The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

What we call the Benediction, is a devotion practised by the church, in order to give adoration, praise and blessing, or benediction, to God for his infinite goodness and love, testified to us in the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, and to receive _ at the same time the benediction or blessing of our Lord there present.

When the Blessed Sacrament is taken out of the tabernacle, and set up to be seen by the people, the quire sings, O salutaris hostia, "Fe. ie. O saving victim, which openest the gates of heaven, lo, the wars of our enemies press upon us: do thou give us strength, and aid. To the great Lord, who is three in one, be everlasting glory; oh! may he grant us life without end, in our heavenly country. Amen.

After this, is usually sung some psalm, or pious metre, according to the order of superiors, or discretion of the officiant, or exigence of the times: such as Psalm xix. Exaudiat, for the king; Psalm xlv. Deus noster refugium, for peace; Psalm xc. Qui habitat, in time of tribulation; the Te Deum, in publick thanksgivings, &e, Then follows the hymn of the Blessed Sacrament, Pange Lingua, or at least the latter part of it, Tantum ergo. í THE HYMN Pange Lingua ING, O my tongue, adore and praise The depth of God’s mysterious ways:

How Christ the world’s great king bestow’d His flesh conceal’d in human food, And left mankind the blood that paid The ransom for the souls he made.

Giv’n from above and born for man, From virgin’s womb his life began: He liv’d on earth, and preach’d to sow The seeds of heav’nly truth below; Then seal’d his mission from above With strange effects of pow’r and love.

Twas on that evening when the last And most mysterious supper past: When Christ with his disciples sat, To close the law with legal meats; Then to the twelve himself bestow’d With his own hands to be their food.

The word made flesh for love of man By his word turns bread to flesh again; And wine, to blood, unseen by sense, By virtue of omnipotence:

And here the faithful rest secure, Whilst God can vouch, and faith insure.

Tantum Ergo a I \O this mysterious table now Our knees, our hearts, and sense we bow:

Let ancient rites resign their place To nobler elements of grace; And faith for all defects supply, Whilst sense is lost in mystery; To God the Father born of none, To Christ his co-eternal Son, And Holy Ghost, whose equal rays From both proceed, one equal praise: One honour, jubilee and fame, For ever bless his glorious name. Amen, y. Thou hast given them bread from heaven; Ry, Replenish’d with all sweetness and delight.

VY. Pray for us, O holy mother of God. ky. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, ℣. Lord save our king. ℟. And hear us in the day we call upon thee.

Let us pray O GOD, who hast left us in this wonderful sacrament a perpetual memorial of thy Passion: grant us we beseech thee so to reverence the sacred mysteries of thy body and blood, that we may continually find in our souls the fruit of thy redemption, who livest and reignest, Sc.

Defend, we beseech thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, this thy family from all adversity; and being prostrate before thee with our whole hearts protect us in thy mercy from the snares of our enemies, thro’ Jesus Christ our Lord. We beseech thee, Almighty God, that thy servant N. our king, who by thy mercy has undertaken the government of this realm, may also receive the increase of all virtues; with which being adorned, he may both avoid the monsters of sins, and being pleasing in thy sight, come at length to thee, who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life, thro’ Christ our Lord. Amen, When the priest gives the Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament, bow down and profoundly adore your Saviour there present; give him thanks for all his mercies, offer your whole self to him to be his for ever; and earnestly beg his blessing upon you and yours, and upon his whole Church. Or you may say thus, Adoro te Devote, &c.

DEVOUTLY adore thee, O hidden Deity, Which liest conceal’d indeed under these forms; To thee my whole heart subjects itself, Because it finds itself quite lost in contemplating thee.

The sight, the feeling and the taste are here deceiv’d, But the hearing alone may be safely believed; ` I believe whatever the Son of God has spoke; Nothing can be more true than the word of truth.

Upon the cross the divinity alone was conceal’d; But here the humanity also lies hid: Yet I believe and confess both one and the other, And make the same petition as did the penitent thief.

I do not here see thy wounds as Thomas did, Yet I confess thee to be my God: O grant that I may ever believe in thee more and more, And evermore put my trust in thee, and love thee.

Ta Benediction O blessed memorial of the death of our Lord, O living bread, giving life to man, Grant that my soul may ever live on thee; Grant that I may ever relish thy sweetness.

O pious pelican, Jesus our Lord, Cleanse me an unclean sinner with thy blood; One drop of which is sufficient to save The whole world from all its guilt.

O Jesus, whom I now see under a vail, O when will that hour come, which I so l much long for! When the vail being removed, I shall see thy face, And be happy for ever in the contemplation of thy glory. Amen.

Or else you may say, AIL true body, born of the blessed Virgin Mary, which truly sufferedst, and wast immolated upon the cross for man: whose side being pierced sent forth true blood, O grant that I may worthily receive thee at the hour of my death. O most clement, O most gracious, O most sweet Saviour Jesus, Son of the eternal God, and of the ever blessed Virgin, have mercy on me.