This is from a Mass surrounding the 40 hours Devotion that my parish had a couple months back. It is one of my favorite shots. Remember, all of these are from Novus Ordo Masses, not Tridentine, and all are celebrated ad orientem at Assumption Grotto in Detroit. Torchbearers just give it that much more solemnity.
There is a history in the form of a two part Q & A below. Fr. William Saunders explains it in The Catholic Herald:
40 Hours History - Part 1
40 Hours History - Part 2
Do you have 40 hours yearly at your parish? If so, when? Tell us about it and share your experience.
This was my first time and I had never heard of this before. There was something awe-inspiring about spending a couple of hours in silence before Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. This is how we truly discover God. Silence is so important because it helps us hear his voice among the many others that drown His out.
There is an interesting read on holy silence, written by one of the priests, (which go by "Brother of the Holy Cross"). I can almost guarantee, you will feel different about spending quality quiet time with God after reading this, if you haven't already figured it out.
