Theology
a. Theology
i. Eceumenical Corner (What are we doing about this? A lot of content)
ii. Pondering Parables (What are we doing about this? A lot of content)
b. Spirituality
i. The Holy Eucharist (What are we doing about this? A lot of content that links to more content)
ii. Lord's Day Eucharist
Since the beginning of Christianity, the dominical (Sunday) Eucharist has always been at the heart of the church's life. An early attestation to this is found in the Acts of the Apostles: "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers" (2:42), the "breaking of bread" being one of the first names for what we today commonly call the Mass or the Eucharist.
Why have the followers of Jesus consistently emphasized participation in the Sunday Eucharist, often at considerable cost and inconvenience? Why have Catholics clung tenaciously to it, risking imprisonment and death, to be faithful to the Lord's command, "Do this in memory of me"?
The basic reason is that Sunday is the Lord's Day, the weekly commemoration of Christ's resurrection and the day which is meant to be given over to worship of God, to rest, and to the building up of family relationships. The great bishop and theologian Augustine of Hippo said, "Every Sunday is a little Easter."
Unfortunately, in a secular age like ours, Sunday is often viewed as just another work day, as time to catch up on what we weren't able to accomplish on the other six days. As a result, the Lord's Day doesn't feel any different or function any differently in our lives.
It takes discipline and faith to resist this growing incursion on the Lord's Day, to keep Sunday holy especially by participating in our communal prayer, the Eucharist.
That same discipline and faith are necessary, however, to remain focused on Jesus in a meaningful way as we go about our daily lives. It all begins at the Lord's table . . . on the Lord's Day.
In the 1998 apostolic letter Dies Domini (The Lord's Day), Pope John Paul II writes: "Sunday is a day which is at the very heart of the Christian life. . . . The rediscovery of this day is a grace which we must implore, not only so that we may live the demands of faith to the full, but also so that we may respond concretely to the deepest human yearnings."
"Time given to Christ is never lost time, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human."
iii. Prayer Before the Eucharist
BY FR. BERNARD CAMIRÉ, S.S.S.
Copyright 1992 Nocturnal Adoration Society.
All rights reserved by Fr. Camiré.
No portion of this article may be reproduced
or communicated in any form, except for personal use,
without the permission of the author.
To claim to be a committed Christian, to be desirous of living the Gospel fully, and yet to neglect personal prayer is a delusion. It would be less a delusion to want to become a professor without studying a particular subject or a musician without practicing an instrument. A Christian life without prayer contradicts the very meaning of love for God, for Christ and his Gospel ― a love that is at the absolute center of true Christian existence.
Personal prayer presupposes a search for God. It is not enough to believe in him and to want to work for him. There must also be the desire to meet the living and personal God. This desire is embodied in prayer that becomes a series of encounters, ever new, vivifying, transforming. In the communion of prayer, God reveals his love, bestows his light, opens up new perspectives; he grants his peace and his strength. Little by little, he transforms our hearts. Prayer for the fully committed Christian is as important and vital as the very air that is breathed.
Why Eucharistic Prayer?
It is one thing to insist on the need for personal prayer in Christian life, but another to propose that one's prayer be offered before the Eucharist, and, ideally, before the Eucharist exposed. For many centuries in the Western church, and especially in the Eastern church even today, there has been an entirely valid tradition of contemplative prayer that has not been prompted to relate that prayer to the reserved Eucharistic sacrament. Why then offer one's prayer before the Eucharist? Many reasons can be adduced, but two reasons in particular seems foundational.
First Reason: Interiorizing the Mass
In 1967, the Holy See issued a document entitled Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery. There we read: "The mystery of the Eucharist should be considered in all its fullness, not only in the celebration of the Mass but also in devotion to the sacred species which remain after Mass and are reserved to extend the grace of the sacrifice" (3 g E). Also, "When the faithful adore Christ present in the sacrament, they should remember that this presence derives from the sacrifice and is directed toward both sacramental and spiritual communion" (Chap. III, n. 50).
