Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
Encyclopedia
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, where Catholics believe Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is sacramentally present. Although usually associated with Roman Catholics, this devotion also occurs amongst Anglicans, usually high-church.
According to John Paul II, "the visit to the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
is a great treasure of the Catholic faith." It is "the fountainhead of all devotional works," said St. Pius X. In 1965, Pope Paul VI issued the Encyclical Mysterium Fidei
Mysterium Fidei (Encyclical)
Mysterium Fidei is an encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the Eucharist, published in September 1965.Mysterium Fidei was issued just as the closing session of the Second Vatican Council was beginning. Written in a stern and troubled tone, its purpose was to counter certain theological movements...
whereby he urged daily Mass and communion and said that "In the course of the day the faithful should not omit to visit the Blessed Sacrament."
To emphasize the importance of this practice, a Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
, St. Alphonsus Liguori
Alphonsus Liguori
Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori was an Italian Catholic bishop, spiritual writer, scholastic philosopher and theologian, and founder of the Redemptorists, an influential religious congregation...
, wrote a book on Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and he explained that a visit to the Blessed Sacrament is the "practice of loving Jesus Christ", since friends who love each other visit regularly.
Nature
According to Catholic doctrine, the Blessed Sacrament, which appears to be bread, is in reality the resurrected, living Christ, having been transubstantiatedTransubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
during Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
at the consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
. Although most of the hosts are received by the faithful at Holy Communion, certain are left over and at the end of Mass are placed in the tabernacle
Church tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
. This means that at all times Christ — His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity — is really sacramentally present in any Catholic church in its tabernacle.
The Catholic practice of visiting the Blessed Sacrament consists of going into a church when no Mass or other service is taking place and spending some quiet time talking and praying to Christ who, according to Catholic teaching, is truly present in the tabernacle.
Importance
"After the Holy Sacrifice of the MassMass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, one of the greatest ways to show devotion to our Blessed Lord is to adore Him in His True Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament," said the Catholic library. Thus, another Catholic author recommended: "Think of a visit to the Blessed Sacrament as coming to see your best friend."
Don Bosco has many times encouraged visiting the Blessed Sacrament. "The Visit to the Blessed Sacrament," he once said, "is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil. Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and the devil will not come out victorious against you." “Do you want many graces? Go and visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you want few graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament rarely. Do you want none at all? Then never pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.”
History of the practice
At about the end of the 12th century, praying in front of the Blessed SacramentBlessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
started to become more common.
By the beginning of the 14th century, the English mystic Richard Rolle of Hampole, exhorts Christians to visit the church in preference to praying in their own houses. He says: "In the church is most devotion to pray, for there is God upon the altar to hear those that pray to Him and to grant them what they ask and what is best for them" ("Works", ed. Horstman, I, 145).
In 1745, one of the greatest advocates of this practice, St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote his book for novices Visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Teachings of the Popes
In the middle of the Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, on September 3, 1965, a few days before opening the fourth session, Pope Paul VI issued the Encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
Mysterium Fidei
Mysterium Fidei (Encyclical)
Mysterium Fidei is an encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the Eucharist, published in September 1965.Mysterium Fidei was issued just as the closing session of the Second Vatican Council was beginning. Written in a stern and troubled tone, its purpose was to counter certain theological movements...
whereby he urged daily Mass and communion and said that "In the course of the day the faithful should not omit to visit the Blessed Sacrament, which according to the liturgical laws must be kept in the churches with great reverence in a most honorable location. Such visits are a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, an acknowledgment of the Lord's presence." "The daily adoration or visit to the Blessed Sacrament is the practice which is the fountainhead of all devotional works," St. Pius X used to say.
One of the many rules of Pope John XXIII in his youth was this: "Visit the Blessed Sacrament of some church at least once a day.”
According to John Paul II, "The visit to the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
is a great treasure of the Catholic faith. It nourishes social love and gives us opportunities for adoration and thanksgiving, for reparation and supplication." John Paul II also said in Dominici Coena that “Every member of the Church must be vigilant in seeing that this sacrament of love shall be at the center of the life of the people of God so that through all manifestations of worship due to it, Christ shall be given back ‘love for love,’ and truly become the life of our souls.” "I encourage Christians regularly to visit Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament, for we are all called to abide in the presence of God."
Sacramentum Caritatis
Sacramentum Caritatis is the first post-synodal apostolic exhortation by Pope Benedict XVI. It was signed February 22, 2007.The document expounded on the sacrament of the Eucharist...
, Pope Benedict XVI said: "I heartily recommend to the Church's pastors and to the People of God the practice of eucharistic adoration, both individually and in community."
Examples of prayers to the Blessed Sacrament
The Handbook of Prayer by Fr. Charles Belmonte said that a simple way of doing the visit to the Blessed Sacrament is to pray 3 Our Fathers, 3 Hail Marys and 3 Glory Bes, and ended with a Spiritual Communion, as for example, "I wish, Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility and devotion, with which Your Most Holy Mother received You, with the spirit and fervor of the saints."Through the centuries, saints have also composed prayers for making visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Short Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
By Blessed John Henry Newman
- I place myself in the presence of Him, in whose Incarnate Presence I am before I place myself there.
- I adore You, O my Savior, present here as God and Man, in Soul and Body, in true Flesh and Blood.
- I acknowledge and confess that I kneel before the Sacred Humanity, which was conceived in Mary’s womb, and lay in Mary’s bosom; which grew up to man’s estate, and by the Sea of Galilee called the Twelve, wrought miracles, and spoke words of wisdom and peace; which in due season hung on the cross, lay in the tomb, rose from the dead, and now reigns in heaven.
- I praise and bless, and give myself wholly to Him, Who is the true Bread of my soul, and my everlasting joy.
Before the Blessed Sacrament
Prayer from the Fátima Children
- O most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of sinners.
See also
- Morning OfferingMorning offeringIn Roman Catholicism, the Morning Offering is a prayer said by an individual at the start of the day in order to consecrate the day to Jesus Christ. It serves the purpose of preparing the Catholic to focus completely on Christ and give to him all that he or she does during the day...
- Thanksgiving after CommunionThanksgiving after CommunionThanksgiving after Communion is a spiritual practice among Christians who believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist they receive during Holy Communion, maintaining themselves in prayer for some time to thank God for what they believe to be the great gift of receiving God Himself...
- RosaryRosaryThe rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
- Spiritual readingSpiritual readingSpiritual reading is a practice of reading books and articles about spirituality with the purpose of growing in holiness.Spiritual reading is devoted to the reading of lives of saints, writings of Doctors and the Fathers of the Church, theological works written by holy people, and doctrinal...
- AngelusAngelusThe Angelus is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ The Angelus (Latin for "angel") is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus...
- MemorareMemorareMemorare is a Roman Catholic prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Memorare, from the Latin "Remember", is frequently misattributed to the 12th century Cistercian monk Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, apparently due to confusion with its 17th century popularizer, Father Claude Bernard, who stated that he...
- Frequent confessionFrequent confessionFrequent confession is the spiritual practice among some Roman Catholics of going to the sacrament of reconciliation often and regularly in order to grow in holiness...
- Examination of conscienceExamination of conscienceExamination of conscience is a review of one's past thoughts, words, actions, and omissions for the purpose of ascertaining their conformity with, or deviation from, the moral law. Among Christians, this is generally a private review; secular intellectuals have, on occasion, published autocritiques...