of the wonders
of God and then praises God for this."
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