I absolutely love worship of God via the beautiful Catholic tradition of Adoration and Benediction. While our parish does not have an Adoration Chapel and 24-7 Adoration, we have a very long standing devotion to the Blessed Sacrament every 1st Friday. Begun many years ago and re-emphasized in the eighties by Father Francis Sanders, OSB, the devotional booklet used for the Holy Hour and Benediction was very Marian. Not remembering too much exposure to 1st Friday Adoration and Benediction from my early Catholic days, as I got so very active at St. Jane de Chantal Church, I began attending and just fell in love with the devotion. I found it an amazing way to give glory, honor, praise and worship to God outside of Holy Mass. Once ordained a Deacon I cherished those opportunities to offer Benediction at the close of every 1st Friday.
When I left St. Jane's I arrived at Most Holy Trinity where 1st Friday Adoration existed but no Benediction. Working closely with the Pastor and a dedicated core group of parishioners, we extended Adoration from noon, when it used to end, until 6 PM and added a Benediction. Now today, not only does MHT have Adoration and Benediction but they also have a 1st Friday Mass for the Sacred Heart of Jesus which begins after Benediction concludes.
Since returning to St. Jane's in July I have not yet had the opportunity to offer Benediction. I did assist in August at our mission church in Bush, named for St. Michael. Interestingly, when I was assigned to St. Jane's previously the mission church in Bush did not even have a Tabernacle so there was no Adoration period. So it was nice to offer Benediction in Bush alongside my brother Deacon Don. After August 1st Friday I found myself in North Carolina for September so it would be another month wait before I could offer Benediction. Tonight was that night and my brother Deacon Frans was there to assist me. Even our Pastor sat in the congregation.
Benediction consists of songs and prayers, the litany of the Sacred Heart, I offered a brief reflection and then the blessing(benediction) of the people by Jesus in the Eucharistic species contained in the old yet beautiful gold monstrance. The Divine Praises are recited and then Jesus, in the Eucharist, is reposed in the Tabernacle. We recited a closing prayer and song another traditional hymn and Adoration and Benediction comes to a close for another month.
My request to each of you: find Adoration at a Catholic Church near you and find out if they offer Benediction on 1st Friday. Then go and participate; after all, it is worship of our God, in the person of Jesus Christ, really, truly present in the Real Presence of the Eucharist!
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