There is, then, a necessary and intimate connection between celebrating the Eucharist, i.e., Mass, and praying before the Eucharist outside the time of Mass. This connection arises not only from the fact that the Eucharist before which we pray originates from a celebration of Mass but also from the need we experience of setting aside quiet time of meditation to assimilate and interiorize what we proclaim and celebrate at Mass. By means of prayer before the Eucharist, we prolong the grace of Christ's sacramental sacrifice into the hours of our day, we assimilate its deepest meaning, and view the whole of our existence in its light.
Of course, such a prayer of interiorization and assimilation can be made elsewhere than before the Eucharist. But is it not only logical and natural to offer such prayer before the Blessed Sacrament? Is it not the most appropriate setting or context?
Second Reason: Contemplating Christ's Presence
The Eucharist ceaselessly reminds us of the supper of the Lord and of the sacrifice of Christ which the supper embodies and sets forth. The Eucharist therefore reveals to us in a unique way the presence of Christ who extends himself in love. To understand more profoundly the nature of that prayer which is a response to Christ's sacramental presence, it is well to take a moment to reflect on the nature of prayer and on the presence of Christ in his church.
Prayer Through Him, With Him, In Him
Prayer, as we said, is a search for God and an encounter with God. The Christian knows that all authentic prayer passes through Christ. He alone is the one who reveals the Father, and who is the way to him. But where do we make contact with the Christ who is our place of encounter with God and access to God? Is it in the Eucharist alone?
The church today has a lively and enriched awareness of the many ways in which the risen Christ is present to it and of the manner in which the Eucharistic presence relates to the whole activity of the risen Christ.
The Presence in the Church
According to the teaching of Vatican Council II, the church itself "is in the nature of sacrament, i.e., a sign and an instrument of communion with God . . ." (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, n. 1). The church, as the body of the risen Lord, is filled with his presence. The church is the new temple, the place of encounter with God. Through faith and baptism, every Christian is incorporated into the church, and in turn becomes a member of the body of Christ and himself or herself a temple.
It is this presence, in the church and in each member, which is fundamental. All other forms of presence, including that of the Eucharist, are subordinate to it, as means to an end. The others will pass away, but his presence in us, his body, will remain forever. It will find fulfillment at the end of time when all will be subjected to Christ and he will have subjected all to the Father who will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28).
It is this presence of Christ in us which makes prayer possible. Through Christ, we have a personal relationship to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Everywhere we have access to the Father through Christ Jesus. Here we have the context to understand better the specific nature of prayer before the Eucharist.
The Presence in the Eucharistic Gifts
In the consecrated bread and wine, there is a unique presence of Christ which in a sense surpasses all other forms. What significance does this presence have for prayer made before the Eucharistic gift? What does it add to the presence of Christ given in all true prayer?
Perhaps a comparison with what took place at the Last Supper and what takes place in every celebration of the Eucharist can help us understand something of the meaning of prayer before the Eucharist.
We can distinguish two forms of Christ's presence at the Last Supper. He is there, first of all, as host, eating and talking with his disciples. Then, at a given moment, he is in the Eucharistic gifts. Christ communes with his disciples through his word, then he gives himself to them in and through the gifts of the consecrated bread and wine.
When we consider the way the church celebrates the Eucharist, we perceive something similar. Of course, we do not have the pre-resurrection physical presence of Jesus. Nonetheless, it is the same Christ who is really present in the faithful gathered in his name. He speaks to them through his word and acts through the priest-celebrant. Here also, it is Christ, already truly present, who at a given moment communicates himself to his present-day disciples through and in the Eucharistic gifts.
Two Forms of the Lord's Presence
In the light of these two examples, let us consider prayer before the Eucharist. The very fact of our being at prayer means that Christ is present to us; we are, so to speak, face to face with him. Christ present in us through his Holy Spirit talks to us through his word. When we look at the Eucharistic bread, we see that this same Christ offers himself to us as the Bread of Life.
In prayer before the Eucharist, then, we can discern two forms of the Lord's presence: one in us and one in the bread. Besides, if it is a community that is gathered in prayer, Christ is also present in that specific manner promised where two or three are gathered in his name. There is a very close link between the Eucharist and the communion which binds together the Christian community. It is for this reason that the church has a certain preference for communal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (On Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery Outside of Mass, n. 90).
