I'm not sure if you're asking for an explanation or an opinion :)

I don't think "Eucharistic Devotion" is the same thing as receiving communion.  According to Wiki it is:

Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Catholic Church (mostly, but not always, in the Latin Rite) and in some Anglican churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful. When this exposure and adoration is constant (twenty-four hours a day), it is called Perpetual Adoration. In a parish, this is usually done by volunteer parishioners; in a monastery or convent, it is done by the resident monks or nuns.

The host is placed in a "monstrance" and is worshipped

Why do I find that obscene?

It used to be a sin for Catholics to skin Sundays- don't think, most congrgations or catholics see it that way anymore. but I think this might still account for more Catholics going to Church on Sunday. (I grew up Catholic)

I am not sure if "Eucharistic Devotion" means the attendence, though. She might have been involved in giving out communion in her convent, or she  had the task of giving it to the sick in the hospital.

Does it matter to me?- Absolutely. Probably from my Catholic history I have had powerful communion experiences. It's about the only thing I miss since leaving the Catholics.

My last congrgation had communion two or three times a year- if you take that as a sign of faith, they weren't remembering Jesus very much. ( "Do that in rememberace of me")

I think, the UCC just hasn't discovered the meaning of communion, otherwise it would make it more central. Especially the UCC, with it's motto of inclusiveness. Communion as well as the Lord's prayer" is universal to a lot of Christian churches, communion as an act of inclusiveness and sharing, I often feel solidarity with the people breaking bread and sharing the cup in other parts of the world and in other congregations when having communion.

Meredith,

Nobody worships the eucharist. You have to take it as a symbol. It is easier to meditate, if you focus your eye on something. It is believed that Christ is present. You have to keep in mind that this was all made to make it easier for people. There is some people who prefer rituals over brainy discussions. It all has it's place, unless it hurts someone.

I dunno Crazy - maybe because you, being a good Protestant (), just don't understand it very well.  I don't find it obscene.  Interesting and a bit of a head scrather definitely.

Indecent? Not really.  My confession has to include some thoughts around the words  'exposed to' though. 

I guess that I was thinking two ways. One that she could be praised for taking communion  if that is the case and second because of my Protestant roots - believing that the elements are the real body and blood of Christ and should be exposed to and adored. Obscene, I apologise was the wrong word. I  should have said baffled or some other word.

It is confusing and seems "obscene" to a lot of Protestants mainly because of the vast differences in theology of eucharist.  Like you I struggle around eucharistic adoration or the amount of times one receives communion being held up as "life's work".  That said, worship is important and the way we are inspired to serve Christ in the world.  I imagine that was the case for the Nun as her missionary spirit was also noted. 

It's code for "being a solid Catholic, and orothodoxy" It actually might be a lie too. I was at a funeral for a buddhist, however in compassion for his mother he allowed her to have a priest give him the "last rites" So at the funeral the priest  said similar things about my budhist friend.

I've come across the idea of perpetual adoration in literature.  It was presented as being a way to make up for the apostles failure to stay awake to watch for one hour in the garden of gethsemne.

So Rowan , any idea how this Nun would have done perpetual adoration?

Reasonable chance she did it on her knees.  Maybe with a rosary in her hands.

Nuns—can anyone explain?

None can explain.

(Sorry, couldn't resist punning—or nunning :-) 

Crazyheart you may be interested in reading the Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist 1965.  It outlines the reasons and the processes for Eucharistic Devotion.  I will warn you it is long and convoluted since encyclicals haven't changed much since Augustus' time.
 

Does it matter to non-Catholics, probably not as it contains specific church practice.  However I think these words could apply to anyone....

Therefore we earnestly hope that the restored sacred liturgy will bring forth abundant fruits of eucharistic devotion, so that the Holy Church, under this saving sign of piety, may make daily progress toward perfect unity[3] and may invite all Christians to a unity of faith and of love, drawing them gently, thanks to the action of divine grace.

Mysterium Fidei

Perhaps these words from Mother Theresa are a little clearer

In our congregation, we used to have adoration once a week for one hour, and then in 1973, we decided to have adoration one hour every day.  We have much work to do.  Our homes for the sick and dying destitute are full everywhere.  And from the time we started having adoration every day, our love for Jesus became more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, our love for the poor more compassionate, and we have double the number of vocations.  God has blessed us with many wonderful vocations.  The time we spend in having our daily audience with God is the most precious part of the whole day.

Sometimes we only see one definition of a word.  Devotion does not imply only strict observation of a practice but can also refer to the living of the principles behind the practice.  Perhaps what the obituary was saying was that the good Sister lived her life in a loving communion with her church, people and her God.

LB

Therefore, you ask, how often would be enough to have been a guest of this Supper? It is not for any man to give a specific answer to this, either with a number or with a certain measure, other than as often as a troubled conscience feels and recognizes that it needs those benefits that are offered in the Supper for comfort and strengthening.

    Martin Chemnitz (1522–1586)

Thank you LB. It is making much more sense now.

Greetings!

Thank you , LB, for the words of Mother Teresa you posted.  From them I glean that in their time spent with Jesus they were uplifted and encouraged to serve, and that as their love for Jesus grew so did their love for others.

Hope, peace, joy, love ...

Didn't I say pretty much the same thing in my post re how worship inspires our work?

You're perhaps overgeneralizing a bit about the UCC since worship practice is pretty much up to each church and minister. We had a thread on Communion a while back and the churches here were all over the map. The UCC I attend on my non-UU Sundays does communion monthly and Lord's Prayer every service, which I think is closer to your expectations. The one I grew up in was more like every other month or even every quarter (plus special Communions like Christmas Eve) for Communion, again the Lord's Prayer was part of every service.

Mendalla

Meredith, I did neglect to say, that i appreciated your post upthread.Thank you

Mendalla,

For the Catholics communion is central to the worship so that they have it every Sunday. The difference to the Protestants is that Luther's "revolution" of the church was that people are saved by grace, not by deed- since then "the word" became more important, so the sermon is the central point together with the scripture. I mentioned the Lord's prayer as another example of something we all have in common.