Tantum Ergo

We Catholics believe in the true, complete presence of Christ in the Eucharist. So at adoration we don’t worship a piece of bread. Instead we pray in the physical presence of Christ. The below prayer (in it’s English translation) is sung at times during communal adoration. But it is not a piece of bread, or cookie, that we are adoring. Rather, it is Christ himself, our Lord and Savior, present in the Eucharist, celebrated at the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Mass, left for us through Christ’s own actions and his word (Sacred Scripture). Adoration is merely and extension of that Sacrament. So in praying the following prayer, we are worshiping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!


Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! over ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen.



For a more literal translation, thanks to wikipedia:

Let us, with heads bowed
Venerate so great a Sacrament,
And let the old practice yield
To the new rite;
Let faith, that which may fill the gap stand forward, to
Supply the defect of the senses.

To the Begetter and the Begotten,
Be praise and jubilation,
Salutation, honor, and moral excellence,
And blessing too,
And let equal praise be to Him,
Who proceeds from Both.
Amen.