It can be said that Christ who is present in this way offers himself to us through the Eucharist, but it can also be said that he "speaks" to us through the Eucharist. What, then, is Christ saying to us through this reality which is the Eucharist? What is he saying to us by the fact of this sacramental presence which he gives to his church?
Perusing the Signs of the Sacrament
We say readily enough that prayer before the Blessed Sacrament lends itself to perusing or scrutinizing the signs of the Eucharist. But what are those signs that especially propose themselves among the many and mighty deeds of God in human history and our personal history? Necessarily to the fore is the sign of the Lord's death and resurrection which we celebrate until he comes. The Eucharist calls to mind the Lamb of the Book of Revelation, standing yet seemingly slain, who is worthy to receive honor, glory, and blessing forever and ever (cf. Rv 5:6, 12-14). The Eucharist, then, invites us to loving adoration of our Redeemer and Lord (Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery, Chap. III, nn. 49, 50).
Also, the Eucharist speaks to us of Christ who offers himself as bread broken and shared, and as wine poured out for all ― the total giving of self in which Christ exemplifies in himself the fundamental commandment he gives his disciples, the commandment of selfless love. The Eucharist exemplifies and communicates to us the loving sacrifice of Christ by which we are forgiven our sins and reconciled to God, and by which we are enabled to enter into new and eternal life.
This total gift of the Lord, contemplated in prayer, should compel us to give ourselves unstintingly to him and to our brothers and sisters, should move us to subdue every instinct to selfishness and domination, so that a more fraternal and just world may be fashioned.
By means of our prayer before the Eucharist, we keep alive the effect of our sacramental communion with Christ; we abide in Christ, as he himself promised: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives on in me and I in him" (Jn 6:56). This abiding in Christ includes a lively awareness of union with all who are baptized into the body of Christ; in Christ, we are members of one another. So intimate is the relation between the sacramental body of Christ and the mystical body of Christ that Saint Augustine could say: "It is to what you are that you answer 'Amen." You receive what you are."
It is only by perusing in prolonged and loving contemplation the signs of the sacrament that the Eucharist yields its many riches ― that its varied aspects become alive and real.
An All-Embracing Prayer
Prayer in the presence of the Eucharist will naturally focus on the spiritual plenitude of this sacrament. But, for all that, such prayer will not hesitate to embrace meditation on all the feelings and attitudes that might be experienced in our relationship with the Lord. Such prayer will express itself not only in adoration, but also in thanksgiving, repentance, and petition. He to whom we worshipfully raise our minds and hearts in the One who is head over all things and fills all things in every way (cf. Eph 1:22-23.
The Great Value of Eucharistic Prayer
Without prayerful encounter with Christ, prayer which reaches our innermost being, we shall never be transformed into him. Prayer, of course, is not the whole of Christian life, but it is undoubtedly its mainspring. Prayer is like the fire that produces the flame of vibrant love of God and neighbor. Nowhere is that flame more likely to be fanned to great warmth and brilliance than in prayer before the Eucharist.
Imprimi Potest
Very Reverend John Dowling, S.S.S.
Provincial Superior
Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur
Most Reverend Patrick J. Sheridan, D.D.
Vicar General
Archdiocese of New York
Â
c. Nocturnal Adoration
i. Statement of Purpose
The Nocturnal Adoration Society has a threefold purpose:
To provide a fervent response to Christ's invitation to keep prayerful vigil with him (Matthew 26:28-40, Mark 14:37-38, Luke 22:40-46).
To deepen the experience of communion with Christ Eucharistic, as he continues his self-offering and saving influence.
To live more consciously and actively the full significance of the Eucharist as the sacrament of charity and unity for the church and the world.
From the Statutes of the Nocturnal Adoration Society 4-6
ii. Introduction
What is the Nocturnal Adoration Society?
The Nocturnal Adoration Society is an association of Catholics dedicated to prayer before the Eucharist for the praise of God and for the needs of the world.
What is the purpose of the Society?
To unite the members in prayer before the exposed Sacrament during the hours of the night.
