Exterior Acts of Religion: Adoration

Divine adoration or latria is worship given to God alone. It is the highest type of religious reverence. The reverence we pay to the saints and angels is called dulia. Sometimes, especially in the older books and formulas, dulia is called adoration; but it is never called divine adoration. And the chief act of latria or divine adoration (thatis, the act of sacrifice), is never performed to express dulia, but only to express latria; sacrifice is offered to God alone.{-To Mary, the Mother of God, is offered a reverence which is higher than that offered to the other saints and to the angels; this reverence to Mary is called hyperdulia. It isa superior form of dulia; it is never latria. Latria is divine worship, divine adoration; it is given to no creatures, not even tothe most perfect of creatures; it is given only to God.-}

We are divinely commanded to adore God with our entire being -heart, soul, mind, strength-for we are, body and soul, God’s creatures and children. Hence, there must be external or exterior acts of latria as well as internal acts. To be sure, all such exterior acts have meaning as the expression of interioradoration in the soul.

God is rightly adored at all times and in all places. But, for the formal exercise of external acts of latria, it is fitting, and even necessary, that there should be a special and suitable place for divine worship.