Eucharistic Adoration
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What is Adoration?
Adoration of the Eucharist goes back to the earliest days of the Church when the Most Blessed Sacrament was reserved for those who were sick. Since they could not receive Holy Communion at the sacrifice of The Mass, the Eucharist began to be placed in an object called a pyx, often suspended above the altar and in the shape of a dove. A lamp burned next to it to signify that The Lord Jesus is truly present, His body, blood, soul, and divinity in the eucharistic species.
As this practice grew, the practice of remaining in the presence of the reserved Eucharist began to take on a devotional character. In much the same way the Apostles were urged to keep watch with The Lord before going to his crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christians have made visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Now held in a tabernacle, which is a larger vessel affixed to an altar or other immovable object in the church, Our Lord waits for you to visit Him in any church where the little red lamp burns.
Over the centuries, Eucharistic Devotion blossomed into the form we know today in processions and most especially in chapels set aside specifically for Eucharistic Adoration. The Blessed Sacrament is often held within the monstrance, an object to show (or in Latin "de monstrare" where we get the word "demonstrate") the Eucharist. The monstrance is often ornate, shaped in the form of a cross and arrayed like a sunburst to remind us that Christ comes from the east – the rising of the sun – to bring us to The Father.
St. Mary's has been priveleged to have a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel since 1992, when it was innaugurated by (then) Bishop Alfred C. Hughes. He desired that each corner of the diocese have such a chapel to foster deep devotion to The Most Blessed Sacrament. Over the years, many have come to keep vigil with The Lord in times of joy, of sorrow, of confusion, and to discern the path God desires for life. Jesus is calling you as well. Go to visit Him and simply let Him be with you! -
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