McKenna, John H., C.M.

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Vincentiana Volume 49 Number 1 Vol. 49, No. 1 Article 16 1-2005 Theology of Adoration John H. McKenna C.M. Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana  Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation McKenna, John H. C.M. (2005) "Theology of Adoration," Vincentiana: Vol. 49 : No. 1 , Article 16. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol49/iss1/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Vincentian Journals and Publications at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vincentiana by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact digitalservices@depaul.edu. NOMELAV: Vincentiana 1−2005 PAG: 1 SESS: 8 USCITA: Mon Sep 18 10:04:09 2006 SUM: 3D83D78C/first/TIPOGRAFIA/RIVISTE/VINCENTIANA−1−2005/McKenna−ING  BlackTheology of Adoration 1by John H. McKenna, C.M.Eastern Province, USAThe theology of adoration is really a part of a broader question:communion and worship of the Eucharist outside its celebration. Thepurpose of this article is to give a brief historical sketch ofcommunion practice and the origins of Eucharistic devotions outsidethe celebration of the Eucharistic. From these we hope to draw thetheological roots of Eucharistic adoration and the challengers itpresents today.To start with, the early Christians had celebrated their Eucharistin the context of an ordinary meal. The emphasis was on the actionof eating and drinking, of sharing a meal with the Risen Christ andwith one another. They were especially concerned with the purposeof all this, namely, nourishing the Christ-life already within themthrough baptism, unity with each other in Christ and eternal lifethough a share in Christ’s resurrection.2As time went on, the Eucharist was separated from the ordinarymeal, probably because of abuses.3 This was the case by the time ofJustin Martyr (d. 165) who describes the Eucharist in terms of a“stylized” meal; i.e., one in which the bread and wine alone serve asfood and drink. Justin makes the point that “... the gifts over whichthe thanksgiving has been spoken are distributed, and everyoneshares in them, while they are also sent via the deacons to the absentbrethren.” 4 All who are present receive and communion is broughtto the sick so that they also can share the Sunday celebration. Thusthe first evidence of communion outside of Mass links it intimatelywith the celebration itself and this holds true until the end of the4th century.51 Article originally published as “Adoration, Theology of” in The NewDictionary of Sacramental Worship, Peter E. Fink, S.J., Editor (Collegeville,MN: A Michael Glazier Book, The Liturgical Press, 1990).2 Cf. John 6:51-58; 1 Corinthians 10:16-18; Acts 2:42-47.3 Cf. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.4 L. DEISS, Springtime of the Liturgy, translated by M.J. O’Connell(Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1979) 93-94.5 Cf. NATHAN MITCHELL, Cult and Controversy: The Worship of theEucharistic Outside Mass (New York: Pueblo, 1982) II, 28.Vincentiana, January-February 2005VINCENTIANA 1-2005 - INGLESE September 20, 2005 − 3ª BOZZANOMELAV: Vincentiana 1−2005 PAG: 2 SESS: 8 USCITA: Mon Sep 18 10:04:09 2006 SUM: 4B8C7FB5/first/TIPOGRAFIA/RIVISTE/VINCENTIANA−1−2005/McKenna−ING  BlackThe stress also continued to be on the receiving of communionand its purpose. Augustine (d. 430) put it so well: “If you receive well,you are what you have received.... Since you are the body of Christand his members, it is your mystery that is placed on the Lord’stable; it is your mystery that you receive.... Be what you see, andreceive what you are.” 6 This same point was made by Pope St. Leothe Great (d. 461): “This partaking of the body and blood of Christhas no other effect than to make us pass over into what we receive.” 7Up to the 4th century, the rule was that all the faithful partook incommunion. But then with unexpected rapidity, at least in somecountries, the number dropped off sharply. The reasons arenumerous and complex and were to give rise to a shift in attitudeswhich would provide the setting for Eucharistic devotions outside theMass. First, there were the Christological controversies. Arianism’sattempt to play down Christ’s divinity led to an overemphasis of thatdivinity almost to the exclusion of his humanity, despite Chalcedon’seffort in 451 to strike a balance. The Risen Jesus became a distantGod. This eventually led to the liturgy and clergy becoming distant aswell. Second, the Eucharistic action and Eucharistic food weredisengaged from communal acts of dining. This in turn led to a newinterpretation in which “... the ancient human symbols of diningtogether were reinterpreted as ritual drama, vivid symbolicreenactments of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.” 