Eucharist

I HAVE just read the Pope's latest encyclical. Wow! That's all I can say. Of all his encyclicals, this is the easiest to read, the most beautiful, and, of course, very meaningful.

If I could read a book or document in just one sitting, without putting it down even for an instant, I know that that material has it. And this encyclical, among the Pope's 14 encyclicals, succeeded in nailing me to my seat until I finished it.

"Ecclesia de Eucharistia" was released last Holy Thursday, replacing the Pope's usual annual letter to priests. This one is meant not only for priests but for everyone. The reason is obvious.

It begins by affirming that the "Church draws her life from the Eucharist." From there, the Pope summarizes all the most wonderful doctrines about this most important sacrament, reminding me of all that I learned about the Holy Eucharist.

The points are masterfully developed theologically. The sequence follows a plan that can leave one to the edges of this world and bring him to the doorsteps of the very supernatural mystery of this sacrament, relishing its endless implications and consequences.

A point that caught my attention was when the Holy Father said the Eucharistic Sacrifice contained the Catholic Church's entire spiritual wealth: Jesus Christ himself, who offers himself to the Father for the redemption of the world.

In celebrating this "mystery of faith," the church makes what happened to our Lord on the first Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday or the Paschal Triduum, become "contemporaneous" with men and women in every age.

The Pope developed and described many other interesting points, brilliantly giving us a clear idea of what eucharistic piety would consist in, one that is not only personal but also ecclesial, not only theoretical but also practical.

We have everything that we need in the Eucharist. This is a truth that should be clearly transmitted to all. There are those who think the Eucharist or the sacraments in general are just ceremonials or mere outlets of piety.

But in all these, surprise of surprises, the Pope manages to infuse a certain lilt, a certain poetry, a very personal touch springing from a heart clearly immersed in God and in the affairs of men, that separates it from all his other very scholarly and heavy writings. Reading it is almost like praying!

The other day, I was happy to read about an American endeavor to rewrite the Pope's theology of the body, a very beautiful, relevant and penetrating insight about the role of the body in the dynamism of love. People should learn about this theology!

This time, it seems the American initiative succeeded in giving it a more accessible style. And so I look forward to having a copy of it. To me this theology of the body that the Pope articulated represents a landmark in Catholic thinking about this topic.

This has been some kind of a dream for me. After reading a document by the Pope, I pray that what he wrote could be done in an easier style. What a pity, I would always end up telling myself, if all his brilliance and genius would be kept unappreciated because of the language.

The latest encyclical aims to give one and all a deep and complete understanding of this most sublime sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

It seems that the Holy Father is bent in making us realize that we can and should contemplate the face of Jesus. This has always been possible, the Pope has been reassuring us, and the Holy Eucharist affords us to have this chance in the most glorious of ways.

My ardent prayer now is for everyone, but especially for priests, to assimilate this document well. I pray that everyone takes the time and the effort to study it and meditate on it, until its sap would just naturally filter into one's head and heart and become part of one's being!

I cannot help but say that many times I feel great pain when I see the Holy Mass badly celebrated or attended. Especially in some concelebrated Masses. There may be some high moments of love and piety in these Masses, but there are also many things that distract me, telling me things are not done properly.

That's why the Pope also talks about certain abuses and erroneous ideas and practices related to the Eucharist. They need to be overcome. This can be done, of course, always through prayer and sacrifices, but also through an all-out effort to tackle these problems earnestly. Ignoring them doesn't solve anything.

I hope that every time the Mass is celebrated, all those things that the Pope explained so well in the encyclical would really take place. They do, that's for sure, but we need to be aware of them and conform our behavior according to these truths of faith. This is our job!