Q: Thanks for your previous answers to our questions about Exposition after Mass at our convent over the years. I have another question pertaining to that.
We have been exposing the Blessed Sacrament after communion and then the priest closes with the post communion prayer with no concluding rite. Today, a different priest said the concluding rite but eliminated the blessing. So he ended with “Go in peace” like a Mass usually would end.
Is that a ‘proper’ thing to do? Ultimately, I’m not bothered if the priest forgets how we do things at the convent but that was the first time I heard a priest do that so I’m curious about it. Some of the monks have a hard time just ending with the post communion prayer, I think. I like consistency however and would like to have a liturgical reason to get them all on board if necessary. :). I appreciate your thoughts.
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A: Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery says at no. 94 that “The Mass then should end with the Prayer after Communion, with the Concluding Rites omitted.”
The dismissal is part of the concluding rites, and it is omitted when exposition follows Mass.