Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament

This ceremony is a special act of love and worship of Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.

The priest places the Blessed Eucharist on the altar, in the monstrance or ciborium. He genuflects before Jesus and kneels. While Eucharistic songs are being sung, he incenses the Blessed Sacrament.

O Salutaris

O Salutaris Hostia                          O saving Victim!
Quae caeli pandis ostium.              Who opens the gate of heaven.
Bella premunt hostilia.                   Sore pressed are we by war and foes,
Da robur fer auxilium.                   Grant strength and bring us help.

Uni trinoque Domino                     To the One and Triune Lord,
Sit sempiterna gloria                      May everlasting glory be
Qui vitam sine termino                  Who may grant life without end
Nobis donet in patria. Amen.         To us in our true homeland. Amen

Tantum Ergo

Tantum ergo Sacramentum          Before this great Sacrament
Veneremur cernui:                         We come in reverent adoration:
Et antiquum documentum            And may the ancient practices
Novo cedat ritui:                            Give way to the new religious rites:
Praestet fides supplementum        Let our faith be strengthened
Sensuum defectui.                          Even if our senses fail us.

Genitori Genitoque                        To the Father and the Son,
Laus et iubilatio,                            Let there be praise and rejoicing,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque          Salvation, honour, virtue
Sit et benedictio:                            And blessing:
Procedenti ab utroque                   To the Spirit who proceeds from Both
Compar sit laudatio. Amen.          Let equal praise be given. Amen

The priest sings or says:

Panem de caelo praestitisti eis.
You have given them bread from heaven.

Response:
Omne delectamentum in se habentem.
Containing in itself all sweetness.

Standing, the priest sings or says:

Oremus Let us pray,
Deus qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili.      O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti;             left us a memorial of Your passion;
tribue, quaesumus, ita mos Corporis et        we ask that we may honour
Sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari,          the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood,
ut redemptionis tuae fructum                        so that we may feel continually within us
in nobis iugiter sentiamus.                             the fruit of Your redemption.
Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.   You who live and reign for ever and ever.

Response:
Amen.

The Blessing
After this prayer the priest puts on the humeral veil. Then he genuflects and makes the sign of the cross over the people with the monstrance.

The Divine Praises
(each Praise repeated after the Priest)

Blessed be God!
Blessed be His Holy Name!
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man!
Blessed be the Name of Jesus!
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart!
Blessed be his Most Precious Blood!
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar!
Blessed be Jesus, the Divine Mercy!
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete!
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy!
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception!
Blessed be her glorious Assumption!
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother!
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse!
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints!

Reposition
After the blessing the Blessed Sacrament is replaced in the tabernacle or returned to the Chapel of Adoration. The people stand and acclaim Jesus in song. The priest returns to genuflect before the tabernacle.

                     Benediction: Vessels and Vestments