To deepen the experience of communion with Christ Eucharistic, as he continues his self-offering and saving power, and to revitalize Christian commitment toward the "new evangelization."
To pray for the needs of the church and the world at large.
Who can be members?
Membership is open to all Catholics. There is no age limit.
What does the membership entail?
Only to spend one hour once a month during the hours of the night, on a given night and at a designated hour, in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a church where the Society, in the form of a local chapter, is established. There are no dues and no prescribed activities other than prayer.
Why do members pray before the exposed sacrament?
When praying before the Eucharist exposed, the mind and heart more easily give themselves to communion with Christ. By focusing attention on the sacramental sign of the memorial of the Lord in a spirit of adoration, thanksgiving, atonement, and petition, members seek to internalize and give witness to the significance of the Eucharist for Christian life.
Why do members pray at night?
For reasons of convenience. For many people living in a fast-paced society, a night hour is often more easily set aside for prayer than one during the day and lends itself to praying in quiet, calm, and recollection.
For reasons of symbolism. Keeping vigil during the hours of the night ― an ancient tradition among Christians ― draws attention to God as the source of light and goodness amid human weakness and sin, and also stimulates a sense of spiritual preparedness and expectation.
How are members of a chapter organized for the hour of prayer?
The organization is quite flexible and depends in large measure on local conditions, such as the number of participants and the circumstances in which a particular chapter functions.
Local chapters are encouraged to organize their hours of prayer according to a rotating system, traditional in the Society, whereby the members, month by month, share equally the easier and more difficult hours. Within this system, there is provided a fixed hour for those who, for various reasons (illness, advanced age, shift work, etc.), cannot take part in the rotating system.
A chapter, for reasons of its own determining, may choose to organize its members for prayer over a two-hour or even one-hour period only. Again, local conditions will usually determine the manner in which a chapter's prayer vigil is organized.
On which night of the month is the vigil held?
The choice of the night is entirely up to the Moderator and the members. Some chapters prefer the nigh of the first Friday of the month into Saturday morning; others choose Saturday night. Local conditions determine the night.
What do members do during the hour?
During the hour, there are periods of common prayer and periods of silent prayer. For the common prayer, it is traditional in the Society to use the liturgical prayer taken from the Liturgy of the Hours (we publish an Office of the Blessed Sacrament) as well as other dialogue prayer texts in the Society's prayer book. However, other prayer formats may be used. The silent prayer periods are for personal meditation and contemplation.
Is the Nocturnal Adoration Society a national organization?
The Nocturnal Adoration Society is not only a national organization but also established internationally with local chapters throughout the world. The National Headquarters of the Nocturnal Adoration Society is at Saint Jean Baptiste Church, 184 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021.
If you would like to join the Nocturnal Adoration Society, please e-mail below and leave your Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Telephone, and Parish. State as well whether you wish to follow a system of rotating hours or not. Thank you.
iii. History
Christ spent a lot of time and, on occasion, entire nights
praying for his disciples: "Jesus went up the hill to pray alone."
Come, bless the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord,
who minister by night
in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Raise your hands to the sanctuary
and bless the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth.
Ps 134
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NOCTURNAL ADORATION SOCIETY
The Nocturnal Adoration Society developed from the practice of night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the Forty Hours devotion. At a time when the church was threatened by widespread heresy in the nations of Europe and by an invading hostile force in the East, Pope Clement VIII, in 1592, instituted the Forty Hours devotion in the city of Rome in order to offer incessant prayer to the Lord, imploring his help and his grace for the protection of his people menaced by such grave danger.
Two centuries later, in 1809, another crisis threatened the church. In the aftermath of the French revolution, in the political and religious upheaval in Europe, Napoleon had risen to power and had made Pope Pius VII his prisoner. A priest in the city of Rome, Father Giacomo Sinibaldi, was inspired to gather together groups of men to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during the night hours in the churches of Rome, where the Forty Hours devotion was in progress. The response to his idea was so enthusiastic that in a short time there were groups meeting for prayer every night of the year in the churches where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.
Ecclesiastical approval was given to these adorers, and in 1810 the Nocturnal Adoration Society came into existence. Its center was the Church of Santa Maria in Via Lata in Rome. In 1851, the Society was approved as a pious union, and in 1858 it was raised to the status of an Archconfraternity, with authority to establish Nocturnal Adoration Societies elsewhere.
