CCC
1378 Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we
express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and
wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration
of the Lord. "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to
the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but
also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care,
exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in
procession." 1379 The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the
Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those
absent outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist
deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the
Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the
tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and
should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth
of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
1418 Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar,
he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. "To visit the Blessed
Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of
adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Paul VI, MF 66)
1380 It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain
present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his
departure from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental
presence; since he was about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted
us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the
end," even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he
remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up
for us, and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love:
The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus
awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet
him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends
for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never
cease.
CCC
1378 Eucharistiae cultus. In Missae liturgia, nostram fidem in praesentiam realem Christi sub panis et vini speciebus, exprimimus, inter alia, genua flectentes vel profunde in signum adorationis Domini nos inclinantes. « Hunc latriae cultum Eucharistiae sacramento praestandum, Catholica Ecclesia non solum intra, verum etiam extra Missarum sollemnia exhibuit et exhibet, consecratas Hostias quam diligentissime adservando, eas sollemni fidelium venerationi proponendo, in processionibus frequentissimi populi laetitia circumferendo ». 354
1379 Sancta reservatio (tabernaculum) prius destinabatur ad Eucharistiam digne servandam ut aegrotis et absentibus posset extra Missam deferri. Ecclesia, per ulteriorem penetrationem in fidem de reali Christi praesentia in Eucharistia, effecta est conscia sensus silentiosae adorationis Christi sub speciebus eucharisticis praesentis. Hac de causa, tabernaculum collocari debet in loco ecclesiae peculiariter digno; sic construi debet ut veritas praesentiae realis Christi in Sanctissimo Sacramento efferatur et manifestetur.
1418 Eo quod Ipse Christus in altaris Sacramento praesens est, Eum cultu adorationis honorare oportet. Sanctissimi Sacramenti visitatio est « erga Christum Dominum [...] et grati animi argumentum et amoris pignus et debitae adorationis officium ». 398
1380 Valde conveniens est, Christum, hoc modo singulari, Ecclesiae Suae praesentem manere voluisse. Quia Christus sub Sua forma visibili relicturus erat Suos, nobis Suam praesentiam volebat donare sacramentalem; quia Ipse Se in cruce oblaturus erat ut nos salvaret, volebat nos memoriale habere amoris quo Ipse nos « in finem dilexit » (Io 13,1), usque ad vitae Suae donum. Re vera, Ipse, in Sua praesentia eucharistica, in medio nostri modo manet arcano sicut Is qui nos dilexit et tradidit Semetipsum pro nobis, 355 et quidem manet sub signis quae hunc amorem exprimunt et communicant:
« Ecclesiae quidem et mundo valde opus est eucharistico cultu. Praestolatur nos Iesus hoc in caritatis sacramento. Ne tempori nostro parcamus ut Eum conveniamus cum adoratione, cum contemplatione fidei plena et parata graves culpas et crimina mundi compensare. Adoratio nostra profecto numquam deficiat ». 356