And miles to go

by Bishop John C. Nienstedt

It has not been possible before this to devote a column to the themes presented by our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, on the Year of the Eucharist which he announced will run from October 2004 until October 2005. In his most recent apostolic letter, Mane Nobiscum Domine, the Pope links this year-long celebration to the celebration of the Jubilee Year in 2000 A.D. and the more recent Year of the Rosary. The central theme for all these events, of course, is Jesus Christ who is not only the center of the Church’s history but the center for the history of all mankind. By contemplating the face of Jesus, therefore, we gain clearer insight into the mysteries of our faith as well as the meaning of our earthly reality. Chief among the latter is an understanding of the human person himself. Coming to know Jesus better, we come to appreciate who we have been called to be.

It is this knowledge that motivated the Pope to proclaim the Year of the Rosary since the rosary is meant to lead us to contemplate the face of Christ with the same kind of love and affection as Mary did. The Year of the Eucharist builds on that meditation as you and I, contemporary disciples on the way to Emmaus, ponder the mystery of light which is our Eucharistic Lord made known in the “breaking of the bread.” (cf. Lk 24:35).

I urge all our Catholic people to read this wonderful letter from the Holy Father, along with his encyclical from last year, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, as well as the earlier letter, Dies Domini, dedicated to rediscovering the importance of the Sunday liturgy. (For copies, consult the Vatican Web site: www.vatican.va).

Surely the Holy Eucharist is the clearest indication of Jesus’ desire to be close to us and to remain with us. When we realize that He is the Son of God, you would think that it is we who would take the initiative to be close to Him and remain with Him, yet here He is moving toward us. We, therefore, have to ask ourselves: what is my response to Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist? How attentive am I to Sunday Mass? How do I prepare myself for that encounter? Do I read the Scriptures over before Mass begins? What attention do I give during Mass? How often do I visit the Eucharist outside of Mass to pray or just sit in His presence?

At the same time, our understanding of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist restricts us from sharing in Communion Services with our non-Catholic brothers and sisters or inviting them to share in our Holy Communion. This also applies to marriages in which one spouse may be Catholic and the other is a baptized Christian of another denomination. Since full communion in both belief and discipline has not been achieved, it is dishonest to pretend that we are one in faith by attempting intercommunion, whether at a wedding, a funeral or a Sunday Eucharist. Likewise, priests or deacons who indiscriminately invite all members of a congregation, irrespective of their religious background, to participate in the Eucharist commit a serious injury against the freedom of individual conscience as well as a serious criminal abuse against the sacredness of the Sacrament itself.

The Holy Father also points out that the Eucharist is both meal and sacrifice. In this sense, we gather as the community of faithful in our local parish not only to be nourished and renewed in our respective vocations, but to bring those vocations into the mystery of the Cross wherein they are transformed by the power of Christ’s love. Participating in this life-giving drama on at least a weekly basis provides the insight that calls us to live life on another level than just keeping appointments or otherwise meeting the obligations that appear on our calendars. As disciples “on the road,” we keep before us the “Big Picture” of how our life is to be lived for Christ. Sunday Eucharist is an essential reminder of that perspective. How can I prefer a scheduled hockey game or basketball game to that? What are the priorities of my faith? God has placed a hunger in our hearts for Him and that hunger is sated, even if only temporarily, in our weekly reception of Holy Communion. In this sense, then, Holy Communion is truly a foretaste of our complete and permanent union with God in heaven. With this perspective in mind, I again ask how any Catholic, who is truly serious about his or her relationship with the Lord Jesus, can miss Sunday Mass for anything short of serious illness or some other emergency.

The Holy Father explicitly states that this Year of the Eucharist need not interfere with established pastoral programs in our parishes, but rather should allow the focus of the Eucharist to “shed light upon those programs, anchoring them, so to speak, in the very mystery which nourishes the spiritual life of the faithful and the initiatives of each local Church.” Mane Nobiscum Domine (n. 5)

I have asked the leadership of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women to assist our Diocesan Worship Office to plan a special diocesan celebration next October 9 which will have specified elements for children, youth and adults. I have also asked each parish or Area Faith Community to plan a period of Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration for the afternoon of April 10, the day on which the Emmaus Gospel account is proclaimed.

The Holy Father makes the suggestion of having parish committees or study groups research the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal during this year. Another idea he proposes is implementing Hours of Eucharistic Adoration on a parish-wide or region-wide basis. Members of the Knights of Columbus have recommended the latter idea to me and I am very much in favor of it. What we need is some person or group to take the initiative at organizing the details. It is now possible for me to authorize certain Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to expose and repose the Blessed Sacrament for Adoration when they have the pastor’s permission and he is otherwise occupied. (These ministers, however, do not perform a benediction.) This development will certainly make regular Eucharistic Adoration more readily accessible.

Every parish ought to have at least an annual festive celebration in honor of the Holy Eucharist as, for example, around the feast of Corpus Christi. Having led a Eucharistic procession in New Ulm last August, I know what a tremendous impact such a devotional practice can have on the hearts of our people.

