A must-read text for this Year of Eucharistic Revival is the apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity) by Pope Benedict XVI. The work is divided into three parts: “The Eucharist, a Mystery to Be Believed”; “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Celebrated”; and “The Eucharist, a Mystery to be Lived.”
Published in 2007, this short work is most compelling in making clear the integral connection between the Most Holy Eucharist and every facet of our life. The best way to make sense of reality is by way of the mystery of the Eucharist and everything that the Eucharist signifies — all the truth that the Eucharist makes radiantly apparent. During this Year of Eucharist Revival we especially want to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the relevance of the Eucharist to our particular life, especially in all the trials and challenges that life throws our way.
In fact, as the exhortation asserts, there is nothing authentically human that does not find in the sacrament of the Eucharist the form it needs to be lived to the full. In the Eucharist, Jesus Christ brings forth a radical newness that permeates every aspect of our existence. This is something we can count on.
As the document asserts so eloquently, in the Sacrament of the Altar, the Lord meets us and becomes our companion along the way. If we have any question or doubt about our union with Jesus Christ, we need simply look to the Eucharist where Jesus shows us the bond that he willed to establish between himself and us. In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us. Unlike any other force known to us, the mystery of the Eucharist contains an innate power — a power making the Eucharist the principle of new life within us. That is, a source of revival.
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Installments in this series can be found each week here: Real Presence
Also, find Fr. Peter John Cameron’s weekly reflection on the Sunday liturgy here, with a video and written reflection.