8 From there itwas a short step to dramatic allegorizations like those of Amalar ofMetz, which emphasized recalling the past rather than presentparticipation though communion as Augustine and those before himhad stressed. Third, the gradual limiting of the knowledge of thelanguage of the liturgy (in this case Latin) to a select few widened thegap between the people and the celebration. The inability of theordinary people to understand the language of the liturgy and thus toparticipate in it led them to seek an alternate language. Eating anddrinking the Eucharist would gradually give way to “ocularcommunion,” the desire to see the host. Finally, the growing distanceand awesomeness of Christ and the liturgy was eventually to lead toa demand (9th century on) for sacramental confession before eachcommunion and for a longer fast in preparation for communion.96 JAMES J. MEGIVERN, Concomitance and Communion: A Study inEucharistic Doctrine and Practice, Studia Friburgensia, New Series # 33 (NewYork: Herder, 1963) 68.7 Ibid., 72.8 MITCHELL, op. cit., 5.9 JOSEPH JUNGMANN, The Mass of the Roman Rite, translated by F. Brunnerand reviewed by C. Riepe (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1961) 56-70,498-502; MITCHELL, op. cit., 4-5, 116-119; MEGIVERN, op. cit., 63-66, 73-74, 81.84 J. H. McKennaVINCENTIANA 1-2005 - INGLESE September 20, 2005 − 3ª BOZZANOMELAV: Vincentiana 1−2005 PAG: 3 SESS: 8 USCITA: Mon Sep 18 10:04:09 2006 SUM: 4D12FE65/first/TIPOGRAFIA/RIVISTE/VINCENTIANA−1−2005/McKenna−ING  BlackThese factors probably account, at least in part, for thewidespread use in the 9th century of unleavened bread, a tube orstraw to drink from the chalice, communion on the tongue instead ofthe hand and communion in church outside the celebration of theEucharist. The same factors plus controversies in the 9th, 11th and12th centuries over Christ’s presence in the Eucharist and the“moment of consecration,” focused more attention on the elements ofbread and wine and miracles in their regard, e.g., bleeding hosts. Anever-decreasing number of communicants followed. No longer ableto participate actively in the language of the liturgy and, out ofextreme reverence or fear, hesitating to partake in communion, thefaithful were ripe for other forms of expressing their belief in Christ’spresence in the Eucharist. The attitude that the Eucharist wassomething to be looked at and adored rather than eaten was tobecome characteristic of medieval Eucharistic piety.10Reservation of the sacrament had obviously been a practice fromthe start so that communion could be brought to the sick and dying.In addition, in earlier times people were allowed to bringcommunion home for use during the week. The origin of prayerbefore the sacrament seems to be the priest’s prayer beforecommunion (11th century). This evolved into the people’s prayingafter the elevation (late 12th century) and visits to the BlessedSacrament (early 13th century). Reservation near or on the altar in the13th century tended to focus the devotion in that area.11Eucharist processions appear as early as the 11th century, at leastin England. As devotion to looking upon the host grew, these becamea way to honor Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and to gaze at thehost even longer. On the continent, the Bishop of Lie`ge approved thefeast of Corpus Christi for his diocese in 1276. It soon spread andincluded a procession of the Blessed Sacrament.12The earliest form of exposing the Eucharistic species was justbefore communion with an expression like: “Holy things for theholy.” Until the beginning of the 13th century this was the only placethat the people were invited to gaze upon the sacred species andreverence them. With the introduction of the elevation, which in the14th century came to be regarded as the supreme moment of thecelebration, the people were invited to adore Our Lord immediatelyafter the words of “consecration.” Earlier it had been an invitation topartake of communion. Now, however, the invitation was tocontemplation or “ocular communion.” So far exposition had been10 JUNGMANN, op. cit., 89-92, 502-512; MEGIVERN, op. cit., 29-33, 78-84;MITCHELL, op. cit., 5-6.11 Cf. JUNGMANN, op. cit., 552-523; MITCHELL, op. cit., 164-170.12 Cf. MITCHELL, op. cit., 170-176.85Theology of AdorationVINCENTIANA 1-2005 - INGLESE September 20, 2005 − 3ª BOZZANOMELAV: Vincentiana 1−2005 PAG: 4 SESS: 8 USCITA: Mon Sep 18 10:04:09 2006 SUM: 48D556D7/first/TIPOGRAFIA/RIVISTE/VINCENTIANA−1−2005/McKenna−ING  Blackfrom within the liturgy itself — at communion, at viaticum orcommunion to the dying, or Corpus Christi. In 1380 a popularcustom arose in some