Have you ever stopped to consider that the same God you kneel before in Adoration, is the same God that the Magi traveled to adore? Just as the Magi followed the star “and came to do Him homage” (Matthew 2:2), during Adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we come to worship Jesus 2000 years later.
According to the CCC 2096, “Adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion. To adore God is to acknowledge Him as God, as the Creator and Savior, the Lord and Master of everything that exists, as infinite and merciful love.”
Adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament may take place in two ways. When the Blessed Sacrament is placed in a Monstrance on the altar, it is called Eucharistic Adoration or Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. If the Blessed Sacrament is not exposed and placed in the Tabernacle, it is simply called Adoration. These terms can be shortened as Exposition and Adoration. When Jesus is present in the Monstrance on the altar, there must be 2 people present at all times. Benediction refers to the brief ceremony at the end of Exposition when Jesus is returned to the Tabernacle. Guidelines for Adoration at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church can be found under resources or here.