One of the fruits of the recent “bell ringing” send off for Fr. Mark’s final radiation treatment was this discovery: we are really hungry to be together, to see familiar faces, and to re-connect personally with our brothers and sisters in the parish! In response, we are going to begin weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – every Thursday, for two hours a day, from noon until 1pm and again from 8pm to 9pm. Everyone is invited to join us!
Our hope is to start July 2nd and maintain this devotion throughout the remaining weeks of summer (at least through July and August). We ask that you walk, bike, or drive to the church parking lot, remain in your car if you have driven, or at least stay close to your vehicle. Bring your own chair if you would like to exit your vehicle. Please maintain proper “social distancing” and wear a mask.
The Blessed Sacrament will be “exposed” on a small altar in the Marian Garden, near the convent. At the end of each of the hours, Fr. Mark will lead us in the Divine Praises and offer a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. If you have any questions, please call the parish office.
The prayer known as the Divine Praises traditionally follows the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is prayed by the priest and the worshipers before the Lord (in the Host) before the Blessed Sacrament is returned to the tabernacle following adoration. It was composed by Fr. Luigi Felici, a Jesuit priest, in 1797. It is a fitting way to show God, the Holy Family, the Angels, and the Saints thanksgiving and praise.
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.
Today, when many people only refer to the Lord in casual or lazy ways, or in an exclamatory fashion after some sort of accident, it is good for us to frequently sing His Divine Praises. Saint Thomas Aquinas once noted that this prayer can increase the fervor of our devotion to Him, and that thus “we praise God not for His benefit, but for ours.” As we say in the introduction to the Eucharistic prayer at Mass “it is right to give Him thanks and praise!” Finally, this prayer reminds us of the glories of the Trinity, and of the key role our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, and the Angels and Saints have played in our salvation.
