This weekend the seminary community celebrated a Forty Hours Devotion, which is a period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition.  The focus is upon our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, the number forty being reminiscent of the forty hours Jesus remained in the sepulcher before the resurrection.  St. John Neumann was the first in this country to promote this devotion. 

            The time of adoration began Friday with Solemn Evening Prayer and Exposition in the main chapel of St. Raphael.  The entire community then participated in a procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the chapel of the McCarthy House, where the monstrance was placed on the altar (see top photo) for the forty hours of devotion to begin. 

       

                Two seminarians were assigned to each hour, even throughout the night.  Many went to spend time with the Lord in the Eucharist outside their assigned hours.  By experiencing such intimate communion with the Lord, we prayed as a community that we would receive the graces to live in reality as Men of Communion with the Lord and with each other.  It was a beautiful way to begin the academic semester. 

             

                At the end of the forty hours, the Blessed Sacrament was brought back to the main chapel.  The community celebrated Solemn Morning Prayer, and Fr. Alvarez presided over Benediction.  With the Benediction, the period of Forty Hours Devotion was brought to a close.