Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions and Proposals

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments today published a document entitled "The Year of the Eucharist: Suggestions and Proposals," in answer to a idea put forth by Pope John Paul in his October 7 Apostolic Letter "Mane nobiscum Domine." Today's document, published in Italian, is expected to be available shortly in other major languages.

The Holy Father suggested in Article 18 that:

This year let us also celebrate with particular devotion the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, with its traditional procession. Our faith in the God who took flesh in order to become our companion along the way needs to be everywhere proclaimed, especially in our streets and homes, as an expression of our grateful love and as an inexhaustible source of blessings.

I hope more pastors take this suggestion to heart. There are but a handful of parishes in the archdiocese which do this. What better way to emphasize the Feast of Corpus Christi?

I also found Article 17 particularly helpful also. One would hope that pastors listen when the Pope says:

The Eucharist is a great mystery! And it is one which above all must be well celebrated. Holy Mass needs to be set at the centre of the Christian life and celebrated in a dignified manner by every community, in accordance with established norms, with the participation of the assembly, with the presence of ministers who carry out their assigned tasks, and with a serious concern that singing and liturgical music be suitably “sacred”.

The Holy Father made another suggestion for helping the faithful understand more deeply the mystery and the reasoning behind the actions of the Holy Mass:

One specific project of this Year of the Eucharist might be for each parish community to study the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

I know Fr. Eugene Morris has been doing a radio show locally covering the Institutio, although I have been unable to listen to it when it's on. WRYT may have CDs of his talks, though.

If you have chance to hear Fr. Morris speak, you should make every effort to do so.

Anyway the link to the article is here.