parts of Germany to expose the sacrament in amonstrance. This eventually led to exposition in a monstrance apartfrom the liturgy.13The origin of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was alsofrom within the Liturgy of the Hours and of Corpus Christi. In theearly 13th century it became popular to sing Marian hymns at the endof evening or night prayer. In the 14th century the trend was to do soin the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to enhance this devotionrather than to increase honor to the sacrament. On Corpus Christi asearly as 1301, there were stations or pauses where the priest wouldbless the people with the sacrament and at the end of the processionthey would be blessed by a monstrance or similar vessel.14All these devotions to the Eucharist outside of Mass had theirorigins, then, in the liturgy. In addition, many of them seem to haveappeared first in communities of religious.As is often the case, the main theological lines of the attitudesand devotions emerge from history. Their roots lie in the belief thatthe Risen Christ is really present in the Eucharistic celebration tothose who were sick or dying, in danger of persecution or absent forsome other good reason. This is anthropologically as well astheologically sound and leads to what Piet Fransen describes as the“law of extension.” Symbolic realities, when they have centralimportance in our lives, tend to extend themselves in similar, if onlyanalogical, expressions. A married couple, for instance, find manyways of expressing their love in addition to the marital act, e.g.,kisses, touches, gazes. It is important not to disparage theseextensions simply because they are not the central act or were notthere from the very beginning, e.g., Eucharistic processions. It isequally important, however, to recall their original source andbackground and to relate them to that central celebration.15The origin of all Eucharistic devotions outside Mass lies, ashistory tells us, in the liturgy itself. To lose sight of this is to losesight of their purpose. Underlying all of them is belief in Christ’spresence, first in the sharing of the meal and then, by extension, inthe remaining bread and wine. If Christ is present in the bread andwine, it seems legitimate and beneficial to adore him there. Thedifficulty, historically and theologically, is that his worship outsidethe celebration of the Eucharistic sometimes seemed to be loosed13 Cf. ibid., 176-181.14 Cf. ibid., 181-184.15 Cf. P. FRANSEN, Intelligent Theology, vol. I (Chicago: Franciscan HeraldPress, 1969).86 J. H. McKennaVINCENTIANA 1-2005 - INGLESE September 20, 2005 − 3ª BOZZANOMELAV: Vincentiana 1−2005 PAG: 5 SESS: 8 USCITA: Mon Sep 18 10:04:09 2006 SUM: 30E58F95/first/TIPOGRAFIA/RIVISTE/VINCENTIANA−1−2005/McKenna−ING  Blackfrom its moorings. That is its weakness. Its strength rests in its abilityto give people time and quiet to reflect on what it means to receivethe body of Christ — the whole body, as Augustine would say, headand members — into one’s heart. There were good elements in the“elevation” or “tabernacle” piety; namely, personal devotions to Jesus,an awareness of the sacrificial character of the Eucharist and anawareness of the power of the Eucharist to draw one to imitateChrist’s self-sacrifice. Perhaps more attention to these elements todaywould help us appropriate more deeply the paschal mystery of Christwhich we celebrate in the Eucharist.16Pastorally, the future is challenging. Is it possible to return to thecenter without losing the values of Eucharistic devotions outside ofMass? “The celebration of the Eucharist in the sacrifice of the Mass istruly the origin and goal of the worship which is shown to theEucharist outside of Mass.” 17 Is it possible to rediscover the value ofEucharistic devotions outside of Mass without letting them again sliploose from their moorings? Mitchell’s quote from T.S. Eliot’s “LittleGidding” is on target: “We shall not cease from exploration. And theend of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and knowthe place for the first time.” 18All the Eucharistic devotions, even the most elaborate, have astheir purpose or end to bring us back to the beginning — to JesusChrist, crucified and risen, sharing this meal and his paschal mysterywith his people.16 JUNGMANN, op. cit., 90-91; cf. also E. DIEDIRECH, “Notes on Liturgy” and“The Eucharistic Mystery in All Its Fullness,” in Review for Religious 42(May-June and November-December 1983) 363-380, 914-927.17 Instruction on Eucharistic Worship, 24 May 1967 (Washington, DC:1967) Article 3e.18 MITCHELL, op. cit., 8.87Theology of AdorationVINCENTIANA 1-2005 - INGLESE September 20, 2005 − 3ª BOZZA

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