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21Jun, 2010

Adoration

Posted by Scott

euchador Bob Rice recently had a great blog posting regarding The Eucharist and Adoration.

While I’m encouraging you to read the whole thing, for me, the quote to note was:

Our Adoration of Christ in the Eucharist gives us time to truly contemplate the presence of Christ in the Sacrament, and should give us an even greater yearning to receive Him in His body and blood. If only we could come and receive the Eucharist with the same passion and zeal as we often show when we adore Him. Now that would spice up our Mass, wouldn’t it?

What I would add to Bob’s comments, and he would surely agree, is that we can also consume the mystery in Adoration as well.  But we must take greater care when “programming” our communal adoration.  It is challenging to focus our consumption when our senses become overloaded with many other attention seekers – the praise and worship music and lyrics, the spotlighted procession in full vestmented regalia, the sight and scent of incense, neighboring worshippers that have been motivated into an emotional pitch.

Adoration can and should be an opportunity to praise the Lord and, as well, to consider what Benedict asked asked young people in New York during his 2008 visit, “What is God whispering to you?”

Often in youth ministry, we fear risking the quiet with young people…  But, we should never find our efforts with sound and lights, flash and bang, to be in competition with God’s most holy Whisper.

3 Comments »

  1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by D. Scott Miller, Kevin Driscoll. Kevin Driscoll said: RT @CatholicYMBlog: Some quiet thoughts regarding Catholic Youth Ministry and Eucharistic Adoration http://bit.ly/9Zyv6o [...]

    Pingback by Tweets that mention Catholic Youth Ministry Blog » Adoration -- Topsy.com — Monday, June 21, 2010 @ 11:15 am

  2. It would seem that as young people and young adults are living busier more media centered lives, we who serve them are feeling a corresponding need to structure our events, including adoration and worship in order to capture the minds and hearts of our kids. Now more than ever I feel it takes great trust that God can and does speak to young people in a “tiny whispering sound.”

    Comment by Roy Petitfils — Tuesday, June 22, 2010 @ 1:06 am

  3. Every single talk that I have ever given on Adoration, every single introduction to Adoration that I seem to have the privledge of delivering, seems to boil down to one message…
    “Shut up and listen”
    And the young people that I have been blessed with in this ministry GET that! There is no reason to dress it up, there is no reason to worry about the bells and whistles. When I speak to them of shutting off their brains and their mouths so that their hearts can listen to what God is saying to them, they are willing to try, they are willing to trust.
    And I must say I have been further blessed working with Music Ministers who get this too. I am surrounded by humble and talented musicians who recognize their role and God’s primary role in these events. Imagine if you will a music ministry that comes to the youth minister with a request to cut the Praise and Worship short at XLT because they feel more time should be spent in adoration…

    Comment by Dave Riel — Tuesday, June 22, 2010 @ 8:11 am

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