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Saint Lucia

	January & February 2005 48th Year Nos.1 & 2 Internet Edition Page 2 Click below for Page 1 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Home

The Eucharist Builds The Church
From the Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II,Chapter V
“On The Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church”


Year of The Eucharist The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus

Incorporation into Christ, which is brought about by Baptism, is constantly renewed and consolidated by sharing in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, especially by that full sharing which takes place in sacramental communion. We can say not only that each of us receives Christ, but also that Christ receives each of us. He enters into friendship with us: “You are my friends” (In 15:14). Indeed, it is because of him that we have life: “He who eats me will live because of me” (In 6:57). Eucharistic communion brings about in a sublime way the mutual “abiding” of Christ and each of his followers: “Abide in me, and I in you” (In 15:4).

By its union with Christ, the People of the New Covenant, far from closing in upon itself, becomes a “sacrament” for humanity, 39 a sign and instrument of the salvation achieved by Christ, the light of the world and the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-16), for the redemption of al1.4o The Church’s mission stands in continuity with the mission of Christ: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (In 20:21). From the perpetuation of the sacrifice of the Cross and her communion with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Church draws the spiritual power needed to carry out her mission. The Eucharist thus appears as both the source and the summit of all evangelization, since its goal is the communion of mankind with Christ and in him with the Father and the Holy Spirit.”

Eucharistic communion also confirms the Church in her unity as the body of Christ. Saint Paul refers to this unifying power of participation in the banquet of the Eucharist when he writes to the Corinthians: “The bread which we break, is it not a communion in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10: 16-17). Saint John Chrysostom’s commentary on these words is profound and perceptive: “For what is the bread? It is the body of Christ.

And what do those who receive it become? The Body of Christ - not many bodies but one body. For as bread is completely one, though made of up many grains of wheat, and these, albeit unseen, remain nonetheless present, in such a way that their difference is not apparent since they have been made a perfect whole, so too are we mutual joined to one another and together united with Christ.”42. The argument is compelling: our union with Christ, which is a gift and grace for each of us, makes it possible for us, in him, to share in the unity of his body which is the Church. The Eucharist reinforces the incorporation into Christ which took place in Baptism though the gift of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12:13,27).”

Eucharist and Solidarity with the Poor
From Bishop Gabriel Malzaire’s Doctoral Theseis in Sacred Liturgy Rome 2000,
Chapter V
‘The insights of Paul VI on Eucharistic Orthopaxy as a Legacy and Challenge for Contemporary Catholic Theology

That the first Christians did not fully understand this challenge is clearly stated by St. Paul in the First Letter to the Corinthians, in which he chastises rich and inebriated members of the liturgical assembly who were unconcerned for the poor and hungry ones. Such behaviour meant that they did not legitimately enact the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1Cor 11, 20-21). Later, St. Justin observed that there is an essential correlation between the sacred bread and wine distributed during the eucharistic celebration and the material possessions shared by Christians with the needy after its conclusion112. Thus, he viewed both forms of sharing as stemming from thanksgiving to God the Father of Jesus Christ for all that has been created and redeemedll3. Similarly, St. Cyprian regarded sacramental communion as the basis of Christian solidarity with the poor1l4. St. John Chrysostom asserts that it pleases Christ voluntarily to abide in human persons who are in need of help from others. In the Homily on Matthew he states: «Because he is a poor man, give him to eat; because it is Christ who is nourished, give him to eat»ll5. And he also pointed out how self-less service extended to the poor is related to the celebration of the Eucharist: «Christ has invited us to his table, and we have the hardness of heart not to invite him in turn [...] He has made us drink from his chalice, and we do not even give him a cup of fresh water» 116. In another text, the ecclesial sacrament is linked to the social sacrament of Christ: «Do you want to honour the body of the Lord? Do not condemn him when you see him covered with rags; after having honoured him in the Church with silk tapestry, do not leave him outside to suffer cold, do not leave him in misery [...] What is the sense of the fact that your table is burdened with golden chalices, whereas he is dying of hunger [...] The conclusion is: Do not forget your brother in misery, while you are decorating his house. Your brother is temple of Christ more than any Church building.

As has been pointed out in the expository part of this study, Paul VI unambiguously’ accentuated the correspondence between the sacramental presence of Christ in the Eucharist and his social presence in the poor. The Pope also described the Lord’s Supper as providing a «supernatural sociology» so as to orientate the diakonia to be practised by those who partake in it. However, Paul VI did not explicitly state that the presence of the poor Christ in the consecrated elements demands that Christians make a preferential option for the poor and suffering. It could be said that the mission of the Church is embodied in the real symbols of the self-giving Jesus whose mission was and remains an aspect of his person.

In contrast, Paul VI indicated the rite of communion as the moment when the Christ-like love of Christians is made possible through the reception of eucharistic grace. Therefore, theologians willing to enhance his teaching might present the Eucharist as a moral event in which Jesus Christ involves the members of his ecclesial body in his self-giving attitude to the needy. «Do this in memory of me» (Lk 22,19; lCor 11,24) should be explained in terms not only of a ritual to be enacted, but also of a mandate to be fulfilled: break bread and provide drink for others. Thus, theologians might point out that Christians could attain an even more perfect mystical union with Christ if, after meeting him and learning his values in the ecclesial sacrament of the Eucharist, they would serve him in the related social sacrament of the poor ll8. It should also be emphasised that eucharistic grace furnishes Christians with the moral power to transform their social environment through efforts to promote justice and peace. All of these suggestions are meant to show that the practico-social dimension of the eucharistic theology of Paul VI can be rooted in the values communicated by Christ through his real presence in the elements.

