Q: Dear Fr. Turner,
I appreciate your helpful expertise with countless questions on liturgical matters.
Our pastor recently instituted exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament immediately after the weekday masses at our parish. While I am generally happy about this practice, some aspects of this implementation are concerning to me, and I’m wondering whether my concerns are well founded.
First, although exposition takes place immediately after mass (the monstrance is even placed on the credence table throughout mass), mass concludes in the normal way with blessing and dismissal. He may or may not go to the sacristy briefly to remove his chasuble, but if he does go to the sacristy, he does not return wearing a white stole unless the vestments for mass were white. Members of the congregation are invited to remain but have a chance to depart. Next the priest then lights additional candles on the altar and places the monstrance on the altar. Then from the tabernacle behind the altar he retrieves a lunette that contains a host that was not consecrated at the mass that has just ended and places the lunette in the monstrance as we sing “O Saving Victim.” No humeral veil or incense is used at this time.
Due to my schedule, I have been unable to stay for benediction at the end of exposition, which lasts an hour.
My concerns are that HCWEMOM 85, 93, and 94 are not being followed, viz. the omission of incense when exposition is with a monstrance, the inclusion of the Concluding Rites of Mass, and not using a host consecrated at the mass that has just concluded. I’m not sure whether a humeral veil is needed if the tabernacle is so close to the altar where exposition takes place. Rather than simply calling into question what my pastor is doing, I’d like to offer a suggestion about what is permissible. If for some reason the use of incense is not possible, I would think I could suggest moving to exposition with a ciborium rather than a monstrance. Moreover, section 94 of HCWEMOM is somewhat ambiguous in scope, as it seems to give instructions only where exposition is “more solemn and extended.” What factors make exposition “more solemn and extended?” If exposition is simply with a ciborium for an hour, do the provisions in section 94 need to be followed?
Thank you for your guidance.
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A: You are correct that the priest is taking some liberties with HCWEMOM.
When exposition follows Mass, the monstrance is placed on the altar and a newly consecrated host is inserted as communion concludes. The host is on view for the Prayer after Communion.
Incense is expected when exposition takes place with a monstrance.
I think you lay out the concerns with your pastor. You could suggest exposition with a ciborium, but that has not gained much traction in the United States.
As to what “more solemn and extended” means, I expressed my view on this in my book Eucharistic Reservation on p. 121. “Catholics have customarily referred to this ceremony as ’solemn exposition,’ but the revised ritual avoids the expression (apart from HC 86), perhaps because it seems tautologous. Any exposition is solemn. An extended one is more solemn.”
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