Pope Benedict XVI's has recently published the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity) which reflects on the Holy Eucharist as: a Mystery to be believed; a Mystery to be celebrated; a Mystery to be lived. It will be available, in English and Spanish, from USCCB Publishing on

April 2, 2007. The text can also be downloaded from the Vatican Web site at: www.vatican.va/

phome_en.htm

Books will be in bookstores across the country and can also be ordered on the Web site at www.usccbpublishing.org or by phone (800) 235-8722.

In Sacramentum Caritatis, a papal reflection on the discussions and suggestions made during the 2005 World Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist, Pope Benedict addresses the relationship of the Eucharist to daily life. The apostolic exhortation was released by the Holy See March 13, 2007.

In a statement welcoming the Apostolic Exhortation, the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop William S. Skylstad, said: "Pope Benedict teaches that the Eucharist finds its source within the wellspring of love that is the Trinity, the love that is so abundantly expressed in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and in the new life of the Holy Spirit that flows into the hearts of those who participate in his sacrifice and receive him in Communion."

"The Holy Father also shows how the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Church's life in its relation to the other sacraments, especially the sacrament of Holy Orders and the sacrament of Matrimony," Bishop Skylstad said.

Like Pope Benedict's encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, the Apostolic Exhortation will be available less than three weeks after it was released.

The Holy Land Collection will be held in parishes throughout the Diocese of New Ulm on Good Friday (April 6). As far back as 1342, the Franciscans in the Holy Land have been entrusted the important mission of maintaining the Christian shrines. In 1421, Pope Martin V promulgated norms to regulate financial offerings to support their work. Without such support, the Franciscans could simply not carry out their task.

The economic crisis between Israel and the Palestine has caused terrible suffering for the Christian population that is often caught in the middle. There is, therefore, an urgent need to assist our brothers and sisters there, especially aiding them in their desire to preserve their Christian shrines for future generations.

This Good Friday Bishop John C. Nienstedt asks that we turn our attention to the plight of those living in the Holy Land. Please give generously to the Holy Land Collection in your parish on April 6, 2007.