www.byzcath.org

Alex,

I don't think it particularly belongs in our parish churches (altho' I'm about to leave for "lunch" which means going to a nearby RC church with a lovely Eucharistic chapel & letting the Lord do chemo on my soul for half an hour or so) but absolutely agreed, there's nuthin' wrong with it.

I've attended the "adoration" service at Uniontown once or twice. It's got some really cool melodies, but frankly I feel more comfortable as an Easterner doin' my time (outside of Liturgy) with the Blessed Sacrament in Latin churches. Mebbe I'm strange.


Sharon

Dear Mother Sharon,

Yes, there are different ways one can do Eucharistic Adoration.

One need not have a Monstrance et al.

One may only pray before the Altar.

Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky once commented that when people entered Church they would pray before all sorts of icons when our Lord Himself is on the Altar . . .

Do you think he was Latinized?

Alex

ISTM that this is another reason taking Communion in the hands should be [re]banned.

St. Michael the Holy Archangel, Protector of the Church and the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.

Logos Teen

Following this logic, Communion on the tongue should be banned too, because prior to the time Communion in the hand was permitted, there were still these sorts of abuses reported. Funny, these things have always been rumored about and innocent Jews were murdered in the middle ages because they supposedly tortured the Host and made it bleed.

"St." Hugh of Lincoln pray for us.

Moe - I don't doubt that the Jews were innocent of the accusations. Wondering, though (given my lack of knowledge of the period ) - were such cases murders or (wrongful) state executions?

Dear Logos Teen:
Please note that in my July 18th post I related that the man who commited sacrilege against the Blessed Sacrament by nailing the Sacred Species to a wall to demonstrate that this "God of the Catholics" does not bleed, obtained the hosts from people who received on the tongue. He actually paid people to receive Communion and to immediately bring the received Species to him. Changing the method of receiving Communion will NOT change the fact that sacrilege has happened in the past and will continue in the future. Our lives must be ones of prayer and reparation. Among the words of the Lord that move me the most are those He spoke to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque: "Behold the Heart which loves mankind very much yet receives so little love in return". To me, that is a mandate to make my life a life of love, total love for Jesus, and, yes,for Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. How do I receive Him? Do I believe that I am receiving Fire? How reverent am I? Does my life reflect the total giving, the kenosis, of Jesus? Do I try to instill reverence and adoration in others? Am I casual in my approach to the Sacred? Is reception of the Sacraments a matter of routine? Do I become like the One I kneel before? I must allow the celebration of the Divine Mysteries and the reception of the Lord to completely transform my life; otherwise I am a hypocrite. Remember the counsel of one of the Desert Fathers to a spiritual son: "If you want to, you can become totally Fire!"
Silouan, her monk

Dear Father Silouan,

Your post was very edifying. Thank you. Indeed, we all need to concentrate on always making our own spiritual and sacramental lives the most reverend, holy and respectful that we can.

Asking your blessing,
and for your prayers,
Humbly in our Lord,
Alice

Yesterday's Boston Herald reported that someone tried to break into the tabernacle of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (the largest in the city). The police believe that the thieves were in fact attempting to steal the consecrated hosts which are kept in the tabernacle. The thieves were unsuccessful and instead it would appear that they stole a crucifix estimated at about $750.