Food for the sick

 

The earliest Christian practice of reserving the Eucharist arose from the pastoral need to bring holy communion—especially viaticum—to the sick and the dying. Over time, as the reserved sacrament came to be kept more permanently and securely in churches, theological reflection on the Real Presence and the growth of Eucharistic devotion led to practices such as adoration and Benediction. Thus, while Eucharistic adoration did not arise directly from viaticum, it developed historically from the Church’s practice of reserving the consecrated elements.