Living the Eucharist

We are now winding up the Year of the Eucharist, both worldwide and locally. In the Vatican, they are having the Synod of bishops to discuss varied relevant issues.

I gathered that some delicate points are being discussed, and that some measure of discretion is being asked of the participants in talking to the media about the issues. Let's just pray for a smooth and fruitful sailing of this Synod.

In Cebu and in many other dioceses, congresses and other assemblies are being held to see what have been accomplished in terms of Eucharistic devotion in the past year.

Were there an increase and an improvement in Eucharistic piety among the believers? What initiatives can be made to sustain this devotion? Questions like these are tackled in these gatherings.

These efforts are always necessary and need to be sustained with even greater creativity, to perpetuate the awareness of the indispensable importance of the Eucharist, the sacrament that contains the real presence of Christ.

It's a perennial challenge to all of us to find ways for everyone to develop and live a truly Eucharistic spirit. The Eucharist should not only be a matter of ideas, words and desires. It has to be lived in our daily activities and concerns.

Put in words, the challenge is how we can translate the many richly theological descriptions of the Eucharist into concrete impulses that guide and shape the minds and hearts of the people.

The ideal would be for the ordinary faithful to revolve their thoughts and desires around the Eucharist. The ideal would be for them to realize that everything they do, no matter how mundane, should start and end in the Eucharist.

That is to say, how can we make believers pine and long for the Eucharist? How can we make the faithful relate everything they are, have and do to the Eucharist? How can they see that the Eucharist is relevant in everything in their life?

This is the most difficult part about the Eucharistic devotion. We tend to lose sight of the Eucharistic relevance in our lives as we immerse ourselves in our daily work.

The Eucharist is supposed to be the center and root of our interior life, the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. It is what builds the Church. But how can we make these very lofty truths of our faith a reality in life?

Obviously some continuing evangelization of the Eucharist is needed. For this we need teachers, experts and theologians, thoroughly grounded on the proper doctrine of our faith, to keep on talking about this most wonderful treasure.

Let's hope that we can have sacred ministers as well as lay people who are endowed with a deep sense of mission in undertaking this delicate task. It's sad to think that instead of doing this, some get entangled with purely political and partisan affairs.

I must say that we in the Philippines are blessed with a people whose capacity for faith is great. We just have to give more substance to that faith, to make it bear real fruits in the different aspects of our life, including business and politics.

But more than teachers, experts and theologians, what are direly needed are living witnesses whose words and deeds and whose life in general eloquently show their Eucharistic soul.

How wonderful it would be if we have consistent believers whose presence alone could lead others to discover the marvel that is the Holy Eucharist!

There are many anecdotes of great saints whose conversion to the faith was triggered by witnessing the simple and authentic Eucharistic piety of ordinary people. St. Edith Stein's conversion was something like this.

Simple things like a genuflections before the Blessed Sacrament properly done, frequent and active participation in Holy Mass, spending time preparing for it and giving thanks after it-these can go a long way in living the Eucharist well.

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