Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
The Feast of Corpus Christi gives us the occasion to express
our faith in the real presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament through
Eucharistic Adoration. Unfortunately, in the liturgical reform following the 2nd
Vatican Council, there has been a perceived waning of Eucharistic Adoration
because of the over emphasis on the celebration aspect of the Eucharist. In his
Corpus Christi homily for this year, the Holy Father acknowledged and expressed
his sadness over this imbalance: “concentrating the whole
relationship with the Eucharistic Jesus only at the moment of Holy Mass risks
removing his presence from the rest of time and the existential space. And
thus, perceived less is the sense of the constant presence of Jesus in our
midst and with us, a concrete, close presence among our homes, as ‘beating
Heart’ of the city, of the country, of the territory with its various
expressions and activities.”
There
should be no conflict between Communion and Contemplation: “In reality, it is a mistake to oppose celebration and adoration, as if
they were in competition with one another. It is precisely the contrary: the
worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament is as the spiritual ‘environment’ in which
the community can celebrate the Eucharist well and in truth. Only if it is
preceded, accompanied and followed by this interior attitude of faith and
adoration, can the liturgical action express its full meaning and value. The
encounter with Jesus in the Holy Mass is truly and fully acted when the
community is able to recognize that, in the Sacrament, He dwells in his house,
waits for us, invites us to his table, then, after the assembly is dismissed,
stays with us, with his discreet and silent presence, and accompanies us with
his intercession, continuing to gather our spiritual sacrifices and offering
them to the Father."
“To really communicate with another person I must know
him, I must be able to be in silence close to him, to hear him and to look at
him with love. True love and true friendship always live of the reciprocity of
looks, of intense, eloquent silences full of respect and veneration, so that
the encounter is lived profoundly, in a personal not a superficial way. And, unfortunately,
if this dimension is lacking, even sacramental communion itself can become, on
our part, a superficial gesture.”
We have to adore what we receive in Holy Communion: “As Saint Augustine put it: ‘nemo autem illam carnem manducat, nisi prius adoraverit; peccemus non adorando – no one eats that flesh without first adoring it; we should sin were we not to adore it.’ In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; Eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the Eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church's supreme act of adoration. Receiving the Eucharist means adoring him whom we receive. Only in this way do we become one with him, and are given, as it were, a foretaste of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy. The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs and intensifies all that takes place during the liturgical celebration itself. Indeed, "only in adoration can a profound and genuine reception mature. And it is precisely this personal encounter with the Lord that then strengthens the social mission contained in the Eucharist, which seeks to break down not only the walls that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also and especially the walls that separate us from one another." (Sacramentum Caritatis, 66.)
The
Eucharist is not simply a matter of food and drink which we share in
fellowship. We cannot and should not deny that what we eat and drink is Christ
the Lord himself, the Holy One who offers himself to his Father to obtain our
eternal redemption. “In this Sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true
Blood (which)…cannot be apprehended by the senses but only by faith which
relies on divine authority.” (CCC, 1381.) Therefore, let us adore Christ in the
Holy Eucharist. “Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse
the time to go and meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and
open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our
adoration never cease.” (CCC, 1380)
Jesus, I
trust in you. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to
thee!
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