During the civil unrest of 1848, Father Hermann Cohen, a Carmelite monk and Jewish convert, obtained approval from the archbishop of Paris to form a Nocturnal Adoration Society in that city. In 1863, he started a society for nocturnal adoration in London. The cause for his canonization has been introduced in Rome.
From France, the Society spread in several directions. It was founded in Madrid, Spain in the year 1877. Its growth in Spain was so extraordinary that in a short time there were 500 centers with ore than 100,000 members. From Spain, the Society traveled to the countries of South America and to Mexico. From Mexico, it crossed into Texas and California in the United States. The national headquarters for Mexico is in the Church of San Felipe de Jesus in Mexico City.
At the same time, the Society was spreading from Paris to Canada and the United States. In 1881, through the efforts of a publisher in Montreal, Louis Joseph Délorme, who had come in contact with the Society during a trip to Paris, a group was formed in Montreal. Today, the national headquarters for Canada is Montreal.
Through the efforts of another layman, Dr. Thomas Dwight, the Society came into existence in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1882. The following year, Father William Barlett started a Society in Baltimore, Maryland. Established independently of one another, these initiatives were inspired by the Society in Paris.
New York city saw the beginnings of nocturnal adoration in connection with the Forty Hours devotion. Several parishes in the city had organized groups of men who spent the night in prayer during the Forty Hours and on Holy Thursday. In 1903, with the sanction of Archbishop Michael Corrigan, the Society was organized. In 1912, Cardinal John Farley sought and obtained affiliation with the Archconfraternity in Rome. On the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Society in 1928, the Archconfraternity authorized the Society to affiliate other centers in the United States. In 1929, Cardinal Patrick Hayes established a national headquarters in the church of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Saint Jean Baptiste, and appointed the Pastor as the National Director of the Society.
Today, the Nocturnal Adoration Society is established in 36 countries and counts over 1,000,000 members. The President of the International Society at the present time is Mr. Angel Rodas of Madrid, Spain. In the United States, local chapters of the Society are to be found across the nation, including Hawaii. The national headquarters is located at Saint Jean Baptiste Church.
iv. Statutes
Excerpts from the English translation of 
"Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass,"
©1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Louis A. Marini
 Vice Chancellor
Imprimatur: The Most Reverend Patrick J. Sheridan
 Archdiocese of New York
All rights reserved. National Headquarters, Nocturnal Adoration Society
STATUTES
1. The Nocturnal Adoration Society of the United States is an association for Catholic men and women. It was established in accordance with church Law on November 28, 1928, and is officially affiliated with the Archconfraternity for Nocturnal Adoration established in Rome in 1810.
2. It is composed of autonomous chapters, each of which a) has been canonically established by the bishop ordinary of the Diocese in which it is located; b) possesses its own Constitution, approved by the bishop; c) is duly affiliated with the Roman Archconfraternity through the U.S. Headquarters. Church legislation in this matter is found in Canon Law Nos. 301 #1, 304 #1, 312 #2.
3. Chapters are either a) parochial, when membership is principally from one parish, or b) inter-parochial (city, town, or area) when members come from several parishes to one church where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.
Because a Vigil of Prayer, during the hours it is held, is enhanced by a sizable number of participants, the inter-parochial Chapter would seem to be the preferred model when parishes or the number of Society members of a particular parish are small. When a Chapter is inter-parochial, it is customary for each participating parish to assume the responsibility for one or two hours of the Vigil.
v. Hispanic Department
2308 Maya Drive, Laredo, TX 78041
Telephone: 956.791.6625 (Español)
956.718.0090 (Ingles)
vi. Establishment of a New Chapter
Establishing the Nocturnal Adoration Society in a parish is a simple matter of gathering together a group of Catholic faithful, who are eager to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, and of following the procedural steps outlined below.
