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The Holy Eucharist
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Dec 31, 2007

The Holy Eucharist

By The Editors

The Holy Eucharist

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Adoremus, Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy

The Holy Eucharist

Resources for
Adoration – Benediction – Devotions – Doctrine – Study

"Adoration means entering the depths of our hearts in communion with the Lord, who makes Himself bodily present in the Eucharist.
In the monstrance,
He always entrusts Himself to us and asks us to be united with His Presence, with his risen Body."

­ Pope Benedict XVI
Address to Roman Clergy – March 2, 2006

The Holy Eucharist is the "source and summit" [fons et culmen] of the life and mission of the Church. This section of the Adoremus web site provides resources for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, meditations, prayers and music centered on the Holy Eucharist, as well as recommended resources for study.
Links are provided on this main page to sections on the various topics for convenience in accessing these resources.

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy excerpt:

Eucharistic Adoration

164. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a form of Eucharistic cult which is particularly widespread in the Church and earnestly recommended to her Pastors and faithful. Its initial form derives from Holy Thursday and the altar of repose, following the celebration of the Coena Domini Mass. This adoration is a most apt way of expressing the connection between the celebration of the memorial of the Lord’s Sacrifice and his continued presence in the Sacrament of the Altar. The reservation of the Sacred Species, so as to be able to administer Viaticum to the sick at any time, encouraged the practice among the faithful of recollection before the tabernacle and to worship Christ present in the Sacrament(175).

Indeed, this worship of adoration has a sound and firm foundation," [109] especially since faith in the Lord’s real presence has as its natural consequence the outward and public manifestation of that belief. Therefore, the devotion prompting the faithful to visit the blessed sacrament draws them into an ever deeper share in the paschal mystery and leads them to respond gratefully to the gift of him who through his humanity constantly pours divine life into the members of his Body. [110] Abiding with Christ the Lord, they enjoy his intimate friendship and pour out their hearts before him for themselves and for those dear to them and they pray for the peace and salvation of the world. Offering their entire lives with Christ to the Father in the Holy Spirit, they derive from this sublime colloquy an increase of faith, hope, and charity. Thus they foster those right dispositions that enable them with due devotion to celebrate the memorial of the Lord and receive frequently the bread given us by the Father.(176)

165. In adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which can take different forms, several elements deriving from the Liturgy and from popular piety come together and it is not always easy to determine their limits(177):

* a simple visit to the Blessed Sacrament: a brief encounter with Christ inspired by faith in the real presence and characterized by silent prayer;

* adoration of the Blessed Sacrament exposed for a period of time in a monstrance or pyx in accordance with liturgical norm(178);

*perpetual adoration or the Quarantore, involving an entire religious community, or Eucharistic association, or parish, which is usually an occasion for various expressions of Eucharistic piety(179).

The faithful should be encouraged to read the Scriptures during these periods of adoration, since they afford an unrivalled source of prayer. Suitable hymns and canticles based on those of the Liturgy of the Hours and the liturgical seasons could also be encouraged, as well as periods of silent prayer and reflection. Gradually, the faithful should be encouraged not to do other devotional exercises during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament(180). Given the close relationship between Christ and Our Lady, the rosary can always be of assistance in giving prayer a Christological orientation, since it contains meditation of the Incarnation and the Redemption(181).

Links to other sites

Vatican

Women for Faith & Family — Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

USCCB: Resources for the Eucharist

The Holy Eucharist Booklets

We offer two printing formats for this booklet, which you may feel free to print for personal, small group, or parish use. For all other uses, please contact us.

The first option is a one-page format, which is designed to fit on US letter-size paper for ease of printing.

Eucharistic Adoration single pages

The second option includes two files a booklet cover and interior. This option is designed to fit on 8”x”11 paper in half-fold booklet format. You may need to adjust your print settings for this to fit on the page properly; we had success using the “Actual size” printing option from Adobe Acrobat reader.

Eucharistic Adoration cover
Eucharistic Adoration booklet interior

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The Editors

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