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First Year of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration

by Geoffrey Devaux

On the 15th of February 2005 (Happy Birthday Your Grace) the Cathedral Parish will celebrate its first year of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. A sincere thank you to all those who have made this a reality. Immense and countless have been the graces that have poured out on St. Lucia and the world because of the constant stream of adorers who have gone before the Blessed Sacrament. Some have gone for short visits to say ‘hello Jesus’, others to spend the “hour” that Jesus himself asked us to do.

Our Holy Father has declared this year the year of the Eucharist. Therefore for those who have not yet made a commitment, you are encouraged to take time out, yes even in the busiest time of your day to avail yourself of God’s beautiful love. You are encouraged to open your hearts to the Lord and with child like simplicity come and spend time with the one who promised us that He will be with us all days even to the end of the world.
The following was taken from “Letters to a brother priest” by Fr. Lucia and Msg. Ramirez.

In other words, the Eucharist is not a thing but a person. Unless we are willing to take time out and develop a personal relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we lose sight of the lovable person of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Eucharist diminishes in value in our sight.

What the youth need to know is that Jesus is the easiest person to be with. He is absolutely the easiest person in the world to please.

The great Bishop Sheen was going through a dry period where prayer was so difficult that he would just sit in the chapel without saying a word to Jesus. Because the Bishop did not think his holy hours were pleasing to Jesus, he became discouraged.

Then the Bishop remembered something. His little dog couldn’t talk, either. When the Bishop would sit down in his easy chair to read the newspaper, his dog would just sit on the floor next to him and keep him company. Just being there with him, the dog was a great consolation to the Bishop and made him very happy.

As the Bishop was thinking about this, he received an inspiration from God. Bishop Sheen was a great consolation and most pleasing to the Lord by just being there with him in the Blessed Sacrament, even though, like his little dog, he didn’t say anything to Jesus while he was there.

I love this story, Thomas, because as you know, I have a little dog, too. And because he is such a great consolation to me I call him “Amigo”. I love the story also because something similar happened to a priest friend of mine when I was pastor at San Miguel’s.
He was making a holy hour in our chapel of perpetual adoration. It was a terribly hot day and he was so tired and bothered by the heat that he could not pray. Just staying in the chapel for his hour was an effort. He was wondering if his hour had any value when, at that moment, a little white kitten came in.

It was so hot someone left the door open. At first my friend thought how much he hates cats. Then he watched as the little kitten went along each pew until it reached the back where my friend was sitting. The kitten stopped, looked up at my friend, put its head on his shoe like a pillow, and went to sleep.

My friend was thrilled. The little kitten had chosen to rest his head on his shoe. Then my friend heard this inspiration as loud as the Sunday Church Bells. If he who hates cats is so delighted by one choosing to be with him, how much more is Jesus delighted by us, whom he loves infinitely, when we choose to be with Him.

My friend, like Bishop Sheen, was never discouraged again in feeling unable to pray. The mere fact that he was there is a prayer of faith that he really believes that Jesus is there. It is a prayer of love because one chooses to be with those one wants to be with, those one truly loves.

Because you are the most important person in the world to Jesus, He stays day and night in the Blessed Sacrament for love of you. All He is asking is for you, dear Thomas, to find just one hour each day to be with Him.

The main point of every retreat and homily that Bishop Sheen ever gave was an effort to inspire everyone to make a daily holy hour. Before he died he was interviewed on T.V. The question he was asked was who inspired and influenced him? Was it a Pope, a Cardinal, a Bishop, a Priest, or perhaps a Nun?

Bishop Sheen said No. The one who inspired him to make a daily holy hourwas a youth. When the Communists took over China they went to one church and locked up the priest in his own house. That became his jail. Then they went to the church, broke into the Tabernacle, threw the Sacred Hosts on the floor and left.

They did not see a young girl kneeling in prayer. She was too small to notice. That night she came back, quietly sneaking past the guards at the priest house, before entering the dark cold church.

There she knelt in a holy hour of prayer before going into the sanctuary to receive her Lord and her God in Holy Communion. At that time Communion was still on the tongue and once a day was all that was allowed.

For this reason the little girl came back every night until all of the sacred hosts were consumed. She bent down to the floor and received Jesus on her tongue. All of this was witnessed by the parish priest from his window, as he saw the little girl in the
moonlight.

.The priest knew exactly how many hosts were in the ciborium because it was he who counted them and consecrated them. When the last host was consumed on the thirty-sixth night the little girl was discovered by the guards as she was leaving. They grabbed her and beat her to death.

The priest lived to tell the story. When Bishop Sheen heard it as a Seminarian, he made a promise to God to make a holy hour everyday during his entire priestly life, a promise he kept until he died at the age of eighty-two. By then he had inspired countless Bishops and priests to do the same. Few know it was a young person who inspired him.

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