The Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – Going Beyond the Mass

If daily mass is spiritual food for our souls then the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is an extra course, the icing on the cake. Daily mass can become repetitive and not always satisfy our hunger whereas the Adoration is held on a monthly basis in my parish church and provides us with a unique opportunity to devote a whole hour in the real presence of Jesus in a more concentrated way than the routine mass.

Our Adoration is usually held on a weekday afternoon. This means that most people cannot attend as they are working or doing other things. The result is that the participants generally amount to a fairly small number of about 20 worshipers, mainly retirees or others who have made a special effort to participate. For me this is a blessing as the small group makes the ceremony more intimate and encourages a feeling of solidarity and community.

Another important aspect is that it is the congregation and not the priest which plays the biggest role. The priest is obviously of crucial importance as he removes the host from the tabernacle and places it inside the monstrance then replaces it at the end. Some priests play a more active role and lead the prayers during the Adoration while others are passive onlookers. I have even seen a priest leave and return at the end. I am not complaining because I like to feel that we the congregation are in charge of this holy ceremony. We can decide whether to pray individually or as a group, sing hymns or even simply sit in silence absorbing the holy atmosphere. This gives us a feeling of real personal involvement.

It reinforces what Pope John Paul II said during a visit to Ireland in 1979 that the Adoration “nourishes social love and gives us opportunities for adoration and thanksgiving, for reparation and supplication.”

I also like the low key ending when the blessing is made. The priest now wears a humeral veil which covers his hands to avoid direct contact with the monstrance and show that it is Jesus himself who is blessing us. After returning the host to the tabernacle the priest leaves in silence.

One of the reasons why I treasure the Adoration is that it was a big factor in strengthening my faith when I returned to the Church about 15 years ago after decades in the wilderness. I had actually forgotten all about it until one day I attended mass at the São Francisco church in downtown São Paulo. Once the mass had ended I noticed that preparations were being made for another ceremony and I stayed on out of curiosity. I only vaguely remembered what it was after such a long time but I sat though it and was enraptured. Since then I have always tried to attend the Adoration and would urge everyone to do likewise.

© John Brander Fitzpatrick 2026