PRELIMINARY CONTACTS AND PLANNING
An obvious precondition for organizing a successful chapter of the Society is the cooperation and support of the Pastor in whose church the Nocturnal Prayer vigil is to take place. Before meeting with him to propose the establishment of a chapter in his parish, the founding group should familiarize itself with the literature of the Society, especially its statutes and official prayer book. The group is then in a position to propose the Society to the Pastor, explaining its spirit and aims, and to answer any possible questions.
If the Pastor is agreeable to the establishment of a chapter of the Society, a strategy is worked out for publicizing the Society and inviting parishioners to join. The parish bulletin and promotion from the pulpit, in conjunction with the distribution of the leaflet "One Hour With Him," are basic recruiting means. Personal contact, of course, is also most effective. Details pertaining to the actual signing up and organizing of new members are worked out on the local level.
STEPS LEADING TO ESTABLISHMENT
When a sufficiently large number of people has signed up for membership in the Society, national headquarters is asked for a sample draft for drawing up a local Constitution. This Constitution and a form for canonical establishment (provided by headquarters) are presented by the Pastor to the local ordinary, the bishop of the Diocese, for his approval for affiliation (Statutes, 2).
A chartered Society like the Nocturnal Adoration Society must have a formal reception of its members into the Society. The ritual for this ceremony is found in the Society's official prayer book, The Office of the Blessed Sacrament (Statutes, 8, 22). The names of received members are then entered into the register which each NAS chapter has in its keeping (Statutes, 9).
AFFILIATION WITH THE ARCH-CONFRATERNITY
If an established NAS chapter does well, it eventually petitions headquarters for a form for affiliation with the Arch-Confraternity for Nocturnal Adoration in Rome. This form is then presented to the local ordinary for his approval for affiliation (Statutes, 2). When headquarters is notified of approval for affiliation, a formal decree of affiliation is sent to the Pastor. This decree may be kept in the parish file or else framed and kept somewhere in the parish buildings (e.g., the sacristy).
INTERPAROCHIAL CHAPTERS
It may sometimes happen that there are only small groups of people, desirous of Nocturnal Adoration, in several parishes of a particular city, town, or area. In that case, it is recommended that these groups, representing their individual parishes, join in forming a unified Nocturnal Adoration chapter. When a chapter is inter-parochial, it is customary for each participating parish to assume the responsibility for one or two hours of the vigil (Statutes, 3).
FINAL WORDS OF ASSURANCE
In each step of the process of establishment and consolidation of a local chapter, national headquarters is always ready to provide whatever assistance is required.
Wherever the aims and spirit of Nocturnal Adoration have been maintained and promoted, parochial life has been enriched by the blessings of Eucharistic prayer and witness. Within a context of night-time quiet and opportunity for prayerful reflection, the Nocturnal Adoration Society offers today's Catholic the possibility of deeper personal communion with God and growth in Eucharistic faith.
NOCTURNAL ADORATION SOCIETY
National Headquarters
184 East 76th Street
New York, NY 10021
Telephone: 212.288.5082
vii. Reception for New Members
EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
A few minutes before the start of the first hour of the Vigil, the Spiritual Moderator or other designated person exposes the Blessed Sacrament according to the directives given in the section of the Roman Ritual entitled "Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass," 84-94. (See also 19-21 of the Statues of the Nocturnal Adoration Society.)
The directives referred to above state that a hymn may be sung as the minister exposes the Eucharist on the altar. The following or any other suitable Eucharistic hymn may be sung.
O SALUTARIS
O Saving Victim, opening wide
the gate of heav'n to man below;
our foes press on from every side;
thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
To thy great name be endless praise,
immortal Godhead, one in three!
O grant us endless length of days,
in our true native land with thee. Amen.
CEREMONIAL FOR RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS
The candidates kneel at the front of the sanctuary. The Spiritual Moderator, or other delegated cleric, in liturgical vesture, then blesses the badges.
Presider:
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in this ceremony for the reception of new members, let us ask the Lord to bless these badges.
Almighty, everlasting God, we ask you in your kindness to bless these emblems (+) which recall the honor and worship due the Eucharistic presence of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; so that whoever wears the badge and humbly strives to serve and honor your Son through Nocturnal Adoration may by his merits and intercession be granted your abundant grace in this life and share his glory in the eternal Kingdom, through Christ our Lord.
