Doroczna adoracja Najświętszego Sakramentu (Czterdziestogodzinne nabożeństwo). Dzieje – teologia – praktyka

Abstract

The 40-hours annual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has a long story and experienced a gradual development. It became part of the spiritual life of the Christian communities and contributed to reinforce the communion with Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. After the II Vatican Council the meaning of the 40-hours annual adoration has changed. The main reasons were the stress on the celebration of the Eucharist and the frequent access to the Holy Communion. But in course of time the Church rediscovered the importance of the adoration and recalled the annual adoration in the parishes. Today the problem is not the annual adoration itself but rather the way how to experience it. In every local church the situation is different and requires specific activities. In the life of the Church in Poland the 40-hours annual adoration is still present but needs to be deepen from the point of view of its organization and theological message.