Last, but certainly not least, the Holy Father reminds us of the Eucharistic challenge at the end of each Mass to share not only our spiritual gifts but also our material gifts with others. Sent forth at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, we are expected to have a renewed love and concern for the poor, the hungry, the unemployed, the sick, the aged, the lonely, the stranger in our midst. Again the Pope speaks of “incarnating the Eucharistic ‘plan’ in daily life,” (Jn 26) in other words, making the presence of Jesus alive and real in the family, at work, where I recreate or rub shoulders with others. Unless there is a “missio” to the “communio” of our Sunday Eucharist, it cannot properly be Catholic. The Holy Father alludes to this fact when he says, “The Christian who takes part in the Eucharist learns to become a promoter of communion, peace and solidarity in every situation.” (Mane Nobiscum Domine, n. 27)

If properly observed, this Year of the Eucharist offers our parishes as well as our whole Diocese a timely opportunity to renew our participation in, our reverence for and our devotion to Christ’s true Presence in the Holy Eucharist. In this venture, may Mary, the Mother and Model of Eucharistic love, guide us and sustain us in that renewal!

God love you!

February, 2005

Falta Mucho por Recorrer

Por el obispo John C. Nienstedt

Anteriormente no habia sido posible dedicarle una columna a los temas presentados por nuestro Santo Padre, Papa Juan Pablo II, sobre el Año de la Eucaristía que abarca desde Octubre del 2004 hasta Octubre de este año. En su más reciente carta apostólica, Mane Nobiscum Domine, el Papa establece una conexión con el Año del Jubileo del 2000 D.C. y con el más reciente Año del Rosario. En efecto, el tema central para todos estos acontecimientos, por supuesto, es Jesucristo ya que no sólo es el centro de la historia de la Iglesia, sino también de la historia de la humanidad. Por lo tanto, al contemplar el rostro de Jesús, logramos entrar a los misterios de nuestra fe, así como el significado de nuestra realidad terrenal. Lo más importante es un entendimiento del mismo ser humano. Cuando llegamos a conocer mejor a Jesús, llegamos a apreciar quien realmente somos.

Ese es el conocimiento el que motivó al Papa para proclamar el Año del Rosario puesto que el rosario nos conduce a contemplar el rostro de Cristo con el mismo amor y afecto, tal como lo hizo María. El Año de la Eucaristía edifica en esa meditación como ustedes y yo, discípulos contemporáneos hacia el camino a Emaús, reflexionar el misterio de la luz ya que es nuestro Señor Eucarístico que lo dió a conocer durante la "fracción del pan" (Lc. 24:35).

Insto a todos los católicos leer esta carta maravillosa del Santo Padre, junto con la Encíclica del año pasado Ecclesia de Eucharistia, y así como la carta, Dies Domini, dedicado a volver a descrubrir la importancia de la liturgia dominical. (para obtener copias, consulte la página de internet: www.vatican.va).

Ciertamente la Santa Eucaristía es la indicación más clara del deseo de Jesús el de estar cerca y permanecer con nosotros. Cuando nos damos cuenta que él es hijo de Dios ustedes pensarían que somos nosotros los que tomarían la iniciativa para estar cerca a él y permanecer con él, aun así, él se acerca hacía nosotros. Por lo tanto, preguntémonos: ¿Cuál es mi reacción a Jesús presente en la Santa Eucaristía? ¿Qué tan atento estoy durante la misa dominical? ¿Cómo me preparo para ese encuentro? ¿Leo las escrituras antes de la misa? ¿Qué atención le doy durante la misa? ¿Que tan frecuente visito la Eucaristía fuera de la misa para rezar o para solo sentarme en su presencia?

El Santo Padre indica explícitamente que este Año de la Eucaristía no necesita interferir con los programas pastorales establecidos en nuestras parroquias, pero debería permitir enfocar la Eucaristía en "derramar la luz sobre esos programas, apoyandolos en el mismo misterio que nutre la vida espíritual del creyente y la iniciativa de cada Iglesia local." ((n.5)

He pedido el liderazgo del Consul Diocesano de Mujeres Católicas para asistir a nuestro departamento del Culto Divino el de planificar el 9 de octubre una celebración especial. Dicha celebración contaría con programas especificos para niños, jovenes y adultos. También he pedido a cada parroquia de la Comunidad de Fe planificar el 10 de abril por la tarde (el día en que la version del Evangelio de Emaús es proclamado) un periodo de la Exposición Eucarística y Adoración.

Si este Año de la Eucaristía se observa apropiadamente, le ofrece a nuestras parroquias y a nuestra diócesis la oportunidad para renovar nuestra participación, reverencia y nuestra dedicación por la presencia verdadera de la Santa Eucaristía. Que en esta aventura de renovación María, la madre y modelo del amor Eucarístico, nos guie y nos proteja!

February, 2005