Candidates:
Amen.
President:
Father, we are presenting these candidates for admission into the Nocturnal Adoration Society.
Presider:
If you think them qualified for admission, it is with joy that I welcome them into our Society.
(To the candidates) Why do you wish to become a member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society?
Candidates:
I have come to know the love of God ― shown forth in Jesus ― and celebrated in the Eucharist, ― and I wish to respond to God's gift ― with the gift of my love.
Presider:
How do you intend to do this?
Candidates:
I wish to make Jesus in the Eucharist the center of my life, to participate frequently in the celebration of Mass, ― to prolong the grace of the Eucharist in my prayer, ― especially in fidelity to my monthly hour of adoration, ― and to proclaim and extend Christ's love in the witness of my daily life.
Presider:
What do you ask of the Lord in return?
Candidates:
To become, in spirit and truth, an adorer of the risen Lord in the Eucharist ― so that the kingdom of Jesus may come in power among us.
Presider:
How do you propose to persevere in this purpose?
Candidates
My source of inspiration will be the Gospels, ― my strength, the body and blood of Christ, ― my support, a community of brother and sister adorers ― who have also experienced the goodness of God ― through this great sacrament.
The badges are then distributed to each member at the front of the sanctuary. As he gives the badge, the Presider says:
Accept this badge as a reminder of your membership and commitment in our Society.
After the new members have received their badges, all members present stand and together recite the following Act of Commitment.
ACT OF COMMITMENT
In union with all the members of the Archconfraternity of Nocturnal Adoration Society. ― I offer you, O Lord, here present among us ― through the mystery and power of the Eucharist, ― the pledge of my worship of adoration ― thanksgiving ― reparation ― and petition, ― and especially my resolve to join with you, ― through Eucharistic prayer during the hours of night, ― in your intercession with the Father for the salvation of the world.
I trust in the intercession and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ― Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, ― and of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, apostle of the Eucharist.
May you, O Lord, be ever praised by all, ― for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours ― now and forever. Amen.
With the following words, which are essential for valid membership in the Society, the Presider signifies his acceptance of the new members.
In virtue of the faculty granted me by the Holy See through the Archconfraternity of Nocturnal Adoration, I hereby receive you into the Archconfraternity of Nocturnal Adoration and make you beneficiaries of all the spiritual benefits which have been expressly granted by the Holy See to the Archconfraternity in Rome. (He blesses the new members.) May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.
viii. Prayers for Deceased Members
Prayers for Deceased Members
Every Nocturnalist in good standing at the time of death is entitled to the Mass and prayers specified in number 40 of the Statutes of the Society. Toward the end of every hour of the night of vigil, the following prayers shall be said for all deceased members of our society.
INTRODUCTION
Leader:
Let us pray for our departed brother and sister adorers (especially for those who died during the past month) that God may grant them repose and the reward of eternal life.
PSALM 120
Leader: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Right: Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
Left: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
Right: But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.
Left: I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
Right: My soul waits for the Lord more than who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
Left: O Israel, hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
Right: And with him is great power to redeem.
Left: It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Leader: Let us pray (Pause):
Father in heaven, you loved the world so much that you gave your only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as our redeemer. We ask your merciful love for your servants, our brother and sister adorers. Through the death of Jesus, you opened the gates of life for those who believe in him. Our brother and sister adorers believed with a firm, adoring faith. Do not permit them to be parted from you, but by your glorious power, grant them a place of light, joy, and eternal peace. Grant this through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Leader: Most merciful Father, we commend all departed Nocturnalists into your hands. We are filled with the sure hope that they will rise again on the last day with all those who have died in Christ. Father, in your great mercy, accept our prayer that the gates of paradise may be opened for our brother and sister adorers. In life, they were dedicated Nocturnalists and spent many hours praying in union with your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in his Eucharistic mystery ― the same mystery wherein Christ broke the snare of death, and rose again for the salvation of all who believe in you. Grant peace to your servants awaiting the call of your Son to share the full light of your face and the everlasting joy of your presence. We ask this in your mercy through Christ our Lord and redeemer.
All: Amen.
Leader: May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 
All: Amen.
