1St Benediction In 30 Years!

[TeresaBenedicta]

My day today:

Digging out the humeral veil- check
Dusting off the monstrance and fixing the luna- check
Prepping Father on the order of Benediction- check
Searching for and finding the thurible and incense- check
First Benediction at the parish in 30 year- PRICELESS

It was [i]so[/i] beautiful.

The most moving moment was right after Benediction, when Father genuflected... and remained on his knee for a good minute or so, in adoration.

He hadn't done Benediction in year-- he couldn't remember the last time he did. Sometime after ordination, not since.

But he sang the "You have given them bread from Heaven" and prayer, without me having given it to him! I spoke to him in sacristy and he was all smiles. He said that it all came back to him!

I think the parish really loved it too. We had about 40 folks or so. Many who hadn't experienced Benediction ever. And a few who were VERY opposed to it... but they were there, and God-willing, the experience softened their hearts.

[truthfinder]

That's really good to hear! What exactly were some of the objections? I really couldn't imagine a parish going withouth benediction for so long, so Congratulations!

[tnavarro61]

this makes my soul

i hope you don't mind, but why he wasn't able to do Benediction for a time?

[Brother Adam]

Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus. That is AWEsome, literally. Thank you for sharing such good news.

[let_go_let_God]

That had to be beautiful. I'm so happy for your parish! Blessed be the Lord!

God bless-
LGLG

[fides quarens intellectum]

All glory to God!!! Woo-hoo! Thanks for sharing!

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='truthfinder' timestamp='1291795763' post='2191546']
That's really good to hear! What exactly were some of the objections? I really couldn't imagine a parish going withouth benediction for so long, so Congratulations!
[/quote]

We have a lot of folks at our parish that were deeply wounded, in one way or another, in their relationship with the Church. I'm sure the story is different for each of them and I don't know all of the stories. But, what I see very clearly, is that they associate traditional practices of the Church with their image of the Church that hurt them in some way. Benediction is one of those practices.

[quote name='tnavarro61' timestamp='1291797535' post='2191551']
this makes my soul

i hope you don't mind, but why he wasn't able to do Benediction for a time?
[/quote]

For this priest in particular... I'm not sure. He's not our pastor, exactly, although he is connected with the parish. He celebrates our sacraments, but his day job is at the Archdiocese, as Vicar of Clergy. So we have a pastoral administrator. Anyways-- he's only been here for a few years. I think he was in Rome at some point as well.

But it seems to be a fairly common trend among priests who were ordained immediately prior or within the few years after VII... our guest priest, who was giving our mission, said he couldn't remember the last time he attended or celebrated Benediction.

[BG45]

That is beautiful...and maybe with God's grace, those who have a harmed relationship with the Church might start attending Benediction and such, and have that relationship restored.

[cmotherofpirl]

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 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 Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.