Liturgy Office | Adoremus

Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist
outside Mass

The liturgical book contains the following material:

  • Decree
  • General Introduction
  • Holy Communion outside Mass
    • Rite of Distributing Holy Communion
    • Shorter Rite
  • Forms of Worship of the Holy Eucharist
    • Introduction
    • Exposition of the Holy Eucharist
    • Rite of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction
    • Eucharistic Processions
    • Eucharistic Congresses
  • Various texts

Publication

Details of the published edition can be found on the Roman Ritual page.

Extracts from the Rite

The following sections have taken from the Rite:

Resources for Exposition

Exposition of the Holy Eucharist
— a guide for celebration

a short guide to the rite of Exposition

Exposition of the Holy Eucharist — Music

A guide to the rite for musicians with music suggestions.

Office of Corpus Christi

One of the possibilities mentioned in the rite for the period of Adoration at Exposition is the Liturgy of the Hours. This can be the Office of the day. A suitable alternative would be the Office of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord which can be celebrated as a ‘Votive Office’ on Sundays in Ordinary Time and most weekdays (the notes give full details on the liturgical days it may not be used). This Office has an important place in the development of the Church’s worship of the Eucharist. When the Solemnity of Corpus Christ was instituted for the whole Church in 1264 Pope Urban IV commissioned St Thomas Aquinas to compose the texts for the Mass and the Office.

For each Hour a standalone leaflet is given which includes indications of how the Prayer of the Church integrates into Exposition.

Resources from the Year of the Eucharist

The Liturgy Office produced a number of Resources for the Year of the Eucharist 2004–2005 which preceded the Synod on the Eucharist.

Other Occasions

Eucharistic Processions

We bring Christ, present under the sign of bread, onto the streets of our city. We entrust these streets, these homes, our daily life, to his goodness. May our streets be streets of Jesus! May our houses be homes for him and with him! May our life of every day be penetrated by his presence.

With this gesture, let us place under his eyes the sufferings of the sick, the solitude of young people and the elderly, temptations, fears — our entire life. The procession represents an immense and public blessing for our city: Christ is, in person, the divine Blessing for the world. May the ray of his blessing extend to us all!

In the Corpus Domini procession, we walk with the Risen One on his journey to meet the entire world.

Pope Benedict, Corpus Christi 2005

Maundy Thursday: watching at the place of repose

At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the Blessed Sacrament is reserved so that Holy Communion may be distributed the next day at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. The Blessed Sacrament is taken in procession to the place of repose where there is watching and adoration. Though this period of adoration is primarily a time for personal prayer and devotion there may be some communal elements. There is a tradition of reading passages from St John’s Gospel, chapters 13–17, to assist this practice each chapter is available as a separate A4 pdf or complete as an A5 booklet. Another possibility is the celebration of Night Prayer, either at the end of the solemn period of adoration at midnight or at some point before.

Preparatory Material for Parishes

A range of resources is being prepared to help parishes and individuals engage more deeply with different aspects of the Eucharistic Mystery. They are intended for all, whether they are able to attend the Eucharistic Congress or not.

Bread for the Life of the World

16 – 21 Sundays in Ordinary Time

At the heart of Year B of the Sunday Lectionary Cycle Chapter 6 from the Gospel of John is proclaimed. The chapters gives Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist as Bread for the life of the world. It is heard on the Sundays of July and August and so is a most appropriate preparation for Adoremus. The following resources are intended as ‘light’ recognising that for many parishes and communities this a quieter time.

Sunday Material

How Holy this Feast

a group resource for Reflection and Prayer

A series of small sessions for parishes which reflection on the connection between Mass and Adoration and then looks at the relationship between the Eucharist and aspects of the life of the Church. Each session begins with a time of reflection and discussion and ends with a time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

More details about the resource including notes for leaders.

  • How Holy this Feast: Notes (pdf)

There are 6 sessions. After the first session, Introduction, the material can be done in any order and a parish may choose just to use some of them rather than all. The titles are given below in roughly alphabetical order:

Participating in Adoration

A series of reflections on the ways we participate in Adoration prepared by the Spirituality Committtee. Each leaflet considers a posture or attitude of prayerful participation and includes: scripture, image, prayer and reflection. They are intended for a range of uses: for individuals during a time of prayer before the Blesseed Sacrament, for group reflection or as the basis of a holy hour.

Podcasts: Let us adore him

A series of podcasts that explores ‘Adoremus’ — the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress. Each comes witha reading and prayer for reflection.