Archbishop Leonard P. Blair
If I were asked what is the Church’s greatest treasure, I would have to say the holy Eucharist because, as the Catechism says, it is “the source and summit of the Christian life … in which is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely, Christ himself, our Pasch.” (CCC 1324) Remember too what Jesus tells us: “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood you cannot have life within.
Having experienced a pandemic that made participation in the Eucharist next to impossible for many people, the U.S. Bishops are poised to move forward with a concerted effort to rekindle among all Catholics a deeper knowledge and love of the Eucharist and the worthy recep-tion of holy Communion. To that end, we are planning a multi-year effort at the parochial, diocesan and national levels to catechize and to celebrate this great mystery of faith. We are also envisioning a major national eucharistic event in 2024.
The good news is that following the reopening of our church-es, it would appear people are returning to church for Sunday Mass, but this trend needs to be constantly encouraged, fostered, deepened and strengthened. The good news is also that a growing number of people, including many young people, are being drawn to eucharistic adoration.
Adoration is a “prolongation” of Mass, in that it enables us to be still in the eucharistic presence of Christ and to engage in a prayerful dialogue with him. In a world filled with an unrelent-ing stream of messages, images and voices pulling us in every direction, adoration is a refuge where we can be still and quiet, not in a vacuum but in spiritual communion with Christ. It has never been more needed than now. I’ve directed every parish in the archdiocese to devote at least one hour a week to eucharistic adoration, and I know that many places go beyond that minimum. This is vital for the Church today.
On another topic, the archdiocesan synod that was held in 2019 to 2020 has finally been concluded, after a pandemic delay, with the Mass that was celebrated on Aug. 13, the liturgical Memorial of Blessed Michael McGivney. A synod is meant to chart a way forward, so we have to consider our next steps. In this month’s Transcript, you can see some of the pictures taken at that beautiful closing liturgy. The next issue will be devoted to the final synod document that reflects the questions, concerns, hopes and ideas brought forward by the synod delegates. Our archdiocesan synod already anticipates something that Pope Francis is now asking of the whole Church. The Holy Father would like every diocese to engage in a synodal process that will begin with a Mass celebrated by bishops in their dioceses this October and end in 2024. It is all the more important, then, that we sustain the momentum of our own archdiocesan synod in the coming years.Our challenges today are great, but the Lord is always greater, and he has promised to be with us “always, even until the end of time.” Nowhere is this more evident than in the holy Eucharist. May he guide the Church’s synodal path, and may he be received by each of us in the Eucharist with ever greater faith, integrity of life and adoration.