Real Catholic Blog

Pope Benedict XVI elevated two Americans to Cardinal this week, including Archbishop Raymond Burke. This is good news. Archbishop Burke has been at the forefront of defending the faith from those within the Church who would water it down to the point of meaninglessness. In 2004, as Archbishop of St. Louis, he warned Catholic politicians, such as Senator John Kerry, who defend abortion, to refrain from receiving Holy Eucharist. While angering many, including a host of his brother bishops, he spoke the truth and defended Church teaching. In recent years, he has headed the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, which is the Vatican equivilant of the Supreme Court (see Greg Burke’s LiveShots blog at FoxNews.com). Upon his elevation, he said in part:

I am deeply humbled and honored by the announcement that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI intends to name me to the College of Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church at the Consistory which he has convoked for this coming November 20th. Having received the news of the Holy Father’s intention, I express my deepest gratitude to His Holiness for the great confidence which he has placed in me, and I renew my commitment to serve Him, as Shepherd of the universal Church, in total fidelity and with all my being.

Pope Benedict appointed 24 cardinals in all, 20 of whom are under 80 years of age. Only those under 80 can participate in a papal conclave. The other American is Archbishop Donald Wuerl, of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Extensive comments by both Americans can be found at the Catholic News Agency.

In the post before last, I mentioned in quick succession a few aspects of the season, but aspects that nonetheless are intergral to each other and are central to our being as Catholics, not just during the Advent and Christmas seasons. As we celebrate a New Year and the Feast of Mary, Mother of God (ChurchYear.net), a Holy Day of Obligation, at a vigil tonight or at Mass  tomorrow, it is an appropriate time to flesh them out a bit.

First is the hope that the glow of the season stays with us all year long. We celebrate during Christmas God’s divine touch on us in the form of the Mystery of the Incarnation. Just because we celebrate Jesus’ birth now doesn’t mean he goes away the rest of the year. God becomes man through the incarnation. Inconceivable! It is worth celebrating all year.

We do that by constantly reflecting Jesus by our actions to others. Inspire them to the Lord by how we act and explain the Divine Mysteries. We especially need to instill the love of the Lord in those who at least show a perfunctory acknowledgment of God. Many people attend Mass twice a year. Let’s try to bring them home to the Church while there is an immediate Christmas warmth in their hearts. While this mission to bring to the salvation of the Church to others includes Christians, non-Christians and non-believers alike, we have a special obligation to show wayward Catholics the way home (see Catholics Come Home).

Bringing all this together is the central thought that the Wood of the Manger is the Wood of the Cross. While it is warm and fun to celebrate a birthday and exchange presents, God humbled himself to become man for one reason: To die for our sins. That is why we must “celebrate” Christmas all year. Not the gift-giving, but the life giving that Christ gave us by His birth — the everlasting life He gives us. For, if not for His birth, He has no human life. Without His Incarnation, we do not have His sacrifice on the Cross for our redemption and forgiveness of our sins. So the wood of the Manger is the Wood of the Cross. After all, even at Christmas, where we celebrate His birth, the central part of the Mass, what we truly celebrate, is the Holy Eucharist, Christ’s Body and Blood made available to us only by His death and Resurrection.

That’s one of the age old incongruities of practicing the Faith. Everyone wants to go to Holy Communion, but rarely do people go to Reconciliation.

Suffer me not to be separated from you, Lord

as the prayer states. No one wants to forsake the Bread of Life. That is good. People should not want to go without receiving our Lord in the Sacrifice of the Mass. But are we clear for take-off? Or do we go undeservingly because we don’t want the person next to us to think we’ve done something to not merit the Holy Eucharist?

Another priest from the Fathers of Mercy, Father Bill Casey, C.P.M., offers some thoughts on The Link between the Penitential Rite & the Gloria:

Father Casey with some thoughts on the age old conundrum: Why are there lines for Holy Communion but not the Confessional?

Continuing with the emphasis of reverence in preparation to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Blessed Sacrament —prompted by Cardinal Cipriani — here is another prayer to say and upon which to meditate in the minutes prior to receiving Holy Communion.

Perhaps say it before Mass to help you prepare your mind for the Holy significance of the Eucharist and the meaning of our celebration at Mass. It was written by Saint Francis de Sales (biography, here, at Catholic Online). A good essay on the Holy Spirit is linked to Catholic Online within the prayer.

Your Sacred Table: A Prayer before Communion  

Divine Saviour,
we come to Your sacred table
to nourish ourselves,
not with bread but with Yourself,
true Bread of eternal life.
Help us daily to make a good and perfect meal
of this divine food.
Let us be continually refreshed
by the perfume of Your kindness and goodness.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with His Love.
Meanwhile, let us prepare a place
for this holy food by emptying our hearts.

Amen.

To further your appreciation of the significance of what it means to receive the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, here is a link to an index of Communion Prayers at Catholic Online. Please make reverence at Holy Communion a point of emphasis within your family, friends and fellow parishioners.

The Archbishop of Lima, Peru, his eminence Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, in a homily Sunday at the Cathedral of Lima, said that the most reverent way to receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is on the tongue and kneeling (see CNA, here). While this may seem old fashioned to many who see no reason to “go back” to traditional forms of worship, it is perfectly in line with a new emphasis by the Church to ensure proper reverence when receiving Holy Eucharist, which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, the pillar of the Faith and the summit of our worship to Christ our Lord.

How often do we observe people casually walk up to the altar as if receiving a treat? Are people in prayer as they walk toward the Holy Eucharist? Do they contemplate the significance of the act of which they are about to undertake? If not, do they not know the holy significance of what they are about to receive?

It is our Lord’s Body and Blood! If He were to appear to you in a room, wouldn’t you fall to your knees in worship of our Lord? Of course! At the same time, the Holy Eucharist is our Lord present in transubstantiated bread and wine, just as He said at the Last Supper! So, kneeling makes not only perfect logical sense, but perfect theological sense. His eminence has it right.

Many now show reverence with a bow before receiving Holy Eucharist, which is a vast improvement over a casual walk up. Others, such as myself, genuflect and make the Sign of the Cross before receiving Holy Communion. I have read, rightly or wrongly, this imparts a special blessing. It seems to me this is the least we can do to show our adoration to our Saviour.

As Cardinal Cipriani proclaimed:

The most respectful manner of receiving the Eucharist is kneeling and on the tongue. We must recover the respect and reverence that the Eucharist deserves, because the love of Jesus is the center of our Christian life. The soul is at stake.

The days of the Communion rail may be over, but that does not preclude us, laity and clergy alike, from showing and facilitaing the proper reverence for our Lord. 

Cardinal Cipriani urges his flock to show the proper reverence when receiving our Lord’s Body and Blood. It’s something we all can take to heart.

John Paul II and Benedict XVI teach us about adoration of the Holy Eucharist in their words and actions.