Posted on 10/29/2015 7:51:30 AM PDT by Salvation
When we think of the word “adoration,†we think of a high form of love, perhaps the highest. Theologically, we equate adoration with latria, the worship and love due to God alone. In the vernacular, to say “I adore you†is to indicate an intense and high form of love.
Liturgically, adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament indicates a period during which one enters into the experience of loving God and gazing upon Him in that love. The Lord, too, extends a gaze of love to us, as is beautifully stated in the Song of Songs: Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the window, peering through the lattice (Song 2:9).
In all these examples there is a sort of intense, yet resting love expressed; a love that is tender and deep, quiet and fixed.
However, the greatest act of adoration the world has ever known exhibits little of this quietude or restfulness. Indeed, one might call this act of adoration quite stormy; though intense, it was not restful. In fact, you might not consider it adoration at all. But consider this reflection by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.:
Adoration of infinite value was offered to God by Christ in Gethsemane when he prostrated himself saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as though wilt.†Christ’s adoration of the Father recognized in a practical and profound manner the sovereign excellence of God … The Savior’s adoration continued on the cross (The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Vol 2, p. 251).
At the heart of this most perfect act of adoration was obedience, a heart that not only loved God but out of that love wanted only what He wanted. True adoration of God includes both a loving acknowledgment of His excellence and a submission of our will to His in loving obedience. Out of love we offer our whole life to God.
Thus adoration is more than mere feeling, no matter how intense; it is sacrifice; it is the willing offering of one’s very self as an act of love to God, who has so loved us. No greater love is there than to lay down one’s life for God and for those we love in Him.
Is obedience and sacrifice what you and I mean when we say that we are going to Eucharistic adoration or when we say that we adore God? The most perfect act of adoration was love expressed as obedience and sacrifice.
I did not see a citation concerning Eucharistic adoration circa ad 80 at your link.
If you have time, please post it for discussion.
Best.
I did not see a citation concerning Eucharistic adoration circa ad 80 at your link.
My references were in regard to belief in the real presence. I’m not really sure when the practice of Eucharistic adoration began.
Ok thanks.
Since this thread is about EA, we’ll stick to that discussion here.
Best
Transubstantiation. We ARE worshipping God.
And you believe the Omnipresent God can be locked up in a little glass case for you to observe?
Since this thread is about EA, we’ll stick to that discussion here.
As you wish. We can stick to discussing Eucharistic Adoration, but I really don’t have much to say about the practice. I did have an experience, though, that gave me somewhat of an understanding of how powerful EU could be. One night when I was coming to choir practice, as I genuflected in front of the Eucharist, a sense of the mighty power that resided in the tabernacle overwhelmed me. With a mere thought, KA-BOOM, Jesus could destroy the universe. But He doesn’t. He quietly sits there and waits for believers to come before Him and pray.
I realize this might be a foreign concept to you, but it is what those who practice EU experience.
They believe Scripture instructs us to adore God and that God is physically present in the Eucharist. Accordingly, they believe that EU brings them closer to God. Keep in mind that they do not adhere to Sola Scriptura, that EU does not need to be mentioned in the Bible for it to be a good and appropriate practice. So for them, the argument that it is nowhere to be found in Scripture is irrelevant.
This is off subject, but personally, I prefer other forms of prayer. I believe that God is always with me. Wherever I am, I often start my prayers as follows:
I enter into the presence of God.
A God who is greater than I can possibly imagine.
Yet a God who is close to me, closer than I am to myself.
A God who loves me.
My favorite form of prayer is to read a passage about Jesus from Scripture and imagine myself being present in the scene, reflecting on what Jesus might say to me, and how I would respond.
An example would be from John 1:35-42, when two disciples went and followed Jesus. I imagine myself being one of the disciples and Jesus turning around, looking at me, and asking what I was looking for. How would I feel? How would I respond? What am I looking for? I would spend time reflecting on my thoughts.
Other examples would be to read one of the Baptism narratives and to imagine being there as He came up out of the water or to read about the appearance on the road to Emmaus and imagine being one of the two disciples.
This is what brings me closer to God.
But if EU brings others closer to God, I am not one to disparage the practice.
Peace,
Rich
Obviously, I believe God can do anything He wants. Do you?
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