The Musician/Liturgist
and The Sacrament of Charity (cont.)
The intrinsic relationship between celebration and adoration
[66] One of the most moving moments of the Synod came when we gathered in Saint Peter's Basilica, together with a great number of the faithful, for eucharistic adoration.
In this act of prayer, and not just in words, the assembly of Bishops wanted to point out the intrinsic relationship between eucharistic celebration and eucharistic adoration.
A growing appreciation of this significant aspect of the Church's faith has been an important part of our experience in the years following the liturgical renewal desired by the Second Vatican Council.
During the early phases of the reform, the inherent relationship between Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was not always perceived with sufficient clarity.
For example, an objection that was widespread at the time argued that the eucharistic bread was given to us not to be looked at, but to be eaten.
In the light of the Church's experience of prayer, however, this was seen to be a false dichotomy.
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."
The practice of eucharistic adoration
[67] With the Synod Assembly, therefore, I heartily recommend to the Church's pastors and to the People of God the practice of eucharistic adoration, both individually and in community.
Great benefit would ensue from a suitable catechesis explaining the importance of this act of worship, which enables the faithful to experience the liturgical celebration more fully and more fruitfully.
Wherever possible, it would be appropriate, especially in densely populated areas, to set aside specific churches or oratories for perpetual adoration. I also recommend that, in their catechetical training, and especially in their preparation for First Holy Communion, children be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus, and helped to cultivate a sense of awe before his presence in the Eucharist.
Here I would like to express appreciation and support for all those Institutes of Consecrated Life whose members dedicate a significant amount of time to eucharistic adoration. In this way they give us an example of lives shaped by the Lord's real presence. I would also like to encourage those associations of the faithful and confraternities specifically devoted to Eucharistic adoration; they serve as a leaven of contemplation for the whole Church and a summons to individuals and communities to place Christ at the center of their lives.
Forms of eucharistic devotion
[68] The personal relationship which the individual believer establishes with Jesus present in the Eucharist constantly points beyond itself to the whole communion of the Church and nourishes a fuller sense of membership in the Body of Christ.
For this reason, besides encouraging individual believers to make time for personal prayer before the Sacrament of the Altar, I feel obliged to urge parishes and other church groups to set aside times for collective adoration.
Naturally, already existing forms of Eucharistic piety retain their full value.
I am thinking, for example, of processions with the Blessed Sacrament, especially the traditional procession on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Forty Hours devotion, local, national and international Eucharistic Congresses, and other similar initiatives.
If suitably updated and adapted to local circumstances, these forms of devotion are still worthy of being practiced today.
The location of the tabernacle
[69] In considering the importance of Eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ's sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches.
The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ's real presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Therefore, the place where the Eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church.
It is therefore necessary to take into account the building's architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant's chair in front of it.
In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous.
Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint.
Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal in this regard.
In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop.
Eucharistic consistency
[83] Here it is important to consider what the Synod Fathers described as Eucharistic consistency, a quality which our lives are objectively called to embody.
Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationships with others: it demands a public witness to our faith.
Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defence from conception to natural death, the family built upon marriage between a man and a woman, the freedom to educate one's children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms.
These values are not negotiable.
Consequently, Catholic politicians and legislators, conscious of their grave responsibility before society, must feel particularly bound, on the basis of a properly formed conscience, to introduce and support laws inspired by values grounded in human nature.
There is an objective connection here with the Eucharist (cf. I Cor 11:27-29).
Bishops are bound to reaffirm constantly these values as part of their responsibility to the flock entrusted to them.
Conclusion
[97] Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may the Holy Spirit kindle within us the same ardour experienced by the disciples on the way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35) and renew our "Eucharistic wonder" through the splendor and beauty radiating from the liturgical rite, the efficacious sign of the infinite beauty of the holy mystery of God.
Those disciples arose and returned in haste to Jerusalem in order to share their joy with their brothers and sisters in the faith.
True joy is found in recognizing that the Lord is still with us, our faithful companion along the way.
The Eucharist makes us discover that Christ, risen from the dead, is our contemporary in the mystery of the Church, his body.
Of this mystery of love we have become witnesses.
Let us encourage one another to walk joyfully, our hearts filled with wonder, towards our encounter with the Holy Eucharist, so that we may experience and proclaim to others the truth of the words with which Jesus took leave of his disciples: "Lo, I am with you always, until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20).
See full document at Sacramentum caritatis
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