8 THE BEACON § JUNE 11, 2009 PASTORAL LETTER [email protected] [email protected] PASTORAL LETTER THE BEACON § JUNE 11, 2009 9 The Real Presence: Life for the New Evangelization

To the priests, , religious and [6] From the earliest times, the III. Practical Reflections all the faithful: held a special place in the life of the Church. St. Ignatius, who, as a boy, had heard St. John [9] This faith in the Real Presence moves N the of the Most preach and knew St. , a of St. us to a certain awe and reverence when we Holy Body and , John, said, “I have no taste for the food that come to church. We do not gather as at a civic I wish to offer you some perishes nor for the pleasures of this life. I assembly or social event. We are coming into theological, historical and want the Bread of God which is the Flesh of the Presence of our Lord God and Savior. The O practical reflections on the Christ… and for drink I desire His Blood silence, the choice of the attire (i.e. not Eucharist. The Eucharist is which is love that cannot be destroyed” (Letter wearing clothes suited for the gym, for sports, “the culmination of the spiritual life and the goal to the Romans, 7). Two centuries later, St. for the beach and not wearing clothes of an of all the sacraments” (Summa Theol., III, q. 66, Ephrem the Syrian taught that even crumbs abbreviated style), even the putting aside of a. 6). Our rediscovery of this mystery opens us to from the Eucharistic host could sanctify chewing gum: all these gestures express our the rich and inexhaustible gift of divine life. thousands (cf. 4,4). deep faith in the Real Presence. When we come to the Eucharist reverently and [10] Just as our exterior dress and worthily, “we draw water joyfully from the [7] For the first 1500 years of the behavior reflect our reverence for the Real springs of (Is 12:3). In this mystery of Church, the belief in the Eucharist as the Body Presence, so also does our interior disposition. the Eucharist, we are renewed and the Church and Blood of Christ was held consistently and In the liturgy of the ancient Church, before the herself grows. For this purpose, I offer the firmly. Berengarius of Tours in the 11th century faithful approached Holy , they following pastoral instruction. was the exception. Berengarius asserted that the Eucharist is simply a symbol of Christ’s heard the words “Sancta sanctis” (i.e. holy gifts [12] Thus, the reception of Holy one another”( Benedict XVI, Address to the presence among us. He said that the only for those who have been made holy). This Communion is always more than a personal , December 22, 2005). I. History of the Feast of change that occurs after the priest speaks the means that those who humbly receive Holy act. It is a statement of one’s communion with no longer possible, he stopped the and [14] Adoration of Christ truly present takes place in the mind of Communion should not be in the state of the whole Church. This profound truth has Corpus Christi went to where Pope Urban IV was among us in the Eucharist is not something the believer. Faced with the faith of the practical consequences. Any who, in [1] One of the most famous churches in living at the time. After investigating the peripheral to Catholic devotion. It touches the universal Church, he eventually recanted his his or her personal or professional life, Italy is the Cathedral of Orvieto. The priest’s story, the Pope had the and very heart of our faith. Where the Eucharist is false teaching. For more than a millennium knowingly and obstinately rejects the Church’s cathedral’s Gothic façade boasts of bas-reliefs consecrated host brought in solemn treated with respect and deep reverence both and a half, therefore, belief in the Real defined doctrines or her definitive teaching on and mosaic works of bright blues and from Bolsena to Orvieto and placed in the by clergy and laity, where the Eucharist is Presence was universally accepted. Only with moral issues seriously diminishes communion gleaming golds. The Duomo (cathedral) rivals cathedral. The blood-stained corporal can still adored and worshiped, the community grows the Protestant did there occur a with the Church and should refrain from the the cathedrals of both Siena and Florence. It is be seen there today in a large reliquary made in love; many are brought to faith; marriages loss of understanding in the Real Presence. reception of Holy Communion (cf. United the earliest Italian architectural masterpiece for of silver and varicolored translucent enamel. become stronger; families grow closer and States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Happy which a master plan is available. But its claim [8] In every , the central vocations to the priesthood and consecrated [4] Before his election as Pope Urban IV, are Those Who Are Called to His Supper, pg.11). to fame lies elsewhere. position of the bears witness today to the life increase. The Eucharist is truly the gift of Jacques Pantaléon had been the of To receive Holy Communion while distancing Liege. St. Juliana, a of Liege, had urged Church’s constant faith that the Eucharist is life for the Church and the world. [2] In 1263, a priest by the name of Peter “the summit and source of the Christian life” oneself at the same time in one’s personal or him to institute a solemnity to honor the [15] May the Church of Paterson, of Prague was on his way to . He was a (Lumen Gentium, 11). The celebration of the professional life from defined or definitive Eucharist. After approving the miracle of the “renewed in the rediscovery of the gift and pious priest, but was experiencing some Eucharist is the sacrifice of the Cross made Church teaching would be dishonest. intellectual doubts about the faith. He decided host that bled at Bolsena, the Pope honored mystery of the Eucharist, extend this present in our midst. It is the same sacrifice [13] Finally, a sure way of increasing our to make a pilgrimage to strengthen his own that request. He instituted the feast of Corpus inexhaustible richness of life to those near and that made present proleptically at the proper reverence for the Real Presence and a vocation and to renew his belief in the mystery Christi. He commissioned St. far, in the urgent work of the new Last Supper. So strong is the Church’s belief in help in preparing to receive Holy Communion of the Eucharist. He stopped at Bolsena, a to write the Mass for this feast celebrating the evangelization” (John Paul II, November 16, the Real Presence that the Eucharist, reserved worthily is adoration of the Most Blessed town 14 miles from Orvieto. While saying Mass Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. 2004). in the tabernacle, is worshipped and adored. Sacrament. Adoration prolongs the Eucharistic in the Church of St. Christina, he witnessed In fact, the very positioning of the tabernacle celebration. It intensifies our union with the Given at the Pastoral Center of the the host which he had just consecrated bleed II. Theology of the Real in a place of prominence and honor gives Lord. “And it is precisely this personal Church of Paterson. over his hands and onto the corporal. Presence witness to our faith that the Eucharist is Jesus encounter with the Lord that then strengthens On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body [3] Somewhat taken back, he tried to truly present among us. the social mission contained in the Eucharist, and Blood of Christ. [5] The Church’s teaching on the Real serious sin. As St. Paul teaches, “A man should hide what was happening. But, when this was which seeks to break down not only the walls June 14, 2009. Presence was no medieval innovation. It is examine himself first; only then should he eat that separate the Lord and ourselves, but also firmly rooted in Sacred Scripture (cf. John of the bread and drink of the cup...” (1 Cor 11: and especially the walls that separate us from 6:32 — 71; 1 Cor. 10:16 — 17; 11:23 — 29). 28). In those cases where there is serious sin, Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, “This is my we should first be reconciled to God and the body” and “This is my blood of the covenant, Church through the before receiving Holy Communion. Arthur J. Serratelli, S.T.D., S.S.L., D. D. which will be shed for many,” are to be taken Bishop of Paterson literally (Mk 14: 22-24; cf. Mt 26: 26-28; Lk 22: [11] In commenting on Holy 19-20). The Eucharist is Jesus, body and blood, Communion, St. John Chrysostom says, “For soul and divinity. When the priest repeats what is the bread? It is the . And those words at the consecration during Mass, what do those who receive it become? The Sr. Mary Edward Spohrer, SCC Christ becomes present to us in the Eucharist. Body of Christ — not many bodies but one Chancellor The appearances of bread and wine remain body. For as bread is completely one, though after the words of consecration at Mass. But made up of many grains of wheat, and these, there is no longer bread, no longer wine. It is albeit unseen, remain nonetheless present, in Bishop Serratelli’s pastoral letter, “the body and blood, together with the soul such a way that their difference is not “The Real Presence: Life for the New and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, apparent since they have been made a perfect Evangelization,” is available in both English therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and whole, so too are we mutually joined to one and Spanish on the diocesan Web site — substantially contained” (Catechism of the another and together united with Christ” (In www.patersondiocese.org. Catholic Church, 1374). Epistolam I ad Corinthios Homiliae, 24, 2).