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In the Heart of the Church |
"The
Eucharist in the Midst of the Church Is the Great Sign of Her
Vitality"
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Address to Eucharistic Congress
June 16, 2008
Here is the address Cardinal Justin Rigali,
archbishop of Philadelphia, gave at the 49th International
Eucharistic Congress in Quebec.
The Sunday Celebration
Although my topic is the Eucharist in North America, my pastoral
experience is limited to the United States and particularly to the
two Archdioceses that I have served: Philadelphia and, prior to
this, St. Louis. I am convinced, however, that for so many parishes
in North America the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is the
essential experience of the faith and the source of our people’s
identity as the Church. It is the central act of parish life in
which the faithful offer adoration and thanksgiving to God for their
salvation in Christ and seek the grace of the Holy Spirit to grow as
faithful disciples.
According to a survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research
in the Apostolate Georgetown University, 2007, feeling the presence
of God as well as prayer and reflection are important aspects of
Mass for people in the United States. These aspects are in fact
realized in the Sunday celebration.
In the sacred Liturgy, the proclamation of the Word immediately
begins to draw the faithful into an encounter with Christ through
which the Father’s will for daily life is revealed. After our people
participate in the Eucharistic action, their reception of the Body
and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion strengthens their unity --
begun at Baptism -- with the Most Blessed Trinity and with one
another. At this point, the People of God are then sent forth as
witnesses of justice, truth and charity in their communities.
With different degrees of realization, the faithful of our dioceses
perceive this mysterious plan of God and this is a great blessing
for the Church. So many of our parishes have begun to appreciate the
centrality of the Eucharist and become vital families of faith. The
teaching of Vatican II expressed in the Liturgical Constitution
Sacrosanctum Concilium has borne fruit in our parishes: “The liturgy
is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed;
it is also the font from which all her power flows” (no. 10).
Despite this central focus on the Eucharist in parochial life,
studies report that less than fifty percent of our people regularly
attend Sunday Mass with any regularity. For many people the feasts
of Christmas and Easter, together with the occasional family
baptism, marriage or funeral, are the only encounters with the great
mysteries of their faith and the community that celebrates them. The
lives of these people reflect an indifference to God that permeates
the culture. This situation certainly calls for increased efforts at
catechesis to invite a return to the Eucharist of those who do not
fully participate in it, and to help strengthen the fidelity of
practicing Catholics.
Scripture and the Mass
The celebration of the Liturgy of the Word within the Mass has in
fact transformed the lives of many of the people in our parishes.
This weekly encounter with Christ through the proclamation of the
Word and the homily has provided a school of spiritual formation and
a source of teaching the faith of the Church. The people have been
guided by zealous priests and deacons through this experience in the
application of the faith to their daily lives. In this way they have
more deeply experienced the community of the Church.
The Liturgy of the Word has also become the means of catechesis for
the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the preparation of
children for the sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and
Confirmation. Those participating in Scripture study groups, lectio
divina and many lay ecclesial movements are being assisted to reach
a deeper relationship with Christ when they come to the Liturgy.
Frequent Holy Communion
Every Sunday many of the faithful regularly receive the Body and
Blood of Christ and are drawn into an intimate union with Christ.
This Sunday Communion is the primary source of their spiritual
nourishment on the path to holiness and of their empowerment to live
out faithfully the commandments in a culture that is so often
opposed to the Gospel.
At the same time, there is a great need to reemphasize what is
required for the proper reception of Holy Communion so that the
Blessed Sacrament is duly appreciated and reverently received. This
would include occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Baptisms,
Weddings and Funerals where inactive Catholics or members of other
Christian denominations are present. So many Mass booklets used in
the United States print the norms of the Bishops for the reception
of Holy Communion, indicating the need to both be Catholic and
spiritually prepared. A very succinct statement of Pope John Paul II
is very relevant to emphasize in today’s situation: “If a
Christian’s conscience is burdened by serious sin, then the path of
penance through the sacrament of Reconciliation becomes necessary
for full participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice” (Ecclesia de
Eucharistia, 37).
Eucharistic Adoration
Through the Rite of Eucharistic Exposition, the adoration of Christ
present in the Blessed Sacrament is growing throughout the United
States. Parishes are re-establishing the custom of the Forty Hours
Devotion, erecting chapels of perpetual adoration and scheduling
Holy Hours with extended exposition. This intimate union with the
Eucharistic Lord in continuous prayer is a sign of increased
reverence and devotion as well as a source of many graces and
blessings, not least of which is the discernment of priestly and
religious vocations by many of our young people.
At the same time, there is the need to safeguard and teach the
proper relationship between the celebration of the Mass and
Eucharistic Exposition. This must be done through appropriate
catechesis that enables the faithful to understand that exposition
is a continuation of the supreme adoration begun in the celebration
of the Eucharistic sacrifice and a deepening of our union with God
and one another. Pope Benedict XVI summarized this aspect in
Sacramentum Caritatis: “The act of adoration outside Mass prolongs
and intensifies all that takes place during the celebration itself”
(no. 66).
Full, Conscious, Active Participation
One of the goals of Vatican II was the call to full, conscious and
active participation in the Liturgy so that the faithful may grow in
holiness and apostolic works. Our people are actively engaged so
often when they gather for the celebration of the Eucharist. Through
programs of catechesis dedicated to formation and instruction, many
have come to understand the mysteries they celebrate, uniting
themselves through the action of the rite with our Lord Jesus
Christ, and recognizing the consequences for their daily lives of
what they celebrate. At the same time, responding to their baptismal
graces, our people have assumed many of the liturgical ministries
envisioned by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.
Liturgical Music
The liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council have
highlighted the integral role of music within the celebration of the
liturgy, especially the Mass. Music has successfully engaged the
faithful in the action of the rite, leading to adoration, praise and
thanksgiving. As such, it has had a formative role within the
celebration of the Mass. For so many parishes, music is normative at
the Sunday Mass. In addition to the retention by some communities of
traditional Gregorian chant, many forms of contemporary music are
effectively used. Yet there is a need to re-examine the forms of
music that are used and the lyrics that are sung. Since music is at
the service of the Liturgy, it is important that the lyrics
authentically express the truth contained in the texts of the rites
and that the forms of music are respectful of the sacred mysteries
celebrated. Work must continue in this important field.
Inculturation
Within the North American continent a variety of ethnic communities,
both native to this land and those who have immigrated, reside and
celebrate the Catholic faith. The diversity is great and a
manifestation of the universality of God’s kingdom. On any given
Sunday, Mass is celebrated in a great variety of languages as the
Church strives to meet the needs of the people. In addition to
language, cultural aspects, as permitted and approved by Church law,
have been included in the liturgy. Much more needs to be
accomplished in this area, under the guidance of the Church, to
engage the different communities and their cultures in the faith. In
this process, the proper balance between the unity of the faith and
cultural diversity needs to be constantly maintained.
Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of the Priest
In certain areas of the continent due to the shortage in the number
of priests, parishes do not have regular access to the Sunday Mass.
Instead, a Sunday Liturgy of the Word with or without the
Distribution of Holy Communion is celebrated, or one of the hours of
the Liturgy of the Hours. Doctrinal questions concerning the true
meaning of the Eucharist and the nature of the ordained ministry can
arise when these interim rites are celebrated frequently. These
celebrations call for an increase in prayer for vocations to the
priesthood, as well as a proper catechesis on the meaning of the
Eucharist as sacrifice, the real presence of Christ in the
Eucharist, the nature of the ordained priesthood and its essential
role in the Church.
The Eucharist as Source of Justice and Charity
Many parishes who devoutly and faithfully celebrate the Eucharist
and deeply reflect on the mystery they have experienced, are
undergoing a profound moral transformation that empowers them as
witnesses of justice and charity. Communion with God is leading so
many communities to communion with others; as a result the face of
God is more often recognized in others and the bonds of mutual love
in Christ are strengthened. As a result parishes commit themselves
to the practice of the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in
service to the community. This is an exhilarating effect of
Eucharistic piety.
The celebration of the Eucharist in North America continues to be
filled with many challenges. At the same time it bears splendid
witness to the mighty works that God is accomplishing in and for His
people. In a world that God is always drawing closer to Himself
through the Blood of the Lamb, the celebration of the Eucharist in
the midst of the Church is the great sign of her vitality and the
assurance of her share in Christ’s victory.
© Innovative